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…
The good Lord blessed us with another glorious Florida November fall day for Sarah and Daniel's wedding celebration in Lake Placid, FL this past weekend. And what a spirit filled, sun filled and love filled wedding day it was! Congrats you two!
xoxo, Caroline
Sarah + Daniel — Lake Placid and Sebring Florida wedding photography with Caroline Maxcy Photography
Its been far too long since I've blogged an actually full session. So in honor of Zach and Jerrianne tying the knot this weekend (woohoo!) paired with my first engagement session captured on film I thought I'd treat you all with these lovely images from our session at Highlands Hammock State Park filled with lots of film loveliness and all the love. Can't wait to celebrate with these two this coming Saturday!
xoxo, Caroline
Camera: Contax 645 / Rented from Contax Rentals
Film: FujiPro 400h
Film Processing and Scans: The Find Lab
Just a little sneak peek from Mckenna and Tyler's wedding at Horse Creek Camp in Ona, FL this past weekend! Look at all that golden light, vibrant details and love-filled smiles for days and days. Congrats you two!
xoxo, Caroline
Mckenna + Tyler — Horse Creek Camp Wedding Photography in Ona, FL with Caroline Maxcy Photography
Since I am over here basically still working on west coast time I'd say it's definitely not too late to post this little teaser from Sophia and Rodney's Oregon wedding filled with all things fall and lovely. (And I may be a little bias but that is one good looking wedding party, complete with my hubby, am I right?) Congrats you two!
xoxo, Caroline
Sophia + Rodney — Green Villa Barn and Gardens Wedding Photography in Independence, Oregon
Spent the rainy, windy, hurricane-y evening last night looking through these sweet and sunny photos from last weekend. Congrats Sarah and Chris! What a gorgeous day it was at Bok Tower Gardens filled with lots of smiles and lots of love! <3
xoxo, Caroline
Sarah + Chris — Bok Tower Gardens Wedding Photography in Lake Wales, Florida
Sam and Grady are hitched! I loved, loved, loved being a part of this sweet wedding celebration this past weekend full of the prettiest sparkly details and lots and lots of love!
xoxo, Caroline
Sam + Grady — Highlands Hammock State Park Wedding Photography in Sebring, FL
You guys how did June come and go so fast? While Florida in June is not generally a big time of year for weddings (folks tend to think it's a bit to hot to be getting all gussied up in a full on wedding gown) for the rest of the world every young woman dreams of becoming a June bride (at least, according to the musical Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. And aren't classic musicals how the most of us learned about life?). June is the official month of matrimony and all things love (a close second to that heart filled day in February.) Earlier this month we debut the June/July Issue of Heartland Living Magazine issue with a special section called "Weddings of the Heart" which included some of my favorite editorial photos yet on the subject of weddings. If you haven't already check out the pages and pages of loveliness you guys should definitely get your hands on a copy as soon as possible.
But today I'm taking some sweet time to reflect back in a Heartland Living Magazine story from two years ago I was blessed to be a part of from concept to creation. I even did most of the interviews myself! And can I tell you all, this, this right here is probably one of the most profound things I've ever been a part of. We interviewed and photographed couples across Central Florida that have been married for 40 years or more and what we got was pure gold! If you didn't get to see the article in the Heartland Living Magazine June/July issue of 2014 you definitely missed out. But what I've included here is a little peek into the sweetness that was a snapshot of 40+ years of marriage in each of these couples lives.
So happy for these two lovebirds right here who tied the knot in Winter Park, FL last week! Congrats Sam & Cody!
xoxo, Caroline
Sam + Cody - Winter Park, FL Wedding Photography with Caroline Maxcy Photography
When I was first officially "schooled" in photography way-back-when at Florida State University it was with a basic, strictly manual Nikon film camera and black and white film where we captured, processed and developed all of our own film. I can still remember the cool dimness of the darkroom (with the sweltering Florida heat just outside its doors). It was a dreamy retreat that place. Even in a time without the instantness of digital photography (yes, it was that long ago) the process of waiting and working for a single image was a welcomed reprieve from the hustle and bustle of college life. I fell in love.
Fast forward a few years and my digital camera and I are inseparable. The instantness is efficient, helpful and perfect for a growing photography business. And the images that a DSLR can create are getting better and better. I capture hundreds of images on a single shoot and thousands on a wedding day. Minute expressions and handfuls of emotions. It's sometimes like a little stop frame animation movie and I love this. I love that somewhere in the 20 photos I capture of a bride and groom snuggled up in that perfect golden afternoon light, they catch each other's eyes, there's a spark and they glow.
Film is different. And I have to admit I've been scared of going back. My shooting style is so much about capturing that glowing expression and emotion that I'm afraid I'll miss it in the waiting. That I'll click just a half second too late and it will be gone. While I've watched the commercial photography industry for years now slowly making its way back to film I've done just that. I've watched and waited. Photographers talk about the romanticism of film and the images captured, the perfect minty tones, the way the process has made them better photographers and I've watched and waited.
When I talk of my thoughts towards film and the possibility of exploring it again with my non-photog friends their question always is, "Why? Will it make you more money? Are there people that are looking for that?" Which are all valid questions, but in my response I have found that my motivation for picking up a film camera again more so than not entirely about myself. It is about me as the artist, the artistry behind it and cultivating my own art creation process. Its about becoming better at what I do not by grasping for more but in leaning into what is already right there in front of me, weeding out the mess and waiting for the more to bloom. There is a beauty in the process of waiting not to catch an image but for that image to arrive. Eye to the view finder. Lens focused. Waiting, breathing, feeling. The emotions of the moment crest and fall. And then there it is. That golden, glowing, emotion filled image appears. A millisecond. Click.
It's hard to miss something you are so in-tuned to.
Last month I did just that. I finally stopped watching and picked up a film camera again. This time it is the one all the cool kids use a Contax 645 rented for a long weekend from the lovely Contax Rental (who also sells Contax Kits). I bought a few rolls of film and explored the process. What fun it was, but despite the fact that I kept looking at the back of the camera after every click to see an image, no image appeared. I had no idea how I was doing. So I packed up my exposed film rolls, sent them along their way to The Find Lab and began the process of waiting again. When I got back the processed, developed and scanned images my heart swelled. I was in love once again.
I captured images across the span of a few sessions I had that long weekend and I will share more of those with you all with each session. But for today you get to see a little peek into my film exploration when on a Sunday afternoon the lovely Hannah and I ventured into Highlands Hammock State Park with my borrowed Contax and a few rolls of film. While we talked over life we explored the dreamiest of places and from time to time I lifted the camera to my eye and waited for a moment to arrive. Click.
xoxo, Caroline
This right here is what coastal wedding dreams are made of. What a joy it was to be a part of this editorial shoot with Heartland Living Magazine from concept to completion. And thanks to all the incredibly talented folks who helped pull it all together so beautifully!
Heartland Living Magazine
Photography: Caroline Maxcy Photography
Hair and Makeup: Hair and Beauty by Jen (Jen Maxcy)
Attire: Angelique Bridal Boutique
Florals and Design: DHS Design Guild / The Wild Hare Flowers
Event Design: Pink Pineapple
Photo Shoot Design and Inspiration: Caroline Maxcy Fox
Wedding Cake: Cookie Jar Bakeshop
Jewelry: Highlands Master Jewelers
Invitation Design: Kristy's Kreatives
Models: Jess Anderson Talent
Ceremony Location: Boca Grande Lighthouse United Methodist Church
Reception Location: Boca Grande Beach
