"How do you view leadership through your camera lens?" 

That was the question K-State's Staley School of Leadership proposed to professional and amateur photographers as they looked to refresh their building's artwork.  

The Leadership Lens initiative generated 86 images from 28 artists from Kansas, Colorado, Nebraska, Oregon and Texas. From the entries, a juried panel selected 19 photos from 15 different photographers to refresh the hallways and conference rooms of the Staley building.  

There was a photo from the South Pole. Another showed a desolate desert scene from a world away. And even from among those unique, far-flung places, I had two photographs chosen for inclusion - taken by a farm wife in South Central Kansas. It just goes to show that there is beauty everywhere. It's in city skylines, but it's also found on an early morning down a dirt road in Kansas or reflecting off water at sunset. It's just a matter of opening our eyes to the wonder.

Last Friday, March 27, the Staley School of Leadership hosted a reception for Spirit of Leadership, an annual event  where alumni, friends, students, faculty and staff come together to reconnect, reunite, and re-energize around leadership. They also recognized the photographers whose work was chosen for display in the 2025-26 version of Leadership Lens.

They moved into the Staley School of Leadership building on the K-State campus in 2010. At that time, they chose photos to include in the hallways and conference areas. In 2017, they offered the opportunity to submit photos for a "refresh" of the space. (I had two photos chosen then. Click HERE for more about those photos. They auctioned those 2017 pieces off to raise money for programs at the Staley School.)

Last fall, they again offered the chance to submit photos and to focus on how leadership could be reflected in the images by submitting artist's statements.  

 

My artist statement for A New Day Dawns: The best sunrises and sunsets occur when there are clouds in the sky. The clouds create a unique texture of light, shadows and color to make the sky an interesting tapestry. As leaders, we may wish for blue skies and an easy path. But the “clouds” in our lives build our tapestry, too. It gives us empathy for others and helps us persevere. Likewise, milo is known for its resilience in difficult growing conditions. Success seems sweeter when we have faced obstacles and come out on the other side.

I took this photo of a sunrise over a milo field south of our house last fall. It now hangs in a second-floor conference room. 

The second photo chosen was taken at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge during a December 2021 sunset. It hangs in a second floor hallway at the Staley School.

Taken at Quivira National Wildlife Refuge, Stafford County, Kansas

My artist statement for Ripples:

Effective leadership radiates outward like ripples in water. The ripple effect underscores the power of small leadership actions in creating significant, positive changes. When leaders recognize small wins, practice active listening, demonstrate empathy and foster open communication, they can build a strong, cohesive and motivated team and make "ripples" in the world at large. 

The artist statements hang by the artwork. 

I was thrilled that several members of my family could join Randy and me at the reception. (Brooke had a birthday party for one of her best buddies.)

Eric's parents, Alan and Christy, also joined us.

This was probably my favorite photo from our trip to Glacier National Park last year. I know that's a bold statement. But I loved the contrast of the bright and colorful fiberglass kayaks against the moody, overcast sky of Two Medicine Lake. Jill and Susan loved it, too. However, I liked a lot of the photos I took from our nation's breathtaking National Parks. Case in point: I filled a whole book with photos from that trip.

However, the judge at the Stafford County Fair last week had a different one he/she preferred. (I'm going to go with "they" because I don't know whether they were male or female). I got a white - or third in the class - with the photo of the bright kayaks. 

But they gave me Reserve Grand Champion on this black-and-white version of a photo I took at Jenny Lake at the Grand Teton National Park. 

Don't get me wrong: I like this one, too. I also like the color version, which I also entered. So did the judge. I got a blue on it, too. 

 

But it does demonstrate how "judging" and "subjective" should be in the same sentence. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. It's never more true than when you enter photos in a county fair.

As always, I entered a bunch of photos in the open class division of the Stafford County Fair last week. I've admitted here before: It's not a money-making proposition. In fact, I'm confident I lose money by the time I pay for enlargements and mat boards. (Not that he ever complains, but I tell Randy that my hobby is cheaper than his hobby, so I still come out ahead).

