Most folks, at one time or another, have taken a great photograph. It might have been the result of luck, or a case of being in the right place at the right time. And some folks just have a natural eye for good subjects.

While most of us snap decent photos from time to time, not all of us are professional photographers, and few of us work for newspapers. So most of these images don't get the exposure -- if you'll pardon the pun -- that they deserve. The only folks who see them are family members who happen to peruse the photo albums during holiday get-togethers.

We'd like to change that. We want to make sure everyone in Cherokee County has a platform that will enable to share snapshots of their lives with others in the community. If you think your pictures are interesting, maybe someone else will, too. And even if you don't think they're interesting, the rest of us just might!

That's why the Daily Press is launching a weekly "Community Album" feature. We haven't yet decided what day it will publish, but we expect it to debut in December, or January at latest. So we figured now's the time to start collecting your photographs.

We plan to publish as many photos as we can each week. We would prefer that photos either be of local people, events or subjects, or at least taken by someone from this area. Other factors that could lead to rejection of a photo include poor quality (blurry or too dark), inappropriate or questionable content (nudity, criminal acts, or content that could defame or embarrass someone), or other factors (inadequate or incorrect identification, no contact information, etc.) You may also be asked to sign a statement indicating you really did take the photo, and that we have your permission to use it.

And although we reserve the right to refuse publication of any photograph for the above reasons, the only real limitations are those of your own imagination.

Along with your photo, we'll need caption material. It's important that you let us know when and where you took the photo; and a general description of who's in the photo and what's going on. Large, unposed groups of people do not need to be identified by name; however, when just a few people are pictured, give us their first and last names ("Mrs. Smith" isn't enough), from left to right, front row to back. You may also identify family relationships or provide any other information that might help explain the photo to our readers. We also need your phone number so we may contact you, if needed.

We would prefer to receive digital photographs through e-mail, mainly because there's no chance this way of our misplacing a cherished photograph. Photos can be attached to your e-mail as a jpeg (.jpg), RGB, and at 170 dpi. Very tiny images do not reproduce well, and very large images tend to cause problems with e-mail traffic, so the best size for your image will be between 4 and 6 inches wide. E-mail your photo to news@tahlequahdailypress.com. The caption and contact material should NOT be attached, but rather should be copied and pasted, or directly typed, into your e-mail field.

If you choose to send us a "hard" photo, be aware that we cannot guarantee its return unless you also give us a self-addressed, stamped envelope. And you must be patient; it might take us a while to publish your photo, so we must keep it until we use it. The caption and contact material should be included on a separate piece of paper, attached to your photograph (via paperclip or tape), either typed or legibly written.

We will try to notify you if your photo is rejected outright for publication, but because of the volume of submissions we anticipate, we will not be able to tell everyone when their photos are to be published. The best bet will be to buy the paper on that day every week until you see your photo. We will announce at a later date when the page will kick off.

Remember, these photos can be (and should be!) the kind we wouldn't normally consider "news." Need some ideas? Here are a few: your 13-year-old son's first deer; your 1-year-old daughter's birthday party; your Bible study group contemplating the scriptures; you and your friends clowning around at the lake; your husband working on his old junker car; your dog catching a frisbee in mid-air; the giant squash your mother just harvested from her garden; your house in all its Christmas finery; or a scenic view down State Highway 10.

Well -- you get the picture!

So get your thinking caps on, your lens caps off, and start shooting! Who knows? Maybe the next Ansel Adams is waiting to be discovered, right here in Cherokee County!

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