Washington Instagram Mania — Seattle and the San Juan Islands Travel Photography

I'm back! For those of you who don't follow me on Instagram you may not have even noticed I was gone. For those of you who do, you are more than likely all too aware of my recent travels. Hehe. Over the course of the past few days I have been from one corner of the US and back again with a whirlwind Washington trip in between (and about 40 Instagram photo posts too.) My dear friend from grad school, Lauren, has lived in the delightful city of Seattle for just over a year now so I figured it was high time for a trip and I couldn't have hit it at a better time. Lots of sun and perfect outdoor activity temperatures made for a stunning trip (and lots and lots of gorgeous photo ops.) And with my busy as ever fall photo season coming up, with a handful of super exciting weddings and a fall family photo calendar filling up, this artist needed some time to step away for creative rejuvenation to launch me into the season with a joy and excitement like none-other. Mission accomplished.

Not long after getting into WA we hopped on a ferry to the San Juan Islands and spent a full 24 hours soaking it all in from our home base of Orcas Island. The next few days were spent in a sunny Seattle complete with hiking to a driftwood and pebble covered beach, oysters on the water and watching a glorious sunset on the sandy shores of Golden Gardens (while eating pie, yes, pie on the beach.) I have a whole slew of "big girl camera" photos to sort through but in the meantime you can check out some of my favorite iPhone/Instagram photos from the adventures below. And if you so happen to want to have the opportunity to follow my everyday life adventures including trips like this head on over to my Instagram by clicking here and come on along.

xoxo,
Caroline

Caroline Maxcy's Seattle and San Juan Islands, WA Instagram photo favorites.

Baby Charles — Sebring, FL Newborn Photography

Oh just some squishy baby newborn sweetness on the blog for you all this Friday… Welcome to the world Charles! 

xoxo,
Caroline

This is the Day Beginner's Photography Workshop Fall Registration Open — November 8, 2014

Sarah Sandel and I are excited to announce that registration is officially open for our fall This is the Day Beginner's Photography Workshop on November 8th from 10:00-3:00 in Lake Placid, FL. Reserve the date, head on over the the website by {clicking here} to get all the info (and register too!) and then get ready for a day full of hands on learning in a retreat style workshop at the quaintest little artist's cabin on the lake (complete with lunch, sweet treats, coffee and lots of chocolate… lots and lots of chocolate).

And in case you have absolutely no idea what the This is the Day Beginner's Photography workshop is, let me explain… 

In a nutshell our Beginner's Workshop is designed to better acquaint folks with their "fancy" camera and the power it holds in order to better capture their everyday lives. You see not everyday is a "sit on a vintage quilt in a field of tall wispy grass at sunset and giggle at each other occasionally drawing your attention and grins in the direction of a lady with a camera" kind of day. Everyday is baseball games, impromptu tea parties and lazy days at the beach. They are dance recitals, steer shows and sitting on the back porch at sunset. They are orange blossoms in bloom, babies first grins and sunrises over the lake. Everyday is that gloriousness that God has granted each and everyone of us called this life, your life, that only you get to live and see and experience and remember.

Fancy cameras aren't meant to pull you away from all that, fiddling with foreign settings and innumerable combinations of f-stop, shutterspeed and ISO. They should be pulling you into it. What we hope to do is enable you to be more comfortable, more natural, with your camera in your hands, capture the moment by taking a better picture up front and then set the camera down and get out there and live it! So take a day with us. Come on. Let's hang out together, learn a bit, laugh a bit too and then head back to our lives and start celebrating that everyday that has been uniquely entrusted to us.

For those of you "visual learners" below is a little glimpse into our Spring Workshop complete with technical training, composition and lighting basics as well as hands on learning...

2014 Fall Family Sessions — Central Florida Family Photography

For those of us in Central Florida there may not be too much of a crispness in the air quite yet (and we may have a good long while before that happens) but school is back in session, football season is in full swing and "pumpkin" flavored everything has hit the market (written while clutching my warm mug of Pumpkin Spice coffee). So what does that mean? It's Fall Y'all! And with that comes one of my absolute favorite times of year as a photographer. It is when families gather in the most beautifully coordinated duds, brushes tucked in back pockets and promises of ice cream have been discussed in the car ride over (if the kids are good, but seriously aren't they always?). It is fall family session time. That time when you not just get a gorgeous photo (or five) to include on this year's holiday card but you also get to capture this sliver of time in your family's lives, when a year from now you will miss the roundness of their cheeks or the way they were missing those two front teeth. And every year I get all sentimental about how the kids I had in front of my camera 12 months ago are growing up (*tear), how they call me Aunt Carrie from time to time and how we get to wander about for a bit (sometimes hand in hand with a two year old) at gorgeous family farms and parks and fields while I capture the most precious of images. If you haven't got the picture, I love this stuff and while I already have a few sessions in the books for the coming months I am looking forward to the many, many more family's I will get to meet and spend time with while capturing cherished memories this fall.

