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Lifestyle Session - Autzen!

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 22:13:41 -0800

I’m sure you all remember little Autzen and his amazing blue eyes! I was thrilled when his mama came to be about doing another session, and was even more excited when I found he’d warmed up to me since our last session in June! I didn’t have to use my paparazzi lens at all this time! The little guy just kept shouting that he was, “ready for an adventure!” Too cute.

We had wonderful lighting and beautiful property to work with, not to mention an adorable kid, so it made my job extra easy! Enjoy!

Senior Portraits - Tate! >> Eugene Oregon Photographer

Tue, 20 Dec 2011 22:13:58 -0800

About 10 days ago I ventured out to the Dexter area to meet Tate and her mom Peggy on their gorgeous property to do her senior portraits! It was a foggy day but wasn’t raining - a miracle this time of year in the Pacific Northwest - but it was cold. Tate rocked it straight through the frigid afternoon! This girl has a great look and some amazing skin! So pretty. :)

I had a blast and hope you love your photos Tate! Enjoy!

Contest Winner - Jessica! >> Part 3

Sun, 18 Dec 2011 12:20:03 -0800

And finally, here’s the last portion of Jessica’s session. It was a BLAST Jess — thank you again for being such an awesome model! You rocked it! :)

» Part 1

» Part 2

Lifestyle Session - Caballero Family!

Sat, 17 Dec 2011 22:27:56 -0800

Last February I did my first session with the Caballero family to welcome their newest little one to the world. I always hear people say children grow up too fast, but it really put it in perspective for me when I met this guy at a few weeks old…

…and then didn’t seem him again for 10 months. When we met up again a few months ago I was blown away by what an adorable little man he had become! See what I mean?

I love this family and can’t wait until our next session in a few months! ♥ Enjoy!

Extreme Makeover: Home Edition Photo Shoot Giveaway - Rejeck Family!

Thu, 24 Nov 2011 20:52:00 -0800

Back in September I donated a photo shoot to Earth Monkey’s silent auction which was set up to raise money for the McPhails - a family from my hometown who were being featured on Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. My entire family and many of my friends were able to sign up to actually work on building their house, but I had a prior engagement that kept me from going. Instead I was able to donate the photo shoot.

A co-worker and friend of my mother’s, Ashley, won the final bid by $1! We had a great time at Lithia Park in Ashland with gorgeous weather and an even more amazing family. Thank you, Ashley, for placing the bid and helping raise money for another great family, and for being so patient waiting for these photos! I had a blast! Enjoy. :)

PS - You can watch the McPhail’s episode here!

PPS - Happy Thanksgiving!

Contest Winner - Jessica! >> Part 2

Sat, 19 Nov 2011 12:06:00 -0800

Here is part 2 of 3 of Jessica’s amazing shoot! Enjoy!

» Part 1

» Part 3

Contest Winner - Jessica! >> Part 1

Tue, 08 Nov 2011 10:18:00 -0800

If you can remember all the way back to April (I know, I’m really asking you to strain yourself here) I had a photo shoot giveaway for the launch of my then-new website! Jessica won that contest and 6 months later we finally were able to schedule her session. I took so many photos that I love that I’m actually going to split it into 3 parts to share with you! Here’s Part 1. :)

We took these photos at Cantrall Buckley Park outside of Jacksonville, Oregon. Enjoy!

» Part 2

» Part 3

Stay tuned for Parts 2 & 3!

Lindsey - Senior Portraits!

Sun, 30 Oct 2011 18:07:15 -0700

A few weeks ago my cousin Lindsey and I, along with my boyfriend and her friend Cydney, all drove out to Ashland, Oregon to my grandmother’s ranch to take Lindsey’s senior portraits. It was really fun for me to shoot in a different enviroment than I’m used to and I think the ambiance was perfect for Lindsey’s photos. I hope you enjoy!

Oh, and in case you’re interested, here’s a video of the most ENORMOUS and disgusting spider and think any of us have ever seen. Creepy!

Mini Session - Mom!

Thu, 13 Oct 2011 21:43:45 -0700

Last weekend I was in Medford again for a couple of sessions. One of them was a friend of my mom’s (stay tuned for her photos!) and afterwards mom and I decided to take advantage of the beautiful fall day and took a few photos of her in Lithia Park, just for fun! I’m very happy with how they came out. I’m so lucky to have such a cute mom. :)

Katie & Kyle - Married! *Part 2

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:20:20 -0700

Well I just can’t help myself, so here it is! Part 2! Enjoy. :)

Katie & Kyle - Married! *Part 1

Sun, 02 Oct 2011 16:15:18 -0700

When I went out to shoot Katie and Kyle’s engagement session last April, I didn’t know I’d be photographing their wedding. After they saw their photos they asked me to document their big day. I couldn’t have been more thrilled!

