Yellow Brick Road Photography by Danielle Sapp

Peoria, Illinois High School Senior Photographer: [Austin] Sneak Peak

2010-01-31T14:28:00.001-08:00

Sneak Peak of Morton High School Senior, Austin. More to come later this week.

Peoria, Illinois High School Senior Photography for Free during February.

2010-01-21T03:17:00.000-08:00

Are you a Junior or a Senior in High School? Do you know one? Yellow Brick Road Photo is offering free Senior sessions during the month of February. YBRP is looking to expand its’ portfolio to High School Seniors. What do they get for their time? A CD of 40 edited high resolution photos from their shoot. How long? 45 minutes. Where? I have a location in mind but am always up for suggestions. Yes, this would be outside as I am an on location photographer. When? All weekends during February. So, know a Junior or Senior? Book the session now. E-mail me at dsappj@yahoo.com to set up a date and time

{CHLOE}. Peoria, Illinois Photographer

2010-01-21T02:58:00.000-08:00

She's furry and multi-colored. He as a beaty mark in the center of her forehead which makes her all that much more cute and cuddly. She loves bacon strips and anything that comes out of a treat bag. She has a collection of over 15 bandanas that she exchanges out regularly. She loves long walks even when it's 7 below. She loves to be the center of attention, and when she's not, she mopes around and pretends like she is dying, aka, the mystery of the broken back last summer. She gets jealous that she cannot go to Florida every year. If she sits next to you that means she likes you. She loves spending quiet time with her Momma every morning before each crazy day begins. During the week, she can be found sitting on her white victorian era chair in the home library gazing out at the birds and barking at the mailman. She loves her new sister, Savannah (golden retriever), but hasn't found an easy to to express it yet. She is our baby and I felt has earned a post on the blog.

I miss her everyday. In Remembrance of my Grandmother

2010-01-16T06:59:00.000-08:00

I can’t tell you how much I miss her. Some people might wonder what I’m doing, digging into my personal life on my business blog. Well, I feel if I can’t be myself with my clients then I’m not being real. I’m not your ordinary photographer who likes to rush session, get paid the day of and tell you that your CD won’t be ready for 6 weeks. I do things different. I don’t like short sessions even though I do the mini sessions in the summer, I don’t even ask for a drop of cash the day of, and CDs are always ready before 3 weeks. I try very hard to make things good for my clients as they are choosing me to document their lives. So, thus, I’m going to get personal here, so bare with me. I wasn't feeling good last nite whatsoever, so I zonked out early, otherwise I would've done this last nite. Don’t worry, I included pictures of course.

I miss her very much. My grandma passed away in September. September 10, 2009. I had this whole idea of branding a new business name, Yellow Brick Road Photo. My grand opening was to be on 9/9/09. My grand opening never happened, it just wasn’t the right timing. I had asked my grandma for some business advice in August. I can remember sitting at the table and looking at images on my laptop. She thought it was so neat that pictures could be sent to computers these days. She shared some thoughts and gave me some pointers that no one else would’ve. I was planning to do a grand opening on 10/17/09, the date picked by my Grandmother because it wasn’t too close to Halloween but close enough where kids would have costumes.

We came up with the idea to have a Halloween mini session day at McNaughton Park, where kids would show up in their costumes, I’d pass out treat bags, and parents would walk away with a CD of 15 edited images from the session on a CD for $30. My grandma had told me to bring candy to her and she’d prepare the treat bags. The grand opening of Yellow Brick Road Photo never happened. It breaks my heart to think it was nearly a month away. I never saw it coming. I can remember her perfectly polished nails as she’d reach across the table and pat my hand as she giggled about something. She had a heart full of gold, and was beautiful in everyway. I went over to her house atleast two Sundays a month and then some in between. I regret not going over there more often. I find myself taking a country drive on a winding road now sometimes on Sundays and listening to a CD that reminds me of no one but her. Sometimes I need that.

