The Hammock from Anna Mayer on Vimeo.

One day soon we will being offering home movies as an additional service to our clients because we know that our clients are the ones who treasure the memories of their little ones’ childhood. What a wonderful way to capture a little slice of who they are than a fun, emotional, sweet (and blissfully succinct) professional home movie? I can’t think of any (besides a beautiful wall gallery, but of course, you can have both!) If you are interested in being a Beta family and getting your video made while the price is low, contact us today. We plan to offer this service starting at $1,500, but while we are working out the kinks, the price will be sweeter.

Anna Mayer is a family portrait photographer in San Jose, CA (and Milwaukee, WI) She works with families to create priceless memories and beautiful, unique wall galleries. To book a family photo session with Anna, contact us today to get started. You will not regret it.

Last weekend a friend and I did a little garage sale-ing and I found this rusty old glider. I could see it’s potential and I had to have it! I brought Brian by to see it and to convince him to take on the project with me. We sat on the bench and matching rocker for more than 10 minutes, but he didn’t bite (or so I thought). The next morning, as we sat down for our morning coffee in the yard, he and Isaiah appeared with it. My romantic.

We were having a Memorial Day BBQ the next day, so OF COURSE, we started scrapping it and prepping it for painting. : ) True to our different natures, I wanted to spray paint it and worry about the paint on the arms later. Brian wanted to take it all apart, sand the arms until they shined and then put it all back together, looking good as new. He’s right, of course, but my way would have been faster! : ) I don’t think it was really ready for use the next day, but it sure looked cute with this little party guest testing it out, don’t you think?

See, the circus yard. I found these chairs by the side of the road and at that same sale. A little paint, a little patina and a happy dinner table indeed.

Alayna’s sewing attention span is decidedly shorter, but she most definitely has a long eye for style. Can you even stand how cute this thing is? Sheesh. She also spent four hours on this, however, she took at least two hours worth of breaks, one of which to be in part of Isaiah’s documentary, which I hope to share with you all soon! I cannot wait to see my little niece in this fabulous shirt. So cute.

And now we come to my offering. Not nearly as amazing as my daughters’ gifts, but it had to do in a pinch, since my REAL gift is still in process. I am dying to share it here, but it will have to wait until my brother’s wedding, when I give it to her. Don’t want to spoil the surprise! I chose this fabric because I thought it looked a little bit Asian and my sister lived in China for three years. Thought it was just right for her.

Anna Mayer is a Milwaukee family portrait photographer who is originally from San Jose, California. She and her family moved to Milwaukee to open a portrait business in Wisconsin, as well as in California. Her unique style is unmistakable as well as nationally recognized. If you are looking to have family photos in Milwaukee, look no further. You should hire Anna today! No one ever regrets it.

Last week I wrote an article about the idea that moms need to get in more family photos regardless of how they feel about they way they look. The response was overwhelming; apparently, it struck a chord. I truly believe in the value and importance of Mom in the Picture (read this post if you need more convincing) and so,  in honor of all you beautiful, wonderful and important moms out there, we’ve decided to do a free photo day for my Milwaukee families (sorry San Jose, it’s just a timing thing). On Friday, June 21, from 6-8:30pm I’ll be shooting at the Riverwalk downtown across the street from the Public Market.

There’s only one catch. Moms, you have to be in it the photos. (Dad is welcome, but not required)

Details

• 15 Sessions are available. These will likely be booked quickly, so don’t delay!
• Each session will be about 7 minutes long.
• Register in advance to save your spot.
• Prints will be available for purchase, but there’s no requirement. To see our menu of options, click here.

Please share this with your friends at coffee, at the gym, on Facebook, Twitter, or whatever. Spread the word.

I have recently begun the entertaining, emotional and exhausting task of sorting through 101,000 family photos (you think I am exaggerating, but that is the actual number from just 2005-2013!!!). Just like so many moms out there and many of you reading this now I am finding a shocking dearth of photos with ME in them. My kids, it would appear, live with their daddy, play with their daddy, dance with their daddy and vacation with their daddy. I don’t appear to be there. Sure, I can hope the evidence of my love exists in the insane quantity of moments I felt deserved capturing, but will it? Even if they know I TOOK the pictures wouldn’t it be so much more meaningful if they had photo evidence that I was there? Proof that I lived, played, danced and vacationed with them.  Even if my butt looked big or I had a zit or my hair was messy or I just felt unattractive. My kids don’t care about that. Not one little bit. They just see Momma. A Momma who plays and hugs and dances and loves them.

Last year I did a photo session with a long-time client who had been battling cancer. She was in remission and was looking, to me, beautiful and vibrant and alive. Her hair was still short, working it’s way back along with her health. That day we were photographing just the kids. Knowing her situation, I really wanted to see her in the photos with her children. I asked her “Don’t you want to jump in for a few?” “Not today, I don’t feel put together. Maybe in a few months, when I am 100% again.” I pushed a bit more, to no avail. She didn’t feel beautiful that day. Four months later I heard the news that her cancer had come back, with a vengeance, and she had lost her battle. I cried. I felt heartbroken for her beautiful children. And I felt a little bit angry that I hadn’t prevailed in my quest to get Mom in the picture. No one would care how perfect she had looked that day, because she was perfect. She was a momma who plays and hugs and loves her children. And she was there.

Although I already knew it on some level, that day I realized the incredible importance of this message. Moms, stop worrying about how you look. Who cares about your hair-do or your acne or your muffin top? I don’t, they don’t. You are a beautiful, wonderful, powerful and immensely valuable person, JUST. THE. WAY. YOU. ARE.  One day those photos will be all that is left of this journey we call life. It is simply too fragile, beautiful, wonderful and important. I beg you, moms, GET. IN. THE. PICTURES.

While sorting those old photos I came across these photos from 2006. That’s me, chubbier than I wanted to be, bad hair day, blah blah blah. Who cares???! I did, back then. In fact, I almost deleted these photos when I downloaded them because I thought I looked fat. Thank God I didn’t. As I read my own words above and look at my sweet baby girl in my arms, I am literally sobbing. How absurd and selfish and ridiculous would it be for me to throw away this beautiful moment because of vanity?

Just look at us! I love my girl so so much and, thank the Lord,  there is a photograph to prove it.

Being a family portrait photographer in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and San Jose, California brings a lot of joy to my life and I’ve been told, a lot of joy to the lives of my clients. These awesome families hire me to capture their lives just as they are and even better, to create amazing wall displays for their homes. Sure, you could buy a disk of images and store it in your desk drawer while you wait to have time to do something with them. But better than that, hire a photographer who can create a wall of goodness like this for you and smile every morning while you eat Cheerios or organic eggs with your children. Not only will it make you smile but it will make your children feel special, loved and important. I know it will because I grew up in a house filled with photos and sure felt that love.

If you have a family you love and you want to smile every day, it’s time to contact us and get started. No one has ever said they regretted having their lives captured by Anna and a wall gallery put up in their homes. It’s an investment you will treasure forever.