On September 3, 2011 Katie and Kyle tied the knot at the gorgeous Yellow Gold Farm in Albany. The weather was amazing, the people were wonderful, and the whole day was beautiful. I was so thankful to have my sister, Megan, along to second shoot her first wedding with me! She did a great job.

Katie and Kyle: Thank you for asking me to be a part of your wedding day. I truly had a blast, and as a result have A LOT of photos to share with you. Enjoy Part 1. :)

And the Winning Bidder is...

Mon, 12 Sep 2011 23:39:00 -0700

“Put your heart into your business and both your business and your heart will grow.”

Words to live by! And work by. :)

I wrote a blog post Saturday about the show Extreme Makeover: Home Edition which is currently filming in my hometown of Medford while they grace a very deserving family with a beautiful new home. My entire family has been fortunate enough to donate their time and energy to the job site. I, unfortunately, couldn’t make the trip down to help out. Instead, thanks to the heads-up from my sister, I donated a photo shoot to a silent auction held by Earth Monkey’s.

The photo shoot started at a $25 bid and ended with a bit of a bidding war. In the end, Ashley Dugall Rejcek won by a very close bid of $116! Congratulations, you worked hard to win that session! I’m am SO excited to set up your shoot!

I want to thank everyone who participated, and as a Thank-You I’d like to give all the bidders a little something… so if you bid on the session, email me at sarah@yelloweleven.com and I’ll share the love. :)

Watching the community of my little home town come together to better the lives of these fantastic people has been inspiring. This is the first time I’ve ever used my business this way before and I love it. It’s a small thing, I know, but it was a lot of small things put together that have made this wonderful project become a reality. By the way, the auction raised a total of $8200!

On a much sadder note: we lost a Sparrow tonight: Faith. Now is a time to reflect on the light her and Ethan brought to so many lives and to be thankful that their pain has ended. Their legacy and love is still here with us all. Please keep their families in your thoughts.

Autumn is encroaching! I love that feeling when the air starts to get crisp and you see signs of change ahead. I’ll leave you from this fun photo I shot last year accompanied with one of my favorite quotes.

EM:HE Silent Auction - Y11 Photo Shoot!

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 10:22:05 -0700

As many of you may or may not know, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is currently building a home for a very deserving family in my hometown! Sadly, I am not available to get down there to help volunteer on the job site so I’m donating a photo shoot to Earth Monkey’s awesome silent auction!

**Please note that this is available to Oregon residents only.** Out-of-staters can certainly bid but there would be a travel fee assessed.

Here’s what you get!

This sessions is great for families…

couples and engagements…

high school seniors…

or just for fun!

This money goes to a great cause so START BIDDING! :)

Remembering 9/11 Ten Years Later

Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:50:22 -0700

I was 13 years old. I’d just spent a ridiculous amount of time straightening my hair and putting on makeup. I walked downstairs to the typical sound of the news on the television, but when I rounded the corner to the living room I knew something was different.

My dad was standing in front of the TV with a spatula in his hand, his scrambled eggs temporarily abandoned on the stove. Mom was sitting on the ottoman with one hand to her forehead. As I walked past them to the kitchen I glanced and what they were watching and saw a tall building with a huge plume of smoke billowing out of it.

“What happened?” I asked.

“A plan hit the World Trade Center,” my mom responded.

“On accident?”

No one responded. Minutes later the second plane hit.

I didn’t even know what the World Trade Centers were. I’d seen their outline on the skyline on many movies but never knew their significance. The phrase “terrorist attacks” had never held much reality for me. I was a 13-year-old girl. My world was the bubble I lived in.

I was eating Coco Pebbles when the first tower fell.

I was in 8th grade and my first class was journalism. After an unusually quiet bus ride to school I sat in class with about half my usual peers and we watched footage of the second tower falling. A boy in the back of the class would laugh and point and make exploding sounds every time they replayed the planes hitting. The teacher must have been in too much shock to stop him. I wish she had.

