ESK Editor/Webmaster

More than 4,600 pictures of local Kiwanis events have been posted on the district web site since October of 2009.

In all that time, the picture shown below, in my judgement, is the best one which has been submitted.

The picture was from a pre-Christmas shopping trip sponsored by the Huntington club in 2010. During the trip, Key Club members helped children buy presents for their siblings.

The excitement on both girls' faces does not require explanation. I'd guess that nine years later both of them remember that day. And I think people looking at the picture understand the essence of what that day's event was about.

As someone who has taken thousands of pictures over the years, I know there is an element of good luck in getting such a shot. The photographer had to be in the right place at the right time and ready to get the photo. And they had the skill needed to get the shot.

It's been 10 years since the district began asking clubs and divisions to send their pictures for display on the web site. In the first couple years, I often had to fight with pictures taken with phones which were of poor quality and difficult to do anything with. Newer phones with much better cameras ended that, but I still get too many pictures of groups of people staring at the camera.

I believe that pictures like the one shown here tells more about Kiwanis and what we are about than a shot of a group of people in a chorus line.

At times, such as handing out awards, it's difficult to do anything else and I understand that. But often the pictures of fund raising events or community projects come to me the same way. Taking a picture of all the volunteers when an event is over is not the best way to tell the story of what happened. Compare the picture at right to what would have resulted had the submitted picture been of all the students lined up and looking at the camera.

As webmaster I edit submitted pictures in an effort to make the best presentation possible. But I can't do anything with the picture that wasn't taken.

Try to get people carrying out the project or at work on the fund raising event in your pictures. Pictures lose a lot of interest to me if people are looking at the camera instead of paying attention to what they are doing.

Clubs that submit pictures to the district web site often are submitting them to their local newspapers as well. All newspapers are short of staff and time now, and if you can send them a picture which will attract a lot of attention, you may find that you get better presentation which will give your club the attention you are looking for.

Column Posted on Web Site January 26, 2020