There’s so much that has happened recently I would love to share with her and listen to her advice. She gave the best advice. Whether it was about saving money for a house, spirituality, family feuds, relationships, or anything from food recipes to movies to watch, she had wisdom for it all.

She passed away on a Thursday. I was suppose to go up near Madison, WI to visit a friend for the weekend. I was living by myself in an old historic apartment that I was in the process of moving out of. It was pretty bare, and I was pretty much alone that day and Friday when I wasn’t over listening to family talk about arrangements. I decided I needed to get away, so I was going to Wisconsin as weird as it felt. I would stay on 29 and take 26 strait to Wisconsin, so basically all backroads. I’d pass the turn off for the town my grandma grew up in, Walnut, Illinois, but I had never stopped. I felt like everytime I made that trip up to Wisconsin (even before she passed) that I was reliving apart of my grandma’s youth. I remember telling her, I went through Manlius, or Dixon today, and she’d have something to say about each town and what her and her friends use to do there. I got to Wisconsin Friday evening about 7:00PM. I was miserable. I felt like going to Wisconsin was a mistake. At 7:00AM on Saturday morning I was on the road again coming home because it was what felt right. I passed the sign that said Walnut, IL ten miles and I decided I was going to stop there. I was going to the cemetery to make sure there were flowers on the graves of my Grandmother’s parents, sister, and some others she had always took care of. I felt like she would’ve wanted me to check in on things. I was at the cemetery when a very classy woman stepped out of her little convertible and yelled “I knew someone was here but didn’t see you, youre so short.” I told her I was there just passing through, and asked if she lived in Walnut her entire life. She answered yes. I told her my grandmother was raised and went to high school there. She asked, “Who’s your grandmother?” “Well, she would’ve been Betty Bourquin back then”, I replied. “What! Betty Bourquin, we’ve been trying to get in touch with her about making it up for a reunion. We went to school together.” I proceded to tell her she passed a couple days earlier, and she then told me to get in her convertible. She wanted to show me where my grandma lived, where my great-grandfathers barber shop was, and some other things. I was overcome with surprise, what are the odds? She even stopped by the house of my grandma’s high school best friend, Sue. I felt like that day happened all because of my grandmother. That was my sign. My sign that just because we couldn’t have our Sunday conversations or annual Burger King day or talk about anything between the ground and the moon, didn’t mean she wasn’t going to be with me. My grandma is with us everyday in our hearts. Here’s a picture of the woman, Rita, who picked me up to show me the town of Walnut, and my grandma’s best friend in high school, Sue. (I hate pictures of myself, and please understand I was a trainwreck during this time, do don't judge me on my appearance :)

This past week has seemed like a very long one. It’s been full of anxiety, sitting on the edge of my chair excitement, happiness, laughter, disappointment, and a a whirlwind of everything crashing down at one point. One good thing did happen this week, I assure you that. You’ll hear more about it in the future. I know, I am keeping you on the edge of your seat now, huh? Anyways. I know my Grandma would’ve been so comforting after she heard about some of the things that were going on. I would love to have a diet rite with her and ask her about grocery store deals and listen to her talk about anything. I recently read this book, For One More Day by Mitch Albom. It literally reached out and grabbed my heart and squeezed it. I recommend it if you’ve lost your mother or grandmother. It really opens your eyes to a mother’s love. I am so thankful for my mom and can’t imagine how hard it’s been for her to cope after losing grandma. She would be turning 78 on January 18th. We would have taken her to he favorite place, Texas Roadhouse. She would've looked beautiful as ever.To my angel, my second mother, my Grandmother Betty Jean Sapp.. I miss you everyday.

She's so Chicago | And I'm a little late on this post

2010-01-12T04:32:00.001-08:00

One. 7. Sometimes I wonder if it’s better than turning 16. Falynn and her good friend Kaitlyn shopped until they dropped in Chi-town to celebrate Falynn’s birthday...which was over three months ago. As I looked through these pictures, I can’t help but think, “She’s so Chicago”. One thing I love about shooting in Chicago is that the photographs seem so REAL. That’s what I want in the pictures I take. I want it to feel real to whoever is viewing them.