I was at a pivotal age when this happened. A lot of things in my life were changing already and this just added to it. I’ve always used artwork to express myself and I wrote several poems and drew pictures about how I felt. On the 4th anniversary, before YellowEleven Photography is what it is today, I took this photo. It’s sweet in it’s simplicity, and I know I could retake this photo today at a much higher quality. I but I like this one.

Today is a day to remember those who lost their lives. It’s also a day to remember those who fought galantly, and today suffer for their efforts. To remember the families effected and the brave men and women who have fought or are still fighting overseas…

And to remember yourself. How you felt. How it changed you. How you’ve grown. Just take a moment to remember, and then go enjoy your Sunday.

Kelly Moore Bag!

Wed, 24 Aug 2011 21:30:00 -0700

I’ve been in the market for a new camera bag for over a year now and it’s an investment I’ve been putting off. When I discovered Kelly Moore Bags from a blog post by 2Duce2 Videography a few weeks back I knew I had found the right merchant to purchase through. Once on her site I proceeded to watch every video for every bag Kelly offers and decided that the size and look of her B-Hobo bag was the one for me. She’s got a great selection of colors to choose from but I knew I wanted black. It’s clean and simple and will never go out of style and I’m not a flashy girl anyway. So I waited patiently for black to become in-stock again and placed my order the moment I saw it available.

Then I waited.

My bag was coming from all the way across the country in Florida so it had a ways to travel. Everyday I would check the UPS tracking number at work, at home, on my phone… I may have been obsessed. My boyfriend was concerned about the safety of everyone around me, including himself, if UPS ended up late on their delivery.

They weren’t late, but I was at work when they tried to deliver yesterday. I was so sad. I called UPS the moment I was off work to request they keep it at the facility for pickup. Today when I stopped at home for my lunch break, however, I was surprised to see the little sticker on my door notifying me that my package was in my apartment complex office. Needless to say, I booked it to the office and got my bag. I tore open the box, paused to take an Instagram photo of the Kelly Moore logo to announce my excitement…

…and then pulled out my new bag. I love it. LOVE IT. It’s beautifully made, soft and form-fitting to my body, and it has purple lining. Purple! My favorite! For anyone looking for a great bag that will last a long long time, that looks great and it very functional, I recommend Kelly’s bags! Well worth the investment, AND the obsession!

And yes, I did a mini photo shoot of my bag on my lunch break instead of making food. No regrets. :)

Twins! Bonnie & Laura

Tue, 23 Aug 2011 15:10:40 -0700

I have always been fascinated by twins. In my childhood games my pretend-children were always twins, or I was a twin. I think a lot of people find them interesting because none of us non-twins know what it’d be like to have someone that close to you, in age, bond, or DNA.

Upon meeting my now-boyfriend, Travis, I was of course interested in meeting his twin sisters. Besides the twin thing, which made me already like them by default, Laura and Bonnie are truly awesome! They’re tiny, gorgeous, hilarious, well-dressed women and I always enjoy their company. Plus they have the cutest dog, Charlie, and an equally adorable cat, Alice. Their children. J

We’ve been talking about doing a photo shoot together for awhile now and last week I finally decided to make it happen. We planned to go to one nature-y location and then finish the session in downtown Eugene. I had an idea of what I wanted the photos to be like and the girls really made it happen. Their clothing choices, and the walnut tree grove location were spot on. These are truly some of my favorite photos I’ve taken to date, I’m so happy with them! I hope the girls are as well.

I would love feedback because part of the reason for this shoot was to practice posing and lighting. Travis tagged along as a reflector-holding assistant and was quick to make stupid jokes when I wanted the girls to laugh. Thank you, Trav!

Here are a few of my favorites – I’m actually on my lunch from my day job so I don’t have time to post them all! I will be posting the full gallery on my Y11 Facebook Page tonight so stay tuned!

When I’ve got pent up feelings or emotions that need to be sorted through I find...

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 23:53:42 -0700

When I’ve got pent up feelings or emotions that need to be sorted through I find it therapeutic to write them down, almost as though I’m telling someone else’s story. I have many files in my computer of rantings such as this one, but I’m posting tonight out of curiosity. I wonder sometimes if anyone else does these strange things?

