About Jenny Youll

For Jenny Youll, owner of St. Michael's Alley in Palo Alto, photography has always been "just a side hobby."

Click on photo for larger image.

With no set routine, the 32-year-old takes pictures only when she sees something that inspires her.

Such was the case with her picture, "Green Power."

On her way to a ski trip in Bear Valley last spring, Youll saw this striking image near the Altamont pass after a rain shower.

"In the spring time, colors are so dramatic," she said. "I just had to capture it."

Though Youll's portrait of spring went on to take first prize in her category, she still has no desire to pursue photography full time.

"Most of my life, I've just like taking pictures," she said. "That's how I'd like to keep it."

Born in Connecticut, Youll has lived in Palo Alto since childhood, using a camera as more of a toy than an artistic tool. Eventually, the Stanford grad hopes to collect enough photographs to display at her restaurant, but it all depends on how quickly and often she gets inspired.

-- Tim Seyfert