Jason | Lifestyle Photographer, Peoria, IL

2010-01-11T18:07:00.000-08:00

Meet my Uncle Jason. About a 14 months ago my Aunt, Shawna, had me take some photos of her for her husband, Jason, and for each of her kids to keep in a little photo album. I thought it was a great idea. Jason asked me over Thanksgiving dinner if I would take some photos of him for Shawna and their four children also. For Jason we decided an urban shoot would be best. We went to several locations and it was one of my favorite sessions yet. Jay was so cool about working with me, being patient, and had natural poses. Most of my clients are a tad bit nervous which is very normal, but not Jason. Thank you Jason, I had a blast and I know Shawna and the kids will cherish these photos.

{Savannah. Skyler. Spencer. Family from Missouri} | Rolla, Missouri Photographer

2010-01-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

Savannah. When Savannah laughs she has the most contagious smile. She loves American Girl dolls, her dog Rocky, and her brand new laptop. She once said something that I had said at her age “I’m not the princess type.” I had asked her to go see the Princess and the Frog and that was her response. She just doesn’t realize that all girls can be princesses. Just because she didn’t like gymnastics or didn’t care too much for dance, doesn’t mean she’s not a little princess. In fact, her first year of dance was last year. She didn’t register this year, but she did such an awesome job last May in her dance recital. It takes a lot of courage to stand in front of an audience performing a routine you practiced for 6 months. She calls me Danny, yes with a y, and I’m okay with that.

Skyler. Skyler is quiet, but he is very talented with the arts. He draws really well and I think he might someday really be a talented artist like his Dad was in high school and college. He loves bmx, races in the summer. He enjoys spending time with his brother and even his sister too. He likes Facebook and is too young to care that I am on his friends list and occasionally “supervise” his wall posts.

Spencer. Spencer is not shy whatsoever. He has never been shy. When he was 4 he use to sing this song about how he had the best sisters in the whole wide world. He loves to play baseball in the summer and is appreciative of the baseball diamond and batting cages that Dad built for him a couple years ago.

My two brothers and sister from Missouri. All of my friends here may hear about them in conversation, but here they are. I am such a lucky person to have two amazing sisters and 2 awesome brothers. I love my family very much and whether they are 5 hours away in Missouri or thirty minutes away in Pekin, I don’t know what I’d do without any of them. They are the best.

4 Adorable Blonde Little Girls {Central IL Photographer}

2010-01-11T03:14:00.000-08:00

These girls were full of energy when I arrived to do their session. We had some in front of the tree but my favorites were the ones outside. I loved their country home and I had so much fun laughing with these sweet four girls. Evelyn, the oldest, is graduating 8th grade this year, so she was looking forward to seeing her photos I heard. Thank you Eleanor for allowing me to capture your sweet girls this past holiday season. They are all very beautiful!

Kaila & Bryce: Married! Geneseo, IL Wedding Photographer

2010-01-10T07:16:00.000-08:00

I look back to the day I first met Kaila, which was about a month before the wedding. We had talked over the phone over the course of 6 months prior, but, had not met in person as our schedules were pretty conflicting. She was one of the most organized Brides that I’ve met, which, helps me when it comes to making sure I document the Wedding day exactly how the Bride and Groom want it to be documented. Kaila and Bryce were high school sweethearts, even I, got a tad bit emotional at one point during their first dance at the reception. They are so much in love and I could definetly tell that from the photos that day. There were beautiful fall decorations at the reception which is a personal favorite of mine. One thing that mad the wedding different from others..a teddy bear toss...yes, Kaila and Bryce wanted to somehow include the kids that were there and I think it was a great idea. There's one below of the little girls anxiously awaiting Kaila's toss. The Groom spent his day with another photographer, Al Coxon, his uncle, so my duty was to be at the Bride’s side most of the time. Kaila’s gown was beautiful. Every bit of the day was beautiful. Thank you Bryce and Kaila for having me document your special day.

