The Power of Photography

By Sharon Sharpnack, Chief of Marketing for Lake Metroparks

“A picture is worth a thousand words.” This old cliché is true: photographic images are powerful tools of communication upon which we rely to illustrate and better understand the world around us. A photograph captures a moment in time that is as fleeting and unique as a snowflake.  Pictures record and teach us about historical happenings, help us recall our pasts and preserve precious memories and important events for future generations.  Just as images can take us to favorite and familiar places, they can take us to places we’ve never been, places we’ll never go, places we don’t want to visit and places that either can or cannot be returned to. They have the ability to stir deep emotions, often causing us to burst out in laughter, break down in tears, feel a flash of anger or tingle with awe.

25th Annual Lake Metroparks Amateur Photo Contest/Show
Nature Center at Penitentiary Glen Reservation
June 11 - July 31
9 am - 5 pm daily

A great image is the product of a talented photographer. This person must possess just the right combination of equipment, skill, timing and luck to look through a camera lens and click the shutter shut with precision. Lake Metroparks has developed and nurtured wonderful relationships with several gifted local amateur photographers. Additionally, the park district is fortunate to employ a talented staff—some of whom dabble in photography and successfully use it as a tool to chronicle select projects. These generous friends and thoughtful employees allow the park district to borrow their images and reproduce them in park publications like the one you are reading.

Through its publications, Lake Metroparks can share photographs that catch rare glimpses of the beautiful, natural treasures found in your park system. These images illustrate the high quality of life we are fortunate to enjoy here in Lake County, and are a way to bring nature and the great outdoors to  all—  particularly to those who may not be able to visit the parks. At the same time, it is hoped that these pictures will introduce and inspire readers to visit their parks. 

Fall colors are glorious along the Grand River corridor and can be viewed from Indian Point Park. Enjoy snowy silence as you hike or ski along sparkling trails at Chapin Forest Reservation. Watch a fish jump or a great blue heron feed in the river at Chagrin River Park and marvel at the carpet of color that covers Hogback Ridge Park when wildflowers bloom in the spring. Summer brings beautiful sunsets all along the lakeshore—at Lakefront Lodge Park, Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park and Lakeshore Reservation. No matter what the season, Lake Metroparks offers fantastic scenery for photographers and non-photographers alike!
 

Lake Metroparks has promoted the art of photography for 25 years, by hosting an annual photography contest held at Penitentiary Glen Reservation in Kirtland. The park district also works closely with the Western Reserve Photographic Society (WRPS), a club with open membership that meets regularly at Penitentiary Glen. WRPS members often volunteer to photograph Lake Metroparks’ facilities and events, and assist with the annual photo contest. 

Shutterbugs of all ages and abilities are welcome to join WRPS and/or participate in Lake Metroparks annual amateur photography contest or our monthly Flickr contest. Your parks preserve breathtaking natural features complemented by top-notch facilities, just waiting to be discovered. So visit Lake Metroparks—bring your camera if you like—and take home a beautiful memory!