Mill Cottage Photography Love Stories » Environmental

Artistic Collaboration | in the words of Monty Python… and now for something completely different

millcottage — Sun, 18 Jul 2010 07:55:14 +0000

I had a bit of a cranky day today… no patience, not enough sleep, who knows what else. The afternoon rolled around and I headed out for my session with Spencer knowing that it would be great to see him again, but feeling a bit tired, still grumpy, and wondering where my inspiration would come from. You know how you just click with someone creative and then you just keep bouncing new ideas off of theirs… well, that’s where we got down and made some art… Spencer is someone I am very glad is in my life! There have been rough waters, jagged rocks, a guiding light, and always love for and from his family (our family, since he’s my second cousin), and all together he’s an incredibly strong, talented person. He survived the storm. Some people he knew weren’t so lucky. We talked a lot about life, silly stuff, and serious stuff, and it was one of the best days in a long time. He shared some lyrics from a song he wrote, and this piece was crafted from that visi0n. Spencer, this is for you… hope you like it (and if you don’t like it, bring it back… to the apple store… but you won’t…) Peace, cuz! Love you!

Modern San Francisco Family Portraits | Welcome Baby Liam!!

millcottage — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:02:10 +0000

sleepy little Liam

Seems like yesterday you saw Matika’s gorgeous baby bump in her San Francisco Urban Maternity Session, and newborn baby Liam came just a few days later… Oh, he’s a yummy little guy, and I am so glad I got to hold him, and get my baby fix… Here’s his first professional family portrait in his home… So wonderful to see you guys today, and can’t wait to show you all the images soon!

Family Portrait at home

Tiburon Belvedere Newborn Photography | Newborn Abby on location

millcottage — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 17:18:54 +0000

sweet baby Abby

oh, the sweetness of a brand new life… As I said to her mommy, there’s not a better way to start my day than photographing a brand new baby! Welcome to this little miss, and congratulations to her family, especially her wonderful big brother, who is getting so big!

Remember all you future mommies out there… your newborn session (within the first 14 days of life) is in your home, easy, all about the new baby, and my baby gift to you! If you have a friend or loved one expecting a baby, please tell them about this San Francisco bay area newborn photography special offer!!

San Francisco Boudoir Photographer | delicious boudoir workshop slideshow

millcottage — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:42:02 +0000

More images from the delicious boudoir workshop last weekend in San Francisco! Enjoy!

San Francisco Maternity Photographer | Spring Blooms for Simply Bloom Owner!

millcottage — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 01:22:02 +0000

Mommy at the windmill

It’s never too late to schedule your maternity session… well, at least if you schedule it before the baby arrives… Matika & Mike, and their son Luke are expecting a new baby this Thursday!!! We headed out to Golden Gate Park to the Queen Wilhemina Tulip Garden on Sunday and it was a beautiful spring day!! Look at the glorious beautiful mama!! Good luck on Thursday you guys!! Can’t wait to get my lens on the new little babe!!

soccer practice

Sonoma Napa Wedding Photographer hits the Wineroad 2010!

millcottage — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 19:29:52 +0000

Wine Country wedding season is about to kick in and I can’t wait to photograph my first wedding of the season in Sonoma in a couple of weeks. Before things get too busy it was nice to have a free weekend to head out with my hubby and check out Wineroad in the Russian River wine country and go barrel tasting! If you missed this weekend, don’t worry… it’s happening next weekend too!!

We went with our dear friends Bonne & Peter Posert, who are in the wine business, so it doesn’t get much better than that! First stop was Lynmar – I am not a chardonnay girl, but man, this was so delicious, crisp and yummy! Then we went to Joseph Swan,which had delicious pinot noirs and zinfandels… mmmmm!

Then we picked up Dave, and we were off to the “Love Shack” at Porter Creek… Here the second generation wine maker, Alex Davis, shared delicious barrel samples, and a finished Chardonnay that was completely amazing! Peter & Bonne and Dave have been going here for many years, and the small tasting room, aviary, and friendly staff kept us here for quite a while!

