“Mom got me into photography. She said, ‘Do you want to try this?’ And I said, ‘Sure,’” remembered Wyatt Stowell, 14, Fox Lake, Achievers 4-H Club. “I wanted to try photography, because Wyatt was doing it,” added Oscar Stowell, 13. “And I was inspired to compete in photography by my Mom’s really good pictures, so that’s why I wanted to try it,” finished Lucy Stowell, 10. All three siblings won merit awards on their photography during the Dodge County Fair.
“Mom” is Teresa Stowell, and her Mom originally taught her about photography in 4-H when she was a child, so it’s a generational thing for the family. “Mom has taught me a lot and she gives us tips when we take pictures, like with rule of thirds and lighting,” commented Wyatt. “One tip is that the best time to take pictures is the golden hour — shortly after sunrise or before sunset. All our pictures are taken during that time frame.”
“I enjoy seeing how our pictures turn out, and I also like spending time doing it with my Mom and brothers,” said Lucy. “I really like taking pictures of Oliver,” added Oscar. “He’s my little brother; he’s 8. Oliver does so many different expressions with his face, which is another thing we learned about from Mom.” The trio also enjoys taking pictures of their animals. “We have ducks, steers, heifers, a cow, chickens, cats, goats, rabbits, pigs, bees, and a dog,” said Lucy.
All three kids are very excited for their next photography adventure. “We’re going on vacation to Yellowstone,” said Wyatt. “So, we’ll hopefully get a lot of good pictures then.”
We likely can expect to see some impressive work from this trio at next year’s fair, but for now, you can check out their 2021 award-winning images through tomorrow, Aug. 22, 2021, in the youth building at the Dodge County Fair.
Written by Dori Lichty — farm wife, 4-H Mom, and full-time communicator
