Horseshoe Bend in Page, Arizona at golden hour is nothing short of magical. Add in a gorgeous bride and groom and 60 of their closest family and friends bathed in the warm desert light and you have something like a dream. Sheri + James said their joyful, tearful “I dos” earlier this month canyon side and I had the honor of being there to capture it all.
Here we are in the heart of a frigid winter (even for us Floridians at times) and I’m dreaming of warmer days. So why not share a peek into Alexa and Jordan’s seaside Sanibel Island wedding from this past summer. Revisiting these images is like a treat! I can almost hear the lull of the waves and the rustle in the palm leaves and nearly feel the sweet summertime sun on my skin…
In reflecting on the last year I took some time to note things that had given me life or drained me in the past. (It’s an effort in aiding in decision making for this “decision fatigued” gal right here. And the idea is all thanks to Emily P. Freeman and her “The Next Right Thing” podcast!) Something that undeniable breathed life in to my work and inspiration was the process of shooting creatively with film. (You can check out my past blog post about the process and love affair by clicking here and here.) So I set out to spend more time behind my film camera pointing it at beautiful things and lovely light by marking down a few “inspired styled shoots” in my calendar. This is the very first of them…
Anna Grace’s Senior Session at Dark Hammock Legacy Ranch was nothing short of a dream…
Just want to send along a big CONGRATS to all the Caroline Maxcy Photography 2015 grads that donned their caps and gowns this weekend! More from each of their super fun sessions is coming to the blog next week!
xoxo, Caroline
Central Florida Senior Photography with Caroline Maxcy Photography.
Mother's Day is literally just around the corner. I'm not always this on top of gifts but I've had my gift for my mom for about 2 weeks already now (insert pat on my back.) And you'll never guess it but it is "photo related", duh (shhhh... don't tell my mom). Seriously, I don't just push photography because it is my profession but I truly believe in the value of capturing a moment and sharing it for generations to come. Life changes and moves on. The kids grow up. People come and go. Life will never be the same again as it is today, right here. So let's celebrate and say thanks for this moment!
These sweet Godwin girls hopped in front of my camera, looking all gorgeous, a few weeks back in a sweet treat to their mom (they even agreed to wear matching dresses!). We spent a sunny afternoon wandering around Miss Cindy's Gardens in Sebring, FL capturing gorgeous smiles, lovely light and all the love between these girls and their momma. What a great idea! And this is what I am freely offering to you all if you haven't been quite so on top of the Mother's Day gift thing this year (I've been with you in many-a-past years). Caroline Maxcy Photography offers gift certifications and I'll even send along a beautifully designed certificate for you to present to your adoring mom come Sunday. Just click here to message me about your gift and let's get to capturing and celebrating this beautiful moment in life.
Congrats to the newlyweds, Rikki & Kyle! I loved spending the day with them in Naples, FL at The Club at the Strand for the sweet celebration!
xoxo, Caroline
This sweet couple is getting hitched this weekend and I had to share their simply gorgeous and unique engagement session with an Americana feel involving an airplane hanger chocked full of vintage planes, a sparkly dress, and the most lovely piece of Florida countryside complete with a red barn a red Chevy and matching red lips! Just lovely!
Why airplanes? Well, let me tell you a bit of their story. Kyle is basically the equivalent of a pilot but behind a computer, controlling traffic from his Dallas, TX job (do I have that right, Kyle?). And he proposed... in an airport involving an elaborate set up with folks holding signs all along the way! They even serendipitously found a random stranger had posted a video of their proposal on Instagram for them to discover later. Such sweetness. These two both love travel and adventure and I can't wait to capture their wedding celebration this weekend in Naples, FL. Congrats you two! And I'll see you soon!
Now go and gush over all of this loveliness...
xoxo, Caroline
This coming month is chocked full of hanging out with graduating seniors + my camera. So I thought I'd share a peek into last week's sunny session with the lovely Emily! Can't wait to share more and to get to know the rest of Caroline Maxcy Photography's class of 2015 in the coming weeks!
xoxo, Caroline
Editing this sweet spring time Lake Placid family session today! Oh that sweet sunshine!
xoxo, Caroline
It was a very, very good weekend! (insert high pitched squeal here)
xoxo, Caroline
This sunny Central Florida engagement session with Caitlin and Michael is to die for! Seriously, these two should look into modeling together. But the most photogenic thing about it all is the sweet and evident love between these two love-birds who meet in a Louisiana college library. Then this lucky girl got to capture all the sweetness on "film"! Congrats, Caitlin and Michael!
xoxo, Caroline
The Lido Restaurant at The Standard is one of my favorite spots to dine in all of Miami. Every time I wander through their gardens on the way from the valet to this dockside gem of a restaurant overlooking the Miami Beach bay I dream of taking pause one day to capture some photos... if only I had willing models...