I felt like I had fewer to choose from this year. But, as I analyzed that feeling, I came to the conclusion that I usually feel that way. Admittedly, I have fewer photos for the "agriculture" category. But our travels gave me more "scenic" and "nature" photos than I could use.

 

This blue ribbon winner was from Crystal Bridges in Bentonville, Ark.

This black-and-white print was also from Two Medicine Lake, showing the fast-moving, low clouds that were the backdrop for our morning there. It, too, got a blue.

So did this photo I took of the Big Boy steam locomotive during its stop in Salina last fall.

 I didn't have to travel quite as far to get this blue-ribbon winner - looking through a kaleidoscope at the Vernon Filley Art Museum in Pratt. 

But a couple of my blue-ribbon winners were taken in my own yard - literally.

I got a blue on the book I made for Randy after our Eureka Springs/Bentonville trip:

 

And I got second place on my National Parks book. (Again, I would have flipped the ribbons, but what do I know?) 

As I've said many times before, I don't enter at the fair for the ribbons or the premium money. But entering in the fair helps keep this rural American tradition alive. Sure, it's fun to see how your artistic eye stacks up against your neighbors. But it's even better to have a place to wander around and reconnect with people from across the county who you don't see on a weekly basis. You can't beat that! I've been doing that since I was a 4-Her in Pratt County several decades ago. 

Two of the photos I really liked didn't get a ribbon at all. I should learn my lesson: My bird photos and sunrise/sunset photos - or, I guess, Northern Lights ones - never fare well. 

I know how much time and effort - and unusable clicks of the camera - went into getting this shot of our backyard visitor. And it's not every day that you can see the Northern Lights without leaving home.  

I wasn't the only photographer in the family this year. Kinley will find out what color ribbons she'll get on her 4-H photography this week at the Shawnee County Fair in Topeka. We've worked together on that project for the past three years, but this year, she didn't need much help. I brought the needed supplies to Topeka to get the photos mounted, but she took the photos and mounted them herself. I guess that's the goal as a mentor: You're supposed to work yourself out of a job. 

I have not yet worked myself out of the 4-H foods superintendent job. Last year was my 30th year working with 4-H foods, many of them as superintendent. That volunteer job is more important than any ribbons I accumulate, I hope.

I wasn't the only family competitor at the Stafford County Fair this year. Randy entered garden produce and got a red on his pears and a blue for his longest zucchini. 

Really, we've both been winners with his work in the garden this summer. Well, for everything except tomatoes. Those have been a bust. We always joke when we go through the checkout at the garden store each spring whether the investment in vegetable seedlings will pay off. That remains to be seen, I guess. But garden-fresh produce is always a win. 

 

Brent and Susan gave me a book for Christmas: One Photo A Day Keeps the Doctor Away by Joost Joossen. The subtitle is Inspiring Ways to Slow Down and Look Around.

When I opened my gift, they both said they know I take lots of photos already. But when they saw the book while they were on a work/pleasure trip to Maine, they bought it for me anyway.

  "I've always found myself searching for more peace, more structure and a more conscious life that is truly lived in the now. Over time, I began to realize that looking and seeing, and by extension photography, was the key to all these things. ... Taking pictures is like shining a spotlight on your subject, temporarily making it or them the most important thing in the world. Together, we stop the clock and share a moment."

--Photographer Joost Joosen

 I used one of the photo prompts several days last week. It said: Take a few pictures today to describe how you are experiencing the weather.  

I didn't even have to go outside for a few of the photos. The howling wind deposited snow inside our old farmhouse.

Maybe Old Man Winter took my front door decoration a little too literally. I didn't really mean for it to "snow" inside the house.

And then there were memes from several people on my Facebook feed during the winter weather:

 

So I ventured out, keeping in mind the quote that Joossen included on that photo prompt page:

Learning how to think really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience.

-- David Foster Wallace

 

Time to Think

 

Yeah, so much for the "one photo" a day. And the photo prompt did say to "take a few pictures." 

I've always been an overachiever.

