http://www.maddnessphotography.com/

Maddness Photography, LLC, 152 8th Avenue SW Suit C, Largo, FL (2026)

08/28/2026

In lieu of this week’s color and black and white…. I give you both…. And a little part of me.
I’ve been so bad about sharing personal work lately. Honestly, I’ve been bad about just going out and shooting for no reason other than to document what’s around me.

So I bought a little travel digital camera, stocked up on some Tri-X, and started shooting again.

A few frames from Chicago, just because.
Color: Sony | Alpha a6400 | Mastin Labs | Authentic Film Presets Aftershoot | Cull, Edit, Retouch & Deliver Photos
BW: Kodak
Photog: Maddy Mahairas -Tampa Wedding Photographer | Clay Jenkins

08/27/2026

Today I was chatting with a potential bride about her venue, the Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach, and while pulling a few older galleries to send her, I couldn’t help but fall in love with these images all over again.

I’ve photographed so many weddings here over the years, and I still never feel like I’ve seen it all.

Of course, I adore the staff. The rooftop ceremony space is incredible. The views speak for themselves. But what I love most is that every time I come back, I find something new.

A different pocket of light. A perspective I haven’t noticed before. A corner that suddenly feels completely different because of the two people standing in it.

Because photographing a venue over and over should never mean creating the same wedding gallery over and over.

Every couple gets those iconic Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Suites moments, but they also get something that belongs to them.

Their people. Their energy. Their connection. Their story.

Every couple is different. Every story is personal. And I want their photographs to feel that way, too.

That’s one of my favorite parts of doing this after all these years: walking into a place I know so well and still finding a new way to see it.
And to all of my future couples, I promise you this:

I will never, ever give you a copy-and-paste wedding day.

Your wedding isn’t a styled shoot. It isn’t content. And it isn’t a recreation of something I’ve photographed before.

It’s your story, and your photographs should look and feel like it.

If that’s what you want from your wedding photography, let’s talk. I’d love to hear what you’re planning.

Tampa bay wedding planner: Tampa Wedding Planner | Tampa Elopement Planner
Clearwater Beach Wedding venue: Hyatt Regency Clearwater Beach Resort and Suites

08/18/2026

Walking into a new season of life like… 👀

I haven’t posted in almost two weeks, which is definitely not like me, but life has been a little distracting lately in the BEST ways. Lots more intentionality!

There are some really exciting things happening behind the scenes right now. Some personal, some business, and one of them I may have already teased in my stories the other week 👀.

I might be a little quieter around here over the next few weeks while a lot of pieces fall into place, but I promise there are some really exciting announcements coming soon.

So in the meantime, I wanna hear your guesses…

What do you think is happening?!

AND because I can never decide…

Color or black & white?

And if you already know any of the surprises, DON’T SPILL THE TEA. 😂🤫
PC: Taylor | Clearwater Family Photographer
Edited: Personal Profile on Aftershoot | Cull, Edit, Retouch & Deliver Photos

08/05/2026

This photo made a little corner of the internet think I was an AI bot.
Some people assumed the image was AI-generated.

Others were convinced it had to be a total composite.

The funny part? No one zoomed in enough to notice the dinner plate I accidentally left on the chair next to the groom.

It was never AI generated. It was a really amazing couple. It was one light my husband was holding (Godox Global with MagMod) and cell phone (or sometimes I use a car visor mirror) for the reflection.

It’s also an understanding of how dramatic/ dynamic lighting works.

Here’s the thing… Just because a style isn’t your style, or you’re not sure how it was made doesn’t mean it’s fake.

As photographers, I think we do ourselves a disservice when we dismiss techniques simply because we don’t understand them yet. Dynamic lighting, off-camera flash, reflections, gels, harsh light, direct flash… none of these are “right” or “wrong.” They’re just tools. The more tools you understand, the more intentionally you can create and show up for your clients in any condition.

You don’t have to love every style. But understanding them will make you a better photographer.

And for couples…

This is exactly why you should hire a photographer based on their entire body of work, not one viral image.

Most photographers have photos that are bright and airy, dark and dramatic, candid, editorial, emotional, simple, or bold… because the day of full of different settings and moments. Each of them deserves to be catered to honestly and appropriately to tell the story.

One image can never tell you how someone photographs an entire wedding day. Look through full galleries.

Look for consistency.
Look for storytelling.

Look for moments that make you feel something.

Because behind every image is a photographer making intentional creative decisions, not just pressing a button.

This photo wasn’t created by the bad part of AI. It was created by years of learning light. And honestly, I think that’s even cooler.

This photo wasn’t created by the bad part of AI. It was created by years of learning and understanding light and understanding people for who they are, not what I want.

07/29/2026

I stopped overthinking it….

It doesn’t have to be this overcomplicated thing. It doesn’t have to be one perfectly curated photo packed with everything.

Why not element by element, using the actual things that tell the story?

The giant, beautiful bow that goes on the back of the dress, reflected in the mirror as it hangs waiting to be worn.

The florals that have a special meaning bursting out of the shoes at a Disney-themed wedding.

