Belflower Family — Wauchula, FL Family Photography

I love fall family photo session season for a handful of reasons; gorgeous weather, gorgeous places, happy authentic families, new faces and old faces too. The later just might be my favorite. <3 Getting invited in year after year to capture a family's story melts my heart. I love watching them grow. I love the familiarity. I love it when the kiddos are calling me Aunt Carrie as we go on adventurous hunts for the "perfect photo spot" on the family ranch.  I have been telling the Belflower family's story for three years now and loving every minute of it. From casual family sessions, to Tea Party Birthdays, to Back-to-School adorableness I know I am going to be delighted by what they have come up with everytime. And this fall family session was like none other. Two words... Feather. Ballgowns! Too much cuteness.

Thanks for having me! 

xoxo, 
Caroline (a.k.a Aunt Carrie)

Secret Garden Paper Dress Costume — Fine Art Photography

Tis the season for costume donning. Last year this time in a casual conversation about costume ideas with Rebekah Ritchie Adams I saw her eyes widen with the mention of two words "paper dress". It was decided. We would start constructing her a paper dress (inspired by my own Paper Princess Bride costume from thee years ago. You can check that out here). To start things off Rebekah chose the novel "The Secret Garden" by Frances Hodgson Burnett for her inspiration and materials and the next thing we knew we were in a cloud of carefully folded and fanned paper, clear wire, metal fasteners, exacto blades and lots and lots of tape. But the thing that we quickly realized is that each of our "perfectionism" tendencies in crafting meant… an unfinished product come dress-up time. Fast forward one year later, sit us back down in that cloud of paper and voila the dress is finished, and just in time for dressing-up (plus a photo shoot) this year… just barely. 

The dress is an artful construction and representation of the story of "The Secret Garden" and gives new life to the printed pages of an enchanting story. Using pages from that novel and other vintage gardening and botanical books the dress came together piece by folded paper piece to create a wearable work of art, complete with a hidden door tucked between the pages and a skeleton key draped around the neck.

The story of The Secret Garden while enchanting certainly has a bit of a dark feel to it so we decided to style a photographic session around this dark, magical whimsey allowing the story to unfold along the way. We ventured to an abandoned home with a wildly overgrown garden entryway and crept our way through branches and barren thorny rose bushes. Then just past sunset we explored a small forest green and overrun by gorgeous vines. Here is where the story blooms. The results were breathtaking, I'd say.

xoxo,
Caroline

“And the secret garden bloomed and bloomed and every morning revealed new miracles.” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Credits:

Photography: Caroline Maxcy Photography
Hair and Make-up: Michelle Trinder Cathey
Model: Rebekah Ritchie Adams
Paper Dress Design and Construction: Caroline Maxcy and Rebekah Ritchie Adams
Jewelry Design: Rebekah Ritchie Adams (Bekah's Heart)
 Flowers: Publix Super Market

“One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands out and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun--which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with the millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in someone's eyes.” ― Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden

Rose & Johnny Sneak Peek — Boca Bay Pass Club Wedding Photography

Today is the day of Sneak Peeks! Here is a little glimpse into my absolutely beautiful and sweet day at the beach last weekend with Rose & Johnny...

Rose & Johnny's beachside wedding at the Boca Bay Pass Club in Boca Grande, FL with Caroline Maxcy Photography

Lisa & Trevor Engagement Sneak Peek — Bok Tower Engagement Photography

Could there have been any more gorgeousness to Lisa and Trevor's Bok Tower Engagement Session in Lake Wales last night?? I don't think so... (Thanks Michelle Cathey for your make up and styling loveliness!)

Emily & Will's "Love" Session — Sebring, FL Anniversary Photography

Pretty much everything about Emily and Will's "almost" 1 Year Anniversary session from this past weekend where they got all dressed up in their wedding day duds was to die for. Here is a little peak into our dreamy, magical, love filled day...

Central Florida One Year Anniversary Photography with Emily & Will and Caroline Maxcy Photography.

Thank your Michelle Trinder Cathey for your makeup, hair and styling magic for the day.
And another thanks to Ladonna at Hobby HIll Florist for the gorgeous floral creations you dreamed up for the day, including this whimsical floral crown.

Happy One Year Anniversary Chet & Jen! — Central Florida Wedding Photography

One year ago today my family grew by three when my brother and his bride (and her two dear to my heart kiddos) got hitched. And one year ago today, about this time (9:30 p.m.) I was probably about ready to kick of my shoes and fall into bed after a frenzy of planning and prepping and just all out celebrating for months on end leading up to it. The day was breathtaking and while I was there to mostly participate in the day's festivities I couldn't help but capture a few details along the way.

In honor of their one year anniversary I thought I'd share some of my favs that I captured on that day...

Happy Anniversary Chet & Jen!!!

xoxo, 
your sis

Elic & Amanda Engaged! — Central Florida Engagement Photography

Just a little sneak peek into Elic and Amanda's woodsy, dreamy engagement session last night at Lake Josephine Park in Lorida, FL. 

Central Florida engagement photography by Caroline Maxcy Photography.

Featured on Style Me Pretty Florida!

So super, stunningly excited and honored to be feature on Style Me Pretty Florida today! Thanks Style Me Pretty for the feature and thanks Amber and Justin for inviting me in to capture your gorgeous, love filled wedding! 

Check out the feature and leave a comment on Style Me Pretty Florida's blog by clicking here.

<3 Caroline

Amber and Justin's Central Florida wedding by Caroline Maxcy Photography featured on Style Me Pretty Florida.

The Bateman Family — Sebring, FL Family Photography

Spent a perfectly sunny Sunday afternoon with the Bateman family this past weekend. Here is a peek into that day... 

The Gose Family — Central FL Child and Family Photography

It is amazing to look back and marvel at my journey over the past three years (which has really just involved staying put right here in Central Florida, but never-the-less it has been a journey). Fresh out of grad school for Graphic Design I landed in Sebring, FL where there is not surprisingly not much of a market for "Masters in Graphic Design." So I found myself on the road with my camera more and more often, partly because it was a job but mostly and whole heartedly because I loved it. I loved capturing the world around me and where I used to be scared of photographing people they, in all their life and raw realness, had now become my favorite subject. We are the world!

Looking back at my 2010 records I had exactly 12 gigs between August (when I moved back to FL) and December of that year. It was a meager start. But it was a beginning. As I look over those names of families and the images we captured during that time my heart swells. You know who you are. <3 Thank you. It is because of you, because of your willingness and faith to invest in my photography and eagerly share the beloved results that my professional journey began to take steps forward into the arms of photography. It is because of you that my business and art is what it is today. This doesn't pass by unnoticed. And the best part of all of this is that most of these families have invited me back in and I get to watch their families grow year after year.

Back in 2010 one of the very first families I got to photograph (literally number 4 on that list of 12) was the Gose family and their 3 month old little, smiley guy Carter. It was a lovely day on the family's Lorida, FL property complete with a wooden bench swing and tiny wooden chair constructed by Great Grandpa, the dappled FL summertime light and lots and lots of toothless smiles. This past month I returned to that very same spot to capture a family that had grown. This time it was Carter's little 3 month old smiley sis Cooper that took center stage. What a doll! Thank you, Gose family, for inviting me in again to capture your growing family and all the smiles! I mean, just look at those smiley babes!

xoxo, 
Caroline