2 Families: Two Pairs of Brother and Sister [Sophie and Jake] & [Claire and Tate] Pekin, IL Child Photographer

2010-01-04T21:16:00.000-08:00

Be warned: Cuteness below!!

My mom, you might remember her from her bridal session I did in Destin, FL, or better yet here:

Well, anyway, she has nine other brothers and sisters. Therefore, I have several cousins. I also have several second cousins. This post is all about the little bitty ones. I can remember being five or six playing in my Aunt Patty’s backyard on the swingset like it was yesterday. I can’t believe how fast time flies!

The first little one is Sophie. Sophie is nothing but sweet. She has the most adorable smile and the most beautiful blue eyes ever, not to mention beautiful hair. Her brother Jake was pretty focused on hanging out with his cousin, Tate, so I didn’t get a chance to snap many photos of him, but the one I did get I think captured his all boy personality. After Sophie and Jake comes a tutu session with both girls (cousins) Sophie and Claire. This was my second session for each family and I had so much fun. The girls looked so cute in their little tutus. Then there’s Claire. Look at those eyes! Her mom put on a pearl necklace for her tutu shots which I loved! Don’t you love the one of Claire with the yellow flower in front of the orange wall? Can’t forget about Tate, Claire’s brother. He is always so helpful when it comes to getting things for his Mom and Dad during Claire’s photo sessions. He has some awesome long eye lashes too. The next session I’ll have to get a picture of him playing Wii, he’s always on that everytime I’m over. I always have a great time photographing both of these families. They are so beautiful and make my job very very easy. Thank you Melissa and Todd, and Carla and Chris!

Baby JC {Peoria, IL Baby Photographer} is 1..and Introducing:Dipeland.com

2010-01-03T16:36:00.000-08:00

My friends Michelle and Bobby have a sweet little boy who recently turned one. Happy Birthday JC! Earlier this past Fall, Michelle asked if I would take some pictures to help promote her business, Dipeland.com. Taken from Dipeland.com, DipeLand is a home-based business which originated with the goal of helping parents all over the globe learn the benefits of cloth diapering. Like what JC is modeling below? Check out Dipeland.com now!

{Ashlyn is 2!} Peoria, Illinois Child Photography

2010-01-03T13:43:00.000-08:00

I went to school with this sweet little girl's Mommy so when she contacted me to do photos I was super excited. My favorite about this session was the interaction between Mommy, Daddy, and their little girl. I can always tell a child is a parent's entire world during sessions. Ashlyn is quite the little princess. She wore her butterfly wings and a pretty pink tutu and paraded around the Park on a beautiful day this past Fall. I had such a fun time with her and her Mommy and Daddy. Thank you Jayme and Matt!

Little Rashad

2010-01-03T12:07:00.000-08:00

Rashad's Mom contacted me to take some photos of Rashad this past fall. We went to the Park on one of the nicest days in October. There were about 10-15 other photographer's there who were literally in line for different areas. Luckily, we dodged them all and went off to some other areas not so out in the open. I loved how the photos turned out. Such a great family and Rashad is so cute. He was sitting in the green chair and automatically folded his hands like a perfect little man. His Mommy and Daddy said that's what he's told to do at school when he poses for pictures. I thought it was so sweet. Thanks Sokonie and Ryan for letting me capture your sweet little guy!

{Kate} | Little Girls are Heavens Flowers [Peoria, IL Child Photography]

2010-01-03T11:13:00.000-08:00

met Kate's Mom a couple years ago through work and when I saw pictures of her little girl and boy I thought they were adorable. Then about a year ago my car was giving me trouble and since I lived close to Kat's mom, she kindly offered to pick me up and take me home for work, how awesome right? Through the car rides, I personally met her children and they were every bit of cuteness. So thanks to a sweet kind mom, Kris, I was able to take some pictures of her little girl one day this fall. Kate was one of the best behaved children I've ever had in front of the camera. She even brought out her silly faces to convince me she wasn't older than I thought. One of my favorites photos I've ever taken is below when Kate had on her jacket and hat. Love Love Love it. Thanks again Kris, Kate is a beautiful little girl!

