If you haven’t heard of the Silicon Valley Moms Blog you’ve been missing out! A couple of years ago I was a contributor to this great mommy resource and I still stop in to read the thoughts of some great mothers in Silicon Valley. This month I had the pleasure of working with a group of the writers and their families to give them a glimpse of the joy I capture for so many families in the Bay Area. Here are some of the happy images from their sessions! How cool are these?
Is there anything more classic than a kid and a dandelion? I don’t think so! This little man is one of my favorite little clients (he’s the kiddo from the red balloon images) and I just can’t get enough of his cuteness. Ready . . . set . . . blow!!
Anna Mayer is a professional child and baby photographer in the San Francisco Bay Area. She conducts photo sessions in Los Gatos, San Jose, Willow Glen, Atherton, San Francisco, Palo Alto, Mountain View, Los Altos, Campbell, Saratoga, Silicon Valley and other bay area cities. Her design studio is located in Los Gatos, California. Her unmistakable, fun and happy style reflects the joys and delights of family life.
One of my favorite places in our house is this certain corner of my couch. I don’t sit there to watch TV or to enjoy a fire in the fireplace. In fact, you can’t even see those things from there. I sit there and gaze at the wall where a large gallery of photos looks back at me; photos of my children, my family, our life. Some of them are happy, some are serious, some are just plain silly. All of them are a beautiful tribute to our life together and the four little lives I am watching unfold before me. Sometimes when I am enjoying the view I smile to myself. I smile because I know that I have had a hand in creating hundreds of beautiful memories just like this for countless families in Silicon Valley and beyond.
I so love my job! I truly believe that what I do is important. I don’t just record an image that shows what a child looks like at two or five or nine. Instead, I seek to record his spirit, her energy, and the love they share with siblings and parents. Capturing that spirit is at the heart of every encounter I have. Ooooh, I get goose-bumps just thinking about it. What a privilege it is to be a special part of the lives of so many families!
If you want to see a whole lotta’ cool galleries that my clients have shared, visit the Images by Anna Facebook page.
Like most of you, we are looking forward to what a wonderful 2010 has to offer. Speaking of offers . . . we’d like to make you one!
Since we know that all of you made a New Year’s resolution to get your friends to use Images by Anna, we wanted to make it a little, well, a LOT, more rewarding. I know, seeing your friends’ kids being captured by Anna is reward enough for most, but we’re going to kick in a little extra anyway!
For each referral that books a custom session you are going to get a BIGGER than usual return.
Your friend books a session for a date:
-Between February 5-7 receive a $150 referral credit & your friend will receive a $150 discount! Crazy, right?
-Between March 24-28 $100 each,
-Between April 20-24 $75 each
-Between June 3-6 $50 each.
And it just got even sweeter:
If you book YOUR session in the same month as your friend, you both receive a set of 25 adorable note cards featuring your favorite image!
Note: In order to earn your referral credit your friend MUST give us your name at the time of booking. The only restriction on the bonus referral credit is that you will need to use it in 2010.
Contact Brian or call 408.221.4570 to get booked!
A Special offering in partnership with Willow Glen’s adorable Baby Buzz. click here to snap one up!
Oak Meadow Park: February 6: 4:30, 4:50, 5:10 (Half Off, only $100!)
Molly’s Porch: March 26: 8:20, 8:40, 9:00 am
Capitola Beach: April 24: 6:30, 6:50, 7:10, 7:30 pm
Crissy Field: June 5: 7:00, 7:20, 7:40, 8:00 pm
If you have done Short & Sweet Sessions in that past, and plan on booking one in the near future, be sure to visit the Short & Sweet page of annamayer.com to review some of the changes to the program.
I’m sure many of you received one of the latest and greatest cameras this year, and now you’re thinking . . . cool! Now . . . how do I use this thing? Digital cameras are getting easier to use all the time, but here a few tips to get the most out of your camera.
My life: Have you ever heard the phrase “If you want something done, ask a busy woman to do it.”? Well, it is true . . . usually. I have a gift, though, of asking myself to do things, crazy things, when I am the most busy. Things like posting every day for a month in the middle of my busiest time of year!! Hello . . . So I have gotten just a bit behind and now I must pick up the ball. I am going to modify my commitment just a bit. I will do my best to post every OTHER day, for the rest of the year. I think I can do that . . . we shall see.
Your images: Up there in my favorite client hall of fame . . . This family is so much fun! Every session with them ends with a gallery of life-infused images that just shout out to you from the walls. Next time I am in San Jose (that’s next week already!!) I need to get over to their house and take a photo of their amazing wall display for you. They have two years worth of fantastic sessions gracing an entire wall in their home. It is spectacular!!