Next (and what turned out to be the LAST… LOL) stop was Moshin, and it turned out to be my favorite stop! I knew I loved it right away when we pulled up, and I saw this

weird pacifier hanging from the barb wire fence… photo-op snatched! The fine folks at Moshin had a great band, Bucky Walters, and anyone having a wine country wedding outdoors should consider hiring these really fun bluegrass musicians from Arcata. Man, they just rocked it! I have never heard a bluegrass version of Peter Gabriel’s Sledgehammer, and it was a musical highlight. Serious fun for a rehearsal dinner among hay bales or a country themed outdoor wedding… The wine was phenomenal, the people were very welcoming, and we just stayed… we had our yummy picnic, a behind the scenes tour of the gravity tanks that gently move the wine from grapes at the top of the hill to the bottling machines at the bottom and mmmmm pinot fantasticalness… OMG! Get yourself some of this wine!!! Here’s some images for you!! Thanks again to Peter & Bonne for the great company, and for driving… my glass is full, and the wine is great!!

Sold Out San Francisco Workshop for Photographers | Kimberly Sayre, CPP, Cr.Photog. and Joerg Lehmann, CPP, Cr.Photog.

millcottage — Wed, 03 Mar 2010 23:57:55 +0000

delicious fashion & boudoir workshop

UPDATE: SOLD OUT!!!! thanks everyone!!! Ok, just a quick post about another workshop opportunity for photographers… March 13, 2010 San Francisco…

Workshop for Photographers | Day with the Divas | SOLD OUT!

millcottage — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 06:40:45 +0000

Two Lovebirds & a Chihuahua...

Many of you may know that I received my Photographic Craftsman degree last year, which is one of the highest recognitions for speaking, writing, or mentoring on photography; & positions the photographer as an authority in the industry. It is awarded in recognition of service to the profession as an orator, author, or mentor. I love to teach… a wise friend of mine once told me that the best way to really know something is to teach it to another. Today was the big day for a fantastic seminar called a Day with the DivAs, and I and three of my very best friends and colleagues gave a whole day workshop through the Professional Photographers of the Greater Bay Area to share some of our expertise in image processing, workflow, retouching, sales, pricing and presentation, as well as an afternoon of photography demonstration! We were so pleased that it sold out, and enjoyed meeting all of the partipants! It was down & dirty, nuts & bolts information designed to share some of the things that have made us sucessful San Francisco photographers… Here is one of my favorites from my part of the demo… Mischa & Brianne are one of the couples that has what we all want from love… a playful passion for each other that really makes you smile! I am crazy for this retro style photo. Love you guys!

: Retro Love Portrait

San Francisco Urban Maternity Session | The lovely Annie!

millcottage — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 00:42:59 +0000

Annie's urban maternity session in San Francisco

I had so much fun running around San Francisco today in search of great places to photograph Annie’s beautiful belly! The first place we stopped is right around the mountain from my house, and I love the stone stairs! Annie was such a good sport in dealing with our frigid San Francisco chill… Her jacket was really gorgeous! Speaking of gorgeous, her hair and makeup was done by Jenni Huse of the Powder Room, who traveled down with Amy of Oaks & Acorns for the photoshoot! So what do you get when you take 3 photographers (one of them with a baby on the way!) and a great make up artist? You get a really great morning/afternoon of hip, modern maternity photos, not to mention a fantastic lunch at Luna Park after we finished! Their coconut cream pie is legendary… drool…

San Carlos Belmont Children’s Portraits | Mini Sessions for $95 for one week only!!

millcottage — Thu, 04 Feb 2010 23:34:47 +0000

Woodland Series Portraits on February 15, 2010

I am feeling the spring time, and am so pleased to offer a special portrait mini-session in and around my San Carlos children’s photography studio on Wednesday and Friday, February 10 and 12th, just in time for Valentine’s Day!!! Only $95, which is a savings of almost $200 from our regular session fee! Reserve your 30 minute studio or outdoor session today by calling 415.515.6370, or sending an email to inquiry@millcottagephoto.com. Sessions are available between 10AM and 4:30PM on those two days only!!! We also will be having a special Woodland Series portrait event on Monday, February 15, and are accepting only three clients for that day for an on location session in the Los Altos Hills. The times available are 11:30, 12:00 noon and 12:30, and sessions will be 20 minutes, 1-2 children only.