Senior Photography: Aaron [Stark County]

2010-01-03T07:07:00.000-08:00

Aaron's step-dad contacted me about shooting some photos of Aaron for his Senior year. They live about an hour and a half away but I'm always up for venturing to towns where I haven't been before. I loved the area they wanted to shoot in, and I really appreciated Aaron's cooperation. Sometimes guys just are not big fans of getting in front of a camera, but Aaron was a sweetheart and was relaxed enough to even give me some ideas on different poses and locations, which I thought was awesome. Aaron will be graduating this May and he is my first Senior of the year. Know someone who has a High School Senior in their family? I would love to expand in this area of photography. I had a great day with Aaron and his family.

{A Day at the Park with Carter} | Pekin, Illinois Child Photographer

2010-01-03T06:38:00.000-08:00

Carter always had a smile on his face during this photo session taken this fall. The session started off with Carter feeding the ducks, a must when you visit the Lagoon. I had such a blast watching Carter throw the football around with his Daddy and Mommy. At one point Carter’s Daddy lifted him up into a tree. Those are the moments every photographer seeks…minutes after being in the tree Carter was probably the happiest little boy that day. Such a wonderful family! I thank you once again Heather and Allan for giving me the opportunity to document Carter at this exciting age!

Happy New Year: 15 Blog Posts Coming your way

2010-01-01T07:45:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! A New Year comes with New Resolutions and one mine is to update this blog atleast on a weekly basis. With that in mind, I have 15 blog posts that will be on the blog within 15 days. Sounds intense but it will happen. Check back for updates. Happy New Year! A post isn't complete unless there's a photo, so here's one of my cousin and his New Year accessories.

{Baby Boy Twins: Ayden and Alonzo}| Peoria, IL Baby Photographer

2009-11-13T03:02:00.000-08:00

I walked in and to Lace's house and peered at these little guys all bundled up in their carriers. I was so anxious to see them and take their photos but yet nervous at the same time. These were itty bitty babies and I had only one other experience with a baby under 2 months, let alone...2 babies under 2 months. But...after seeing how great Kyle and Hannah are with their first borns, I felt more assured that things would go great. Hannah dressed the boys in these adorable little outfits. She had a couple more, but, the boys were tired from posing all day :). Kyle and Hannah, you are we wonderful young parents and have the sweetest little boys. Had to throw one in of the boys having a fit, he was ready to be done with the shoot already. Too cute!

Marty & Brenda: Married!

2009-11-09T17:38:00.000-08:00

I first met Brenda and Marty at Hennepin Canal Parkway State Park for their engagement session. They showed me around the park and I knew right then that Brenda and Marty were two sweethearts! Their wedding day was beautiful. The sun came out after the ceremony and made for some beautiful afternoon light. I am so thankful to have wonderful clients like Marty and Brenda.

Holiday Mini Sessions:November 7th

2009-11-04T02:22:00.000-08:00

I have had several requests for a Holiday Mini Session day and thought I'd open it up for more booking. I will be shooting at a local park in Peoria all day November 7th, but need you to reserve a time if interested. Thanks!

Good things are on their way

2009-10-15T20:23:00.000-07:00

Busy editing a beautiful wedding session. I absolutely love colors I see during the fall. It is quickly approaching and I'd like to capture it more than I have in years before. Check out the snaps I took in front of my grandparent's home.

Baby Austin: 6 Months

2009-10-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

So I was out and about a couple weeks ago and was at a little antique store when I found a cute mini radio flyer wagon. It immediately screamed out "BOY"...and I immediately thought of Austin. I just love the way the wagon pictures turned out. With the help of my grandma, I gathered up some lovely halloween decor and a cute red little rocking chair. I arrived at the park with little man in his camo shirt and couldn't wait to start snappin. His mom and dad and uncle were awesome during the session, helping me get great poses and cart around all my props. It was a beautiful summer afternoon that will go down as one of my favorite sessions ever. He's so cute and full of curiousity at his age...I am so looking forward to his 9 month session. Thanks Ashley for contacting me to capture your sweet baby boy.