A bride and her ring as she reaches to put on her shoes before walking into the church to start the rest of her life.

The kids officially retiring from their wedding party duties, kicking off their shoes and leaving them behind.

Those are details too.

And I feel SO good about this.

It feels genuine and authentic and bold and purposeful and like everything we stand for here at Maddness Photography.

And now? I actually love this part of the day too.

Photographers AND couples, listen up!!

Not everything has to be perfect unless you want it to be. Not everything has to be curated. It can just be how you exist in that moment.

And that… that is a beautiful way to tell the story.

I’ve always really struggled with detail shots.

I know they’re important, and I LOVE seeing all the perfect flat lays… but they make me sweat. Like, literally sweat as I’m setting them up. 😂 My brain maybe just doesn’t work the way some of the greats do when it comes to creating them.

So here we are … reflecting over the last 18 months or so, and how stress turned into love for details in a storytelling way!

07/22/2026

The wedding prep mistake that can change how you feel about your wedding photos.

It sounds harsh, but it’s something I wish every bride knew before her wedding day.

The other year had a bride reach out to me a year after her wedding because she never truly loved her photos. She didn’t dislike the moments. She didn’t dislike the photography.

She didn’t feel like herself.

She asked if I could completely re-edit her gallery to change her makeup. I did, because I wanted her to love her memories. Then, not long after, I experienced a similar situation with another client in a wedding party, then a bride with a spray tan.

It broke my heart.

Here’s what I want every bride, bridesmaid, and even moms to know:

If your makeup doesn’t feel like you, please say something.

If the foundation feels too heavy, the lashes are too dramatic, the lipstick isn’t your color, or you simply don’t recognize yourself in the mirror, speak up.

Your makeup artist wants you to feel beautiful.

Your photographer wants you to feel confident.

Your entire vendor team wants you to walk away loving every part of your day.

But we can’t fix what we don’t know.

Yes, photographers can make some retouches.
We can often times reduce shine, soften / remove blemishes, and clean up distractions. But changing an entire makeup look across hundreds of photos isn’t realistic, and even when it is possible, it takes an incredible amount of time and money and can never replace how you felt on your wedding day.

If advocating for yourself feels uncomfortable, ask your maid of honor, your mom, your sister, or someone you trust to help speak up for you. SHOOT TELL ME!!! (See what I did there… I mean it when I say you’re stuck with me, I am your advocate and most of the time I know the MUA)

Your wedding day isn’t the day to settle for “it’s probably fine.”

You deserve to look in the mirror and think, “That’s me.”

Because years from now, when you open your wedding gallery, I don’t just want you to love your photos.

I want you to love the person looking back at you.

Save this for your wedding day, and tag a bride who needs this reminder.

07/20/2026

Spending Saturday morning with Katie and Greg celebrating their growing family was the best start to the weekend !!!! I am so excited for this INCREDIBLE family making Ansley a big sister!!!! Seeing these two as parents and how their face glows looking at their little girl is what dreams are made of and now they get to do it again!

07/17/2026

This one is about telling their story.

Busch Gardens Tampa Bay isn’t just a theme park to these two. It’s a place they visit pretty much every month, if not more. A place that’s become part of their relationship, where they’ve shared countless conversations, laughed together, slowed down together, and simply enjoyed being with one another. It only made sense that this would be where we documented this season of their lives. A place that even healed parts of them.

Every couple we have the privilege of serving has their own personality, both individually and together. That’s why I believe engagement sessions should be about so much more than finding a pretty location. They should reflect who you are, what you love, and the places that have become part of your story.

The best photos aren’t created because the location is beautiful. They’re created because the memories already are.

And honestly… how many people can say they took engagement photos on a roller coaster? 🎢

Don’t worry, Sony | Alpha … no gear was harmed in the making of these photos. (I was genuinely shocked too. 😂 But it absolutely would’ve been worth it. Thanks RL Handcrafts, LLC for my trusty camera harness!)

07/16/2026

As the stars faded away, and the sun started to rise Drew and Kaiya Fabian drive down the long and beautiful driveway lined with magnolia trees to the Tampa Wedding venue, Legacy Lane. It was so peaceful, rooster crowing, and the sound of Drew’s vintage stingray purring as they make their way to document their next milestone.
Several months ago Kaiya and I connected thanks to a wonderful couple and their family and I could not have been more excited to continue this next year on their wedding! Thank you Drew and Kaiya for spending the morning frolicking careful in the filed with me 😂) I couldn’t ask for anything better on this Wednesday morning!

07/15/2026

It doesn’t get much better than seeing your friend super happy, and thriving in her momma role that she dreamt of! Getting to celebrate Paxton turning 1! (Yes you read that right, this little stud muffin is only 1!!) was so fun!
Stay tuned into our stories for some of his cake smash photos over the next few weeks!
And my dear hilarious rain barrel of a friend (IYKYK 😂) Ashley Morgan Thank you a million times over for inviting me into this !

Maddness Photography, LLC

08/28/2026

08/27/2026

08/18/2026

08/05/2026

07/29/2026

07/22/2026

07/20/2026

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