My life: Well, ’tis the season of chaos and late-nights. As a portrait photographer, I find myself doing about 50% of my year’s work in just two and a half months. It can be exhausting!! But somehow we always come through for our clients and we always get it all done, with time to spare. I may have a sore tush and a hand that is begging for me to step away from the mouse, but it will all be done, none-the-less!!
Your images: This lovely little family belongs to my wonderful assistant, Rachel. This was a sort of “farewell” session for her, as she has moved on to other pursuits and is heading back to school. I miss the companionship of working with her but enjoy our coffee dates when I come to San Jose for shoots. Now, if I could just get her to visit Milwuakee in January, that would be fun!!
My life:
Well, things around my house are just a little crazy this time of year. I honestly cannot believe its already November. Now, I know, everyone says that, but really, it snuck up on my like never before. I can at least be counting my blessings that the boys’ sports have ended for the season and that no one has signed up for anything else, just yet. Isaiah and I start our 5K training today when he gets home. That kid is a crazy-running-fool. At dinner last night his “high” for the day was that he got to go for a run after school (Alayna went with him on her bike). I think I might have to start out riding my bike with him for a good part of it. I haven’t done any real exercise for a long long while and running three miles with Mr. Speedy Gonzales might not be a good starting place. Ha! Wish me luck!!!
Photo goodness:
Could they be cuter? I don’t think so and it was quite a miracle, too. The day of their session was some crazy record-breaking day of rain in San Jose and my whole schedule was rained out. We reschedule for the day I was supposed to fly home to Milwaukee, moving my flight. The day came and so did the rain, again. Their mom called me, ready to call it off, but I was determined to make it work; and it did! We had to take cover once or twice, but we were able to pull of an awful lot of cuteness, rain-be-darned. And I’ve always wanted a family shot with an umbrella, so there you have it! Can’t wait to see you guys at your ordering session very soon.
Oh, how I love these! I’ve been meaning to post these of my dear friend’s children picking blueberries for quite some time. This friend and I met on my first day as a new teacher up in Eveleth, Minnesota, one of the coldest places in the United States. I moved there with young Tyler to take my first real job as a Special Education teacher and Girls Hockey Coach. She was newly engaged and I soon became engaged as well. We were instant friends. We married just two weeks apart and we have been friends through all of the ups and downs of married life and growing families.
This shoot was a quick, rather impromptu session at a not-so-ideal time of day for photos. Thankfully, with a little maneuvering, you really can make almost any crazy lighting work. Not only was the sun high in the sky, but this entire session took place in the most unlikely location: the ditch across the road from their house. I just love the summery feel, the sweet toe-heads, and the happiness the kids felt while they popped nature’s sweetness into their mouths. Mmmm . . . so yummy! 
Click to continue reading “Day Four. Milwaukee children’s photographer Up North, in Minnesota.”
I’ve made it THREE days now. Can you belive it?! Today was more of a family day and I almost didn’t remember . . . It was COLD here in Milwaukee today. The actual temp was 43 degrees but it was windy and the “feels like” temp was 33. It WAS very cold. My kiddos had fun anyway. We carved pumpkins at lunchtime and then dressed up and headed out for an afternoon of Trick-or-Treating. Apparently there was once an abduction or something on Halloween night in Milwaukee, so they moved Trick-or-Treating up into daylight.
Here are my three youngest, all dressed up. (the Teenager volunteered again this year to hand out candy at home.) 
Lydia was the most adorable Sock Monkey I have ever seen. Poor thing is still very sick (been sick since Monday, I think the Piggy Flu) so she only made it to a few homes. Made me so sad, because she has been looking forward to trick-or-treating for weeks. These are from before we went out. I should have taken a picture a minute later, when she laid down in the leaves from exhaustion. 
MissAlayneous wanted to be a Gypsy and we struggled with finding a costume that was appropriate. Then, on Wednesday afternoon she and I raided my closet and viola!; a Gypsy. A pretty one, too. While Layna was parading about in this get-up, Lydia asked me “Mommy, did you not ‘buyed’ that costume? You made it?” I told her I did and she said, “You are GREEEAT, Mommy!” Sigh- I’ll take it!
Isaiah’s costume was a HUGE hit in the neighborhood. He was a Ace garbage can. LOL. He would waddle up to the porch and get all put away. Alayna would ring the doorbell and the people would come out and wonder what was going on. Until . . . Isaiah’s hand would pop out of the can! Several people thought we’d dragged a big garbage can with us to hold all the loot. Too funny.
Here is a little video of Isaiah’s costume in action. ha!
Um, Isaiah is ten. ‘Nuf said.