An important note from the author:

 

I didn't have any purple ribbons attached to my photos at this year's Stafford County Fair. I wasn't particularly surprised. In open class, it's only the Grand Champion and the Reserve Grand Champion who take home purple ribbons. After several successful years, I've certainly had my share of success, and I don't enter for the ribbon placing anyway ... though it is always fun to see what a judge thinks.

It's always good to know the people behind-the-scenes. One of the open class photography volunteers told me that two of my photos were considered in the champions conversation. One was the photo I took at dusk in my backyard. It was one of my favorites, too. I love the color and the glowing light of the yard light emanating off the swing and the freshly-fallen snow.

The other was a black and white version of a photo I took this spring during a cattle drive past our house.

But, in the end, two others were chosen. Both belonged to my friend and faithful fair competitor, Jennifer. The one the judge chose wasn't Jennifer's favorite of those she had personally entered. She and I have had the conversation before: It's just one person's opinion on one day. (The same volunteer who shared the information about the championship "drive" also had two photos under consideration.)

It wasn't a banner year for me. I had another couple of blues - one a black and white version of a photo I also took on a snowy January day ...

 

... and a black and white landscape scene taken just south of Quivira National Wildlife Refuge after a different snowfall. 

In open class, blues are ranked 1st in the class. I got five reds  - or photos ranked 2nd in their class - and three whites for photos ranked 3rd in their class. And I had several that didn't garner any ribbons at all. 

I also entered a couple of the travel books I made for Randy for Christmas last year. The Chicago trip book got a blue ...

And the other - documenting our trip to Kentucky and points between - was the second in the class for computer-produced scrapbooks.

The Stafford County Economic Development office sponsors a photo contest for pictures highlighting Stafford County. I was pleased to win first place in the Commerce category for a photo I took at the Stafford County Flour Mill during the tour with Kansas Master Farmers last spring.

I also got a runner up prize in the Places category for a photo I took at the Ritz Theater.

As I've said many times before, I don't enter at the fair for the ribbons or the premium money. Frankly, I come out behind when I consider how much I spend on photo enlargements and mat board every year. But entering in the fair helps keep this rural American tradition alive. Sure, it's fun to see how your artistic eye stacks up against your neighbors. But it's even better to have a place to wander around and reconnect with people from across the county who you don't see on a weekly basis. You can't beat that!

I wasn't the only photographer in the family. For the second year, Kinley and I worked together throughout the year. She also took some photos on trips with her family. While she didn't have any overall champions this year, four of her seven 4-H photos were starred, which meant they were considered in the championship drive. 

Three of her four photos considered in the championship drive were: left top, taken on a family trip to San Diego; the top middle, taken during a photo shoot with conversation heart candies with Grandma; and top right, sunflowers arranged like a heart in the wheat kernels, also a Kinley/Grandma photo shoot.

 

Another Valentine candy heart photo was the other 4-H photo considered.

Kinley's decorated cookies were the champion in that category.

They were amazing. She has more patience than I do. I should have taken a photo of the whole plate, but here are a few examples.

She also had a purple on an orange chiffon cake and a blue on a strawberry angel food cake. 

She and Summer also had a successful second year in the dog project.

She got a champion in arts and crafts on miniature vegetables fashioned from clay, along with a couple of other entries. (Again, that patience and attention to detail shine through!)

Brooke had a good fair, too. She earned a champion ribbon for her consultation about her casual outfit for the Shopping in Style project (formerly Clothing Buymanship).

She had a purple on her dressy outfit for the style show.

She earned a purple ribbon on a jewelry dish she made from clay. (She and I worked on the patriotic wreath when the girls were at the farm in late June. It got a blue.)

She got a purple ribbon on her jam-filled cookies. 

Thankfully, there were some leftovers at home and all the grandparents got to sample those. She also got a purple on her angel food cake and a blue on her yeast rolls.

Her Harry Potter display reviewing all the books in the series also received a purple ribbon.

Ribbons are fun. But 4-H is about much more than that. It's about learning by doing, exploring new interests, getting comfortable with public speaking, working with others and so much more. The 4-H program has been doing that since way back when - even back to the day when Kinley's and Brooke's great-grandparents were part of the program. That's a family tradition worth keeping.