Pictures remind us of what has happened - where we’ve been, who we’ve been there with and what we went through. One of my favorite pictures of all time is one of my brother, my mom and I sitting on our front porch swing laughing our heads off. No one is looking at the camera, no one is smiling “nicely”, and it’s in an 14×18 frame hanging in my office at home.
Pictures tell a great story. So you’re job today is to tell YOUR story. You don’t need to submit your photos to us – this isn’t a competition of any kind. It’s simply for you, for your family and for the generations to come to enjoy these memories.
Here’s how you do it. Pick up a camera (digital is my personal favorite because you can take as many as you want without the fear of “will they turn out?” or “am I wasting too much film”?), gather together your family or your neighborhood buddies and find a spot that is really meaningful to you. My favorite place at home is our back patio. My husband and I spend almost every night out there – so when we take pictures at home, I almost always take them out there!
Some basic photography principles:
-Consider the angle of the sun (if you are taking your photo outdoors). If you don’t have lots of photo equipment, it’s best to take your photos in shade or in shadow. I like to take pictures with the sun behind me (so it’s on the front side of the person). Even if they have a little bit of squinty eye syndrome, it’s better than a dark face and a bright background!
-Frame your photo into thirds. If you are taking a landscape photo, frame it into three sections so that the person’s face is off to one side, the center or the other side. Some of the most interesting photos are where the person is off to one side and you are able to capture some of the background. If you are taking a portrait photo (“up and down”)- same thing. three sections. Either put the person’s face at the top of the frame, near the center or towards the bottom. The only time you would want to put the person towards the bottom of the frame would be to capture a beautiful sky or a tall building behinds. Otherwise, the person’s face always goes at the top of the frame (literally only a small sliver of landscape above their head).
-Distance from the object. If you want to take photos of your vegetable or flower garden at home, or bugs in your backyard take them up CLOSE. Use the “Macro” setting on your camera if you have one and don’t be afraid to get too close with objects. With people – you can decide! I like to take pictures of babies up close (they are so cuddly and cozy!) and like to take pictures of large groups of people a little further back.
-Time of day. The best time of day for photos is early in the morning (dawn) or right before the sun sets (dusk). The color from the sun is the richest, the opportunity for blasting sun in the eyes is minimal and you can get some really cool shadows! (Plus – it’s not as hot this time of day either!)
Phew. That should do it! Some great places to take photos in your neighborhood might be – your backyard, front porch swing, tree house, flower garden, veggie garden, big tree, swingset, pickett fence, and many more! GO EXPLORE! Here are a few of my pictures 
(Same baby, same area of the house, but the light in the upper picture is coming straight forward on the baby, and at the bottom the light is coming in from the side creating a more “dramatic” lighting photo).
Have you ever been to the Sedgwick County Fair? If you haven’t or it’s been a long time, this is the year to get back out the Cheney, KS to see what you’re missing! 
The Parade is also Thursday evening starting at 7pm. So come early for the hunt, and stay for the festivities. There is something fun going on every day of the Fair so check out the schedule here.