Caroline Maxcy Photography Associate Photographer Sarah Sandel.

With all this fantastic fuss about fall I am so excited to tell you about the "official" new addition at Caroline Maxcy Photography: starting this fall, Sarah Sandel will be working as an Associate Photographer with CMP! You may know her name - she's photographed families and couples around our community for over five years and is the co-inspirer behind This Is The Day Workshops. She and I have worked together on countless weddings and projects over the past three years and we're delighted to have her on board in this capacity.

What this means for you, dear reader, is that CMP is able to handle even more clients this fall! As our Associate Photographer, Sarah will be responsible for photographing the limited number of mini sessions that CMP offers as we prepare to enter the holiday season. Her creativity and fresh look on families and children is a perfect fit for us and the best part is that we're able to collaborate on each mini session: Sarah will be meeting with and photographing families and the post-processing will be completed by myself (that's me, Caroline), so you get the best of both worlds! Fresh images created by Sarah, processed by Caroline with the classic CMP look you've come to know and love. But don't take our word for it - you can see for yourselves with the image gallery below!

Images by Sarah Sandel
Processing by Caroline Maxcy

So here are the details that will help make your fall session the best yet!

If you're looking for a full and leisurely session, designed to tell a larger story and capture a large number of images, you're probably wanting to book a Fall Complete Session. During this 60-90 session, Caroline captures your story from cover to cover and all the little details in between. You can relax and meander and share the laughs and stories that your family is made of while capturing framable family memories along the way! 

If what you're looking for is more compact, designed to capture select images of your family at this time of your lives, you probably are in the market for a Fall Mini Session! During a half-hour mini session with Sarah, you can look forward to telling the happy little story of your family and capturing images perfect for holiday greetings, family albums, and that big empty frame on your mantle! 

You can [click here] for more details on what's included in the CMP Fall Complete and Mini Sessions and to book yours today. We can't wait to meet your family and capture your happy story this fall!

xoxo,
Caroline & Sarah

Lisa + Trevor — Sebring, FL Wedding Photography

Bride's, if I could ever urged you to pull out your pen and paper and take some notes it would be right now. Lisa and Trevor's Sebring, FL wedding was delightful to the core. From the truly gorgeous getting ready and reception location at a family friend's log cabin home, to the private "first look" complete with a foot washing, to the unique and unexpected wedding ceremony where the bride and groom stepped out of the limelight to participate in a time of worship with their wedding guests, to the "throwback" to the post ceremony Receiving Line (you just don't see this that often anymore and I can't seem to fathom why not?), to the sweet and quaint afternoon soiree with the bride and groom's closest family and friends covered in delightful details handcrafted by the bride. Take note. But what I really wish you all could take note of is how, by calling the bride a dear friend of mine, I was able to watch this relationship grow, covered in prayer, and consistency and lots of love. The way their wedding day plans changed again, and again, and… yes again for a whole handful of reasons, before it landed on this beautiful celebration of the pair. And that's ok. And the way these two, grounded in their faith never lost sight of the marriage they where building on the foundation of the Lord (even in the haze of big day planning.) Thank you Lisa and Trevor for sharing your day with me and allowing me to capture all this sweet love!

xoxo,
Caroline

Thanks to the bride's super talented cousin, Jason Davies, they now also have the incredibly gorgeous wedding film to commemorate their day! Check it out by clicking below...