Today has been an off day. I’ve felt peculiar over the last few weeks, actually; my emotions feel spread thin and easily scraped away leaving me tired. While driving to and from Medford over the weekend I found myself suddenly caught by the beauty around me. Summer has slowly started to show itself in my portion of the world and having waited so long for it to arrive it seems more enchanting that I remember it. The colors are so vibrant – the brilliant yellow sun in a cloudless, vivid blue sky. The yellow-green color of leaves as the sun filters through them, a breeze lazily tugging at the branches. Little things that seem so perfect in their simple beauty it almost hurts to observe them.

Tonight I was driving home along the country roads. The horizon held little light and was tinted a faint, dark reddish-orange that faded to a deep blue, and I was suddenly overwhelmed. I pulled to the side of the road, killed the engine and my headlights and stabbed the button for my hazard lights. To my left the crescent moon was slung low on the western horizon, yellow as a sunflower and deepening in color as it slid towards the horizon. The outline of the mountains at the horizon was black against the darkening sky. They seemed so small in comparison to the vast space of fading light the stretched above them and me. The sky felt like a gaping mouth ready to swallow me up. In the distance, above the reservoir, tiny explosions of light began to pop and reflect over the water. They, too, seemed low to the ground though I knew they weren’t. I rolled my window down and angled myself to sit and watch the fireworks flare along the horizon. The key was still in the ignition keeping my car battery on and my music was so loud I could feel its slow rhythm vibrate through the car and my body. My hazard lights clicked in time, illuminating the tall grass on the side of the road a deep orange to match the falling moon. Stars began to prick to life and I watched the slow, steady progression of a satellite as it glided effortlessly above my head. Tiny headlights from the highway below winked at me and again I felt it was all so painfully simple and beautiful.

As time slipped by old pains began to rise rebelliously in my mind. I turned them over and over in my head, examining them numbly. Our lives are never how we saw them when we were young, I thought. I allowed myself a moment of vulnerability and let it all wash over me in a wave of silly emotions. I say “silly” because I think of my life and compare it to the lives of so many others and I think I don’t deserve to feel what I’m feeling – my life is a good life.

I pulled back onto the road once the moon had reached the mountains and headed back into town with my windows rolled town, breathing in the scent of hay and still-warm pavement. Fireworks continued to burst randomly in the sky, getting larger as I neared town. I pulled into my parking space at home and stepped out. A huge firework burst in the sky above me, assaulting my senses with its brilliant flash of light and the deep, bass-tone boom that I could feel in my chest.

As I stepped inside, welcomed by my purring cat, I likened fireworks to life. The night sky is steady and predictable in its path above our heads, but every once in awhile it’s interrupted by a blast of color and sound that throws things out of perspective. Painful experiences are the same way; they leave us bewildered, and even when the experience is gone we can still feel its lingering effects, like the flash of a firework embedded into our eyelids, still visible after the sky returns to blackness.

I feel better now. I have a single lamp lit and am listening to the fireworks pop through my open window, my slightly-nervous cat in my lap. When I cannot find comfort in those around me I seek solitude and try to work it out myself. I needed to be alone tonight. As pathetic as it sounds I took great comfort in watching celebration break out all around me as I sat alone with the blinking hazard lights, and the popping fireworks, and the stars and the satellites and the baleful yellow moon.

Little Autzen & Happy 4th!

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 18:24:33 -0700

Happy 4th everyone! I’ve got a few moments at home between work and play so I thought I’d share Autzen’s session. Autzen’s mommy works with me at the credit union and I’ve been seeing photos of her adorable son in her cubicle for over a year. I’m so happy I got the opportunity to take photos of my own of this little man.

Have a safe 4th and enjoy!

Adam & Samantha - The Prince Puckler's Photo Shoot

Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:16:37 -0700

I work with Tammy, the twin’s mom, at the credit union. Back in March I met Adam and Samantha at their 3rd birthday party. Adam warmed up to me just fine but Samantha was pretty shy and uninterested in the whole photo thing. I was thrilled when we met up at Hendrick’s Park in Eugene last weekend when Samantha ran right up to me and chatted with me all day.

If you’re wondering about the blog title, Prince Puckler’s is an icecream shop in Eugene and the twins’ parent’s and I used some good old fashion bribery to keep them on task during the shoot. No shame in that. :)

These two have the best little personalities and couldn’t be any cuter! I had a blast!

Lifestyle Session - Brady!

Fri, 24 Jun 2011 12:53:49 -0700

A few weeks back I met up with Brady and his aunt Kaylee for a session in Bear Creek Park in Medford. This little man smiled his way through his entire session! Thanks for being so cute Brady, and for making my job easy! :)

Enjoy the cuteness!