Sarah Mayfield: Profile of a photographer beyond…

Sarah Mayfield: Profile of a photographer beyond her years

Sarah Mayfield is only 17 years old, but with a passion for photography, a gallery showing in Ashland, a growing clientele, acceptance into the University of Oregon and a detailed business plan, the teenager is well on her way to success.

Sarah’s creativity comes naturally. She writes, draws, paints and acts. But photography, she says, is her true talent. “It all started when I was 15 and I used my mom’s digital camera to take pictures of the girls I babysat. They turned out really good. My mom recognized that I had a gift so she bought me a high-quality digital camera for Christmas and I became hooked on taking photos.”

Soon, friends volunteered to act as models and Sarah was getting support from people who were drawn to her enthusiasm and impressed with her photographs. Though Sarah was not that motivated for high school studies, her economic teacher realized her potential as a professional photographer and encouraged Sarah to write a complete business plan. In the process, her company, Yellow Eleven Photography evolved. “Mr. Weinberg confirmed that my plan was viable,” Sarah explains. “And he helped with arrangements for displaying my photographs at an Ashland gallery during the city’s annual summertime Art Walk.”

Sarah sold many of her photographs to Art Walk participants, and earned enough money to upgrade her equipment. Recently, she was accepted into the University of Oregon and plans to pursue a major in art and a minor in business with the ultimate goal of becoming a studio photographer.

For Sarah, what started as a hobby has turned into an art form and a pathway to the future. “I feel so good about what I’m doing because it comes from my heart,” she says. “Photographs are so honest and I have the ability to capture life as it happens.”

To view samples of Sarah’s work, visit http://www.deviantart.com/ or her business website at http://www.yelloweleven.com/. She is also available at photo.11@hotmail.com.