Wedding Film by Jason Davies

Credits:

Photography - Caroline Maxcy Photography
Second Shooter - Olivia Fryer
Videography - Jason Davies
Brides Attire: White by Vera Wang 
Bride's Jewelry: Highlands Jeweler 
Brides's Hair: Britney Lewis
Bridesmaids' Attire: Victoria's Secret 
Groom's Attire: Brooks Bother's
Wedding planner: Bride & Aunt
Wedding coordinator: Michelle Cathey
Caterer: Chef Mac at the Palms
Cake: Kip Drummond
Bouquets: Hobby Hill Florist
Wedding Venue: Bible Fellowship Church 
Reception Venue: Private Home

Kimberly + David — Island View Restaurant Wedding Photography — Sebring, FL

I sat down at the Sun 'N Lake Island View Restaurant in Sebring, FL on a sunny day with Kimberly and David to chat about their May wedding and knew instantly it was going to be a fantastic celebration. They are are the perfect mix of sweetness and fun and their ideas and plans for their big day was to wrap all that up into one really good time celebrating their love. Then I got to know them even better as we wandering around Sun 'N Lakes earlier this year for their super sunny, super sweet engagement session. I was pumped for their big day to say the least.

Then came the week before their wedding. And if anyone could change the course of events that week it would be me, a thousand times over. You see, when I compiled my wedding photography contract a few years ago I included a simple clause I wasn't even sure I would ever use... 

"In the unlikely event of the photographer is unable to complete the coverage due to unforeseen circumstances, the photographer reserves the right to appoint another photographer to attend on her behalf to undertake the photography."

"Unforeseen Circumstances" dropped into my family's lap on a Tuesday morning in late April like a ton of bricks, or boulders, or… it's hard to find the proper metaphor for the shock and heartbreak that comes from unexpectedly loosing your dad.

That is a whole other post in itself. For another time.

But what I will say is that in a time when the Lord Himself felt a million miles away He kept His promise of "drawing near to the broken hearted" through His children, their presence, their encouragement and their willingness to attempt to carry our burdens for us for a bit.

There is a long list of family and friends that acted as dear angels to my family during those first moments, days, weeks and even now into the months that followed our tragedy. But for myself and Kimberly and David—and the matter of their wedding set for the same date now a my dad's funeral—it was the dear, dear Sarah Sandel, my go-to Second Shooter and mind reader, who before I even had time to make that phone call, was ready and willing to step in for the day (and already had a list of folks who had volunteered to help.)

So while I was celebrating my Dad's life in a packed pavilion listening to the rain hit the roof above us for a few hours on a grey Saturday afternoon Sarah Sandel and Nikki Ogden (a This is the Day Photography Workshop Attendee) were capturing Kimberly and David's wedding celebration in the most beautiful way. Thank you. 

And luckily for me Kimberly and David were willing to let me still be a part of their marriage celebration by agreeing to a "day after" session (or rather a "two months after" session) where they got all gussied back up in their wedding day duds. The unpredictable Florida summertime afternoon rain had postponed us on our originally scheduled day so we opted for a try at sunrise. No words can describe the beauty that unfolded that morning and the breathtaking, blindingly beautiful sun that greeted us as the light made it's way up and over the horizon and back into the world again. 

Thank you Kimberly and David for being so full of love and life and understanding. 

Thank you Sarah and Nikki for being angels to me during one of the hardest of times. 

And Thank you God for continuing to draw near through your children and for bringing the breathtaking, blindingly beautiful sun back up over the horizon to greet us again day after day.

The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” (Lamentations 3:22-24 ESV)

And here is a peek into that glorious morning when Kimberly and David were willing to get up at 4:30 AM to start getting ready for our sunrise session. It was way worth it, I'd say...

Credits:

Wedding Day Photography — Sarah Sandel
Wedding Day Second Shooter — Nikki Ogden
Bride and Groom "Day After" Photography — Caroline Maxcy Photography
Venue — Island View Lakefront Restaurant & Pub

The Bone Family — Central Florida Family Photography

Brace yourself… this central Florida family session you are about to see is gorgeous. And I'm not tooting my own horn here, it is all them, the setting, the hour and the evident love. When a fellow photographer (and my second shooter from time to time) Olivia contacted me about photographing her extended family at their family ranch last spring I couldn't even begin to imagine the beauty that would in-sue. Following the two mile long winding dirt road into their property just before "golden hour" is where it all began. It was breathtaking old Florida gloriousness! I got there just in time to catch a gender reveal celebration (its a girl!) before we wandered around the property catching golden light, lots of laughter and images of a family full of so much life and love. Thank you Bone Family!