Yesterday was the day.
Thanks Edwin and Caitlin for our impromtu photo session at this lovely place!
xoxo, Caroline
I just wrapped up round two of my iPhoneography Class with Highlands Art League, and I'm not going to lie, I may have a little bit of favoritism with this course. iPhoneography is just plain fun, we don't get muddled up with all the settings and buttons involved with a "fancy" camera plus I kind of like the fact that it pushes folks (including myself) to get more creative with the flood of photos we are all pouring into social media these days. Yay for pretty photos! So I thought I'd go ahead and share some tips and tricks I've learned along the way for thoughtful and creative photographic storytelling with my iPhone lens. So here you have it...
#1 Love what you shoot. Identify what excites you, what takes your breath away what story you long to tell and shoot that. We all can't be Ansel Adams or Anne Leibovitz and they can't be each other. Love what you are shooting and that will come across in the image you capture.
#2 When you are out there taking a photo, take a step back and think about why you are about to capture this image - what is your real subject ? Once you have determined what is making you press the shutter, it instantly becomes easier to show the end viewer what kind of message or emotions you are trying to convey.
Light is one of the most important elements of a photograph. Just try to imagine an image without light? Its impossible, right? And the way we work with and use light completely alters not just the quality of our image but also the story we are trying to tell. Hold your phone out in front of you (selfie-style) then spin around the room slowly. Watch and see how the direction of the light source (a window, door, lamp, etc.) changes the look of the image. Can you see it? Lighting changes everything. Sit with the window to your back at lunch next time and see how the light makes your lunch date's eyes sparkle (and it also probably helps to see those cute freckles too). Put them in front of the window and you loose all those details. And it is not just about the direction of where the light is coming from the time of day, the weather and the things the light is reflecting off of, the way the shadows fall all come into play in telling a unique and different story.
Sometimes the absence of light can be the most compelling storytelling tool. Search for the shadows and silhouettes and let the dark create frames in your images.
Sometimes we get so wrapped up in our subject we are photographing that we don't pay attention to what is going on behind them. If the background is too busy or doesn't add to the story you are trying to tell it can get rather distracting. If you want to photograph your friend and her cute outfit for the day place her in front of a solid colored wall or door. This draws your eye straight to your subject.
Or maybe the background is the story you want to tell. Like the amazing colors and buildings found on the streets of Lima, Peru…
There is an incredible beauty to be found in the details when you take the time to lean in, shift focus and celebrate the small things. Get close and see what you find.
Stepping back tells a larger story that is oftentimes grounded in place. Your friends happy dance in front of a quaint bed-n-breakfast, the still quiet moment of your pup taking an afternoon siesta on your bed, the limbs of a tree reaching out to shade a bride and groom's closest family and friends on their wedding day… it's all in there. And oftentimes these types of images are not just capturing a scene or a place but also the memory of a feeling you experienced in that place.
Our viewpoint plays a major role in the story we tell in our images. Photograph a gopher turtle from above and he looks like a wee little guy but put your camera lens all the way on the ground and look up at the fella and he suddenly becomes massive. And a personal favorite of mine is snapping a photo from directly overhead of your subject on a beach cruiser bike, in the winding staircase, in a litter of pups or at the piano with your niece and nephew. Take time to explore angles and determine what works best for your photo story.
If you have even had a photo session with me you know I am a big proponent of clicking away, especially with kids. Snap a few photos of a moment to try and capture that "just perfect expression" then go back and choose which one works best for your story. And keep snapping even after they think you are done. It is oftentimes in those moments that folks relax and you get the real, authentic smiles.
Sometimes I see the photo I want before it gets there; the kids about to leap from the edge of the pool, the sailboat about to make it's way into my view, the baby about to burst into a smile because he thinks it is funny when you cough. I saw it coming. These types of photos don't happen by accident. They happen because you practice patience and you know just the right moment to click. Wait for it.
All of these images are all little glimpses of life that I was simply present in and paused to capture. The image didn't have to be perfect, but it is a perfect reminder of a moment. I can remember the temperature in each of these photos. The way sun or the night time breeze felt on my skin. The emotion in the air. I can remember it because I lived it. Because I tucked my phone back into my pocket and walked the street, chased a baby on a beach or hopped into a late night pajama dance party with my best friend and her kiddos. Be present. Sometimes the best pictures are captured in our hearts.
xoxo, Caroline
“The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes but in having new eyes.”
