Get that camera ready!

BY JIM PALMER

jim@srperspective.net

Typically the most colorful page in the Senior Perspective each month is our Photo Album page. This photo page gives our readers a chance to share a little slice of their lives. We find out what people find interesting, inspiring, or funny.  Some months we receive a bunch of photos to choose from, and sometimes we only have a few. Some of the photos we receive we can’t use, and some are truly amazing photos that we put right on the page.

Just like the world of photography, this photo page has changed over the last 20+ years.  Advancements in technology have given people more access to high-resolution photography. Just about everyone has a decent camera on them at all time. In our earlier days, we would receive almost all of our photos in the mail — actual photo prints or copies of the photo. Now, most our the photos are emailed to us right from people’s phone, or scanned and emailed to us. Because it is easier to shoot and send, the number of people submitting photos has increased, allowing us to expand the number of photos that we use.

This summer and fall, I would like to try kick up the photo page even further with more photos and a bigger variety. I’m encouraging everyone to grab their camera and take some shots. If you get something really good, send it to us for a chance to win. Now through the end of the year, all photos submitted will be entered into a contest. The winner of each of these categories will receive $50.

Here are the categories, along with some tips and hints...

Landscapes

The most popular photos submitted to us every year are sunset photos. When people see a great sunset, they grab their camera. And sunset photos are great... but since we get quite a few of them, we can’t use all of them. So my challenge to you is this... try to take your sunset photo to the next level. This could include bringing in interesting elements in the foreground (trees, a boat, kayaker, people, etc) or trying a new angle. 

Next, think about interesting landscape photos in your community, county or region besides the one you usually take. Maybe it is a spot at your favorite park. Or maybe it’s a peaceful scene on your farmsite. Whatever it is, try to think beyond the sunset and come up with something truly unique.

Animals/Wildlife

This category could include a photo of your pet, it could be a photo of a fox drinking from a stream, a raccoon sleeping in a flower pot, or it could be a picture of your grandkids petting a camel at the zoo. One of the most important things to consider when shooting wildlife is getting close enough (but at a safe distance if it is a bear/moose/etc). If you have a zoom lens, that helps a lot. Catching nature in a relaxed state will also help with the look of the photo. Wildlife/animals can be some of the most challenging, but they are also rewarding when you get a good one.

People

People just about always make a photo more interesting. Are the neighbor kids flying a kite? Did a friend harvest a giant cucumber shaped like a trumpet? Is one your granddaughters blowing bubbles, or blowing the heads off of dandelions? Is your 90-year-old aunt dancing at a family wedding? These are all great photo opportunities.

And people can also be used in the other categories listed above. A sunset with people fishing off a dock in the foreground... a picture of a horse being led by a child... and so on. People make these shots better.

Travel

Travel photos can be good or they can be bland, depending on your approach. For example, if you go to Mount Rushmore and take a photo of Mount Rushmore, that is not a great shot. That shot has been seen a million times and can be purchased in the gift shop. But if you add people to the photo, or shoot the shot in a unique way, there is a much better chance we publish it. Travel photos are almost always better with people, whether that includes the people you are traveling with or the locals (or both).

For all of the photos above, send your submissions to photos@srperspective.com, or mail them to Senior Perspective, Photo Album, P.O. Box 1, Glenwood, MN 56334. If you would like to get your photo back, please make a note of that.

I will draw the winners of each category on Jan. 1, 2026. If you send in a photo, it will automatically be included in the drawing. You may realize that there is also a drawing for all those who send in poems, recipes, photos, jokes, etc. This new photo drawing will be done in addition to the regular drawing this year, so if you submit a photo in the next six months, you actually have a chance to win twice.

Cookbook Photos

In addition to the photo page, we are once again looking for good photos for our annual cookbook “More Lifelong Favorites.” 

The recipes are the “main event” of the cookbook, but the photos really add some “spice” to the book each year. 

We are looking for photos that revolve around food in some way and have people in them. This could be harvesting/prepping the ingredients, preparing the food, serving the food or eating the food. The photos can be current or they can be really old. As long as they are food related, have people pictured, and they have high enough resolution so they print well, they should work. And if you have the recipe that goes along with the photo, that is even better!

Submit a food/people photo for the cookbook and you will be entered into a drawing to win one of four $25 gift certificates to the restaurant of your choice!

For cookbook photos, send to jen@srperspective.com or mail to Senior Perspective, Cookbook Photos, P.O. Box 1, Glenwood, MN 56334.

Good luck getting that perfect photo!