(And if you are looking to book your own fall family session coming up soon stay tuned for some fun announcements about Caroline Maxcy Photography and "new additions" this fall!)

xoxo, Caroline
 

Ricki + Riley — Island View Restaurant Wedding Photography — Sebring, FL

Spending this mid April day with this sweet pair at the Island View Restaurant in Sebring, FL was such a treat down to every last detail. These two are lover's of all things beach and designed a day that was a celebration of just that complete with hibiscus flowers and sea oats decorating the ceremony, to walking down the aisle to the song "Ocean's" by Hillsong, to combining sand and shells as their unity ceremony, to a glowing sea-life cake and a surf board guest book branded with their very own custom designed (by the bride!) R and R brand. The details were just perfect and Ricki & Riley were truly sweet as can be and such a joy to hang out with on one of the most important and exciting days of their lives! Thank you Ricki & Riley for invited me there to capture your celebration!

xoxo,
Caroline

Credits:

Photography — Caroline Maxcy Photography
Second Shooter — Sarah Sandel
Flowers — Hobby Hill Florist
Venue — Island View Lakefront Restaurant & Pub

The Richardson Family Beach Session Sneak Peek — Anna Maria Island Family Photography

Just had to share a peek into my afternoon on the Anna Maria Island beach yesterday with this sweet Tennessee family.  

xoxo,
Caroline

Anna Maria Island and Holmes Beach Family Photography with Caroline Maxcy Photography.

Caroline Maxcy Photography + Highlands Art League — Central Florida Teen and Adult Photography Classes

This summer I am teaming up with the Highlands Art League to embark on a little educational endeavor. As my classes and course work are shaping up I am excited about the individuals that will be coming along with me and growing in their craft and I want to invite any of you last minute folks to join us on the journey. I will be offering two classes on Monday nights over the next six weeks. The first starts at 5:00 and is specifically geared towards teens and the cameras they have tucked into their pockets every-single-day. That's right the entire course will be using our camera phones! The second class I am offering starts at 6:30 and is for the grown folks. Bring along your slightly "fancier" camera and come prepared to learn to better understand your camera (yes, I'm talking Aperture, Shutterspeed and ISO) and in turn you'll be prepared to better capture your life around you in an open and authentic way. So come on along folks (and I can't wait to meet all of you that are already signed up!)

Check out the info below on each course and if you are interested you can call or email...

Teresa Vicker @ 863-385-6682 or manager@highlandsartleague.org

iPhoneography by Caroline Maxcy

Story telling through the lens for teens.

When: Mondays 5:00-6:00, July 14 - Aug. 18
Where: Highlands Art League, 351 W Center Ave, Sebring, FL 33870
Cost: $150 (six classes) or $25 p/class
Details: We experience the world in its greatest form through stories. In the age of social media, self expression and the never-ending selfie it would be safe to say that we are more than ever dying to tell our own personal story. This 6 week summer course will examine the way in which we are each telling our stories through photography. We will first look at the way we are doing this using the compelling tools tucked right into our back pockets everyday. iPhoneography is becoming the medium of choice to capture real, raw, thought provoking and beautiful moments in the most organic and simple way. Whether it be via our instagram grid and the way each photo speaks as an individual and interacts as a whole or through a personal collection of images we will examine the stories we ourselves are currently telling. We will develop ways to better capture an image and how the decisions we make up front in framing, composition and lighting enhance and effect the story being told. We will explore our individual worlds as well as learn how to creatively capture our own unique perspective along the way.

Throughout the weeks we will move into more “advanced” tools and composition through demonstrations and hands-on lessons introducing students to the craft and aesthetics of photography as well as enhance their digital skills using the camera. Critiques throughout the six weeks foster confidence, as students discuss their images and reflect upon their progress. By the end of the course, students will have developed a portfolio of images with accompanying text—telling their summertime stories. The program culminates in a final presentation for family and friends.

Lifestyle and Portrait Photography with Caroline Maxcy.

Intro to Everyday Lifestyle and Portrait Photography.

When: Mondays 6:30-7:30, July 14 - Aug. 18
Where: Highlands Art League, 351 W Center Ave, Sebring, FL 33870
Cost: $180 members $200 non-members (six classes)
Details: Do you have a “fancy” camera, a story to tell and a desire to move closer to a deeper understanding of how the two intertwine? This course is about the story we tell and the tools we use. Throughout the six weeks we work to develop skills that will allow you to better understand your camera in order to better capture your life around you in an open and authentic way. We will start by learning the technical basics of your DSLR camera. We will move you from “auto” to “manual” while learning about aperture, shutter speed and ISO along the way. Then we will focus in on the best practices for capturing people, lifestyle and portrait images in your everyday life. Here we will talk about finding light, developing a way of seeing things and fostering an open heart in the process of capturing genuine life-filled images.