[ Baby Austin:Sneak Peak ] Peoria, IL Photographer

2009-10-01T03:46:00.000-07:00

Yesterday Baby Austin, his Mommy, Daddy, and Uncle met me at a nearby park for his 6 month session. Here's a sneak peak....I just can't narrow these down...too cute!! Had so much fun yesterday... Stay tuned for more...And by more I mean several more :)

M Family Session

2009-09-29T18:07:00.000-07:00

About 2 months ago Cristen called and told me she had family coming into town. I was thrilled she asked me to schedule a session. Thank you to all the families that day, beautiful children, really fun day.

Brenda and Marty: Engaged!

2009-09-28T18:46:00.000-07:00

Brenda called me about 7 months ago and asked me to capture their big day..which happens to be right around the corner. We met about 4 weeks ago at Hennepin Canal Parkway near Buda, IL. If you ever are up near that area, stop and check out the park. It is beautiful!! Perfect for family reunions, photo sessions, dog walking or just somewhere to relax. Anyways, these two were creative and helped me find different areas of the park to shoot in, since it was my first time there. Can't wait to capture their special day in two weeks!

Todd and Tammy: Engaged!

2009-09-28T18:29:00.000-07:00

About six weeks ago I had so much fun with Todd and Tammy and of course Jonah and Jake. Todd and Tammy are so in love!! I can't wait for their big day next Spring.

Because Because Because

2009-09-05T04:44:00.000-07:00

Well, I was tweaking some things around the blog, and I have to say, I am so excited to launch the new name & details. It's like when you get those good suprises, the little smile you have on your face that doesnt go anywhere the rest of the day. I love this feeling of new, this feeling of a beginning I will be happy with. I'll do some explaining here before the big launch on 9.9.9.

After being asked by 34 different people on how my business name was pronounced, I thought well, I've never been happy with using my first and middle name even though it is blatant self promotion. So, what can I do here. I spent a month coming up with different things. I wanted to find a name that would reflect my personality and how that plays in with my photography.

I love the quote: In life I believe you need three things: Something to do, Something to look forward to, and Someone to love. I took a tip to St. Louis with my sister and drove past a closed autobody shop. I remember seeing the words "Three Degrees"...I thought..that's it. It would reflect my basic belief stated above and it would be something different. I slept on the name for 3 days. That's all it took and I said to myself, no, it's not right.

So rewind to a photoshoot I had with my sister in the early summer. I found this amazing brick wall in a small downtown area and captured some awesome poses of her there. After editing, I realized, I love that brick wall. But, walls signify closure, and I'm not a big fan of walls in general besides this old vintage looking one that Falynn had posed in front of. Soooooo

For those who follow me on Facebook, or older blogs, I've always referenced my heart will be complete when "Orange Meets Yellow". What do Orange and Yellow mean to me? Orange and Yellow=Red, right? Well I'm on a search to meet my Orange. You may think of it as love, or you may think of it as purpose or destination, whatever it is, I still havent found what I'm looking for.

Fast forward. With the re-assurance of my mother (very clever woman I might add) I decided that I wanted something that everyone could relate to...and I think I captured it here when someone asked, "Why would you change it, people know you as Danielle Jeaneane?" and I replied, "Because...because..because...of the wonderful things He does!"....And I knew right then, that was the icing on the cake.

So, please welcome me in introducing Yellow Brick Road Photography on September 9, 2009.

I think she's a bit anxious, can you tell? (Thank you Falynn for being patient, Sis has been running around like a chicken with its head cut off)

On New Beginnings

2009-08-25T07:03:00.001-07:00

Welcome! I am pleased to announce the opening of Yellow Brick Road Photography (YBRP). After several months of running choices through my mind, I believe I couldnt have chose a better business name. Why Yellow Brick Road Photography? You'll find out more as the YBRP kickoff date is on 9/9/9. What's happening on 9/9/9? Just keep following Yellow Brick Road Photography to find out :]