Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
Observations all along the line - Kimball & the Southern Panhandle First
This photo is one of four taken by Kim Sharples that hangs in the local Panhandle Coop grocery store. She entered the company's photo contest that sought local photographs.
This photo taken by Wanda Milton can be seen in the dairy section of the Main Street Market in Kimball. The photo is of an apple tree in bloom at Brookside Farm
Photographs that represent the community is what Panhandle Coop wanted for its photo contest held over the spring and summer. That is what they got.
Anyone in the area was welcome to enter so long as their photos met the entry specifications. There were categories for professionals and amateurs. The winners of the contest would be honored by having their picture hung in their local Coop Marketplace.
In Kimball, three members of the Highpoint Shutterbugs Group won that special honor. Kim Sharples, a local professional photographer, had four of her photos chosen for display at the grocery store.
“I was walking in the store and I looked up and noticed, ‘Hey, that’s my photo.’ It was neat. They picked four of mine and I just was so excited to see them there,” Sharples said.
The photos Sharples took that were selected were two of members of the Kimball Volunteer Fire Department spraying the fire hoses, one of the old fashioned fire truck, and one of a wheat field.
Sharples is a professional photographer, and enjoys taking photos around the community at local events.
“I see something, and before I take the picture, I try to figure out the composition,” she said. (I) look at the lighting, see if I need to move to get a better shot,”
Sharples tries to make her photos stand out with her editing process and she enjoys producing something that people enjoy looking at.
“You know I entered several photos and I am just so honored having my photos hanging in the store, and it was amazing because I have never seen one of my photos that large before,” Sharples said.
Another member of the Highpoint Shutterbugs Group, Wand Milton, had her photo selected for display at Main Street Market.
“I took a photo at Brookside Farm while the apple tree was in bloom and I thought it really showed a beautiful side of a place that’s historic to Kimball, so I entered that.” Milton said.
Milton enjoys taking photos for a hobby, although she has sold a few photos in the past.
“I mostly see something and take a picture of it. I’m always looking. I have slowed down a bit though I don’t take nearly as many photos as I used to,” Milton said.
Milton was notified that her photo had been selected and that it would appear in the store sometime in the middle of October. Her photo currently resides over the dairy section in Main Street Market.
“I am really excited that it was chosen, and I really liked seeing it up there. It even looked different because they printed it on canvas, so there’s a little bit of change in color, but it still looks good,” Milton said.
The other member of the High Point Shutterbugs to have a photo selected for display was Lori Norberg. Norberg’s photo that was selected was a sunset photo that now hangs above the frozen foods section.
The Panhandle Coop wanted to have locals take photos to offer a sense of community in their stores. Photos were selected from professionals as well as amateurs.
“It was very neat that they had the different categories, you don’t have to be a professional to take a good photo. So I think it was special that they opened up the opportunity to everyone. Seeing your photo that big, is really special,” Sharples said.
The photos that won the contest can all be seen hanging in Main Street Market as well as on the Panhandle Coop website.