All new clients will receive a special $25 gift card with purchase of a session, and current clients will receive a complimentary 5×7 print of their favorite image from the session as well as a $25 gift card! Images will be shown in your own personal, password protected web gallery, and will be available for purchase on-line for 3 days after they have been posted, so alert the grandparents, friends and family to be ready! Reposting your gallery after those 3 days will incur a $100 fee, which will automatically be applied to your order!

San Francisco Bridal Fashion Photography – Hot Bridal Slideshow

millcottage — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 22:40:26 +0000

At the beginning of the month I did an awesome shoot with Carrie D. Mader and Armando Sarabia in San Francisco! I have been working on these images, and am so excited to share my latest slideshow with my blog readers!!

Click on the Image to View the Slides

Holiday Portraits in the Woods – Last chance for sessions before the studio closes for the holidays!

millcottage — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 18:05:36 +0000

Holiday Portraits - Josh in the woods

I truly had hoped to have time to schedule some mini-sessions for the holidays, but weddings and regular portrait sessions kept me hopping until the bitter end… I will be organizing a spring open house instead, so we’ll be all ready for Mother’s Day! Thanks for understanding! I do have a couple of openings for some regular sessions during the next couple of weeks, so call if you have some extended family in town for the holidays, and want to capture those special relationships… Hope all of you have a wonderful holiday season, and an amazing new year in 2010!

San Francisco Newborn Photography – A Portrait of a (little) Lady!

millcottage — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 03:30:20 +0000

Sound the trumpets, strike up the band, in other words, “hit it!” Sydney is here, and she’s such a pretty little newborn baby. You forget how small they are when they are newborns… and how soft they are, and how cute and tiny their feet are, and those soft little birdie sounds they make… Ahhhhhh!!! I love to photograph newborn babies! (Nicole, yours are next, just say the word when they are ready!!)

Newborn portrait - Perfect Pink Princess

I am very proud to be Brooke and Todd’s family photographer… I love to go to their house and see images of them that I photographed over the years, their engagement, their wedding, them at friends’ weddings… Love them! Todd was one of the very first people I met when I moved to San Francisco through our mutual friend Dina, and fate would have it that he would meet and fall in love with the wonderful Brooke, who was friends with my friend Jamie, and the fabric of all of our lives was woven together from all different directions… Ok, so that’s the story of how eventually we would all be completely elated at the arrival of their beautiful daughter, and again me with my camera in tow (which is a great excuse to get in for visits with friends with newborns by the way… :^) gathered with the family to capture Miss Sydney’s new sweetness. I was tempted to sneak her out in my camera bag, and leave my 5DMark II in her place, but even though Brooke is a photographer, I don’t think she would be at all excited about the switcheroo…

Ok, Kim, quit your yapping and show us some pictures…

Newborn Sydney & Daddy Todd

Precious Family

Pumpkin Patch Portraits – Oh, how they grow…

millcottage — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 01:38:24 +0000

My Little Pumpkin...

I love to photograph children in a pumpkin patch! The candid style with the colorful background is always a favorite… Doesn’t hurt that Fall is my absolutely favorite season! The crisp snap in the air, the bright blue sky, and pumpkins, pumpkins everywhere!! Here’s two… same patch, same kid, 2 years different… my baby is growing up so fast! Ahhhh…. love that face!

Redhead in a Pumpkin Patch

Lifestyle Children’s Portraits – Summertime Ice Cream Fun

millcottage — Wed, 02 Sep 2009 18:48:32 +0000

Yummy Ice Cream From Cold Stone Creamery

Whew, it’s been a hot time in the City this summer… we have had numerous days that we could play in the backyard, which in the 10 years we have lived in this house in the fog, have been a rarity until the past year or so… what does that say about global warming?? I digress… Josh and I had to take a trip to Cold Stone Creamery where we had a wonderful treat for our tastebuds… Jello pudding ice cream. OMG. so good. Josh just had the basics… “gramilla” (his word for Vanilla) and m&m’s… He seriously enjoyed it! Here’s a cute image…