By ADAM STEWART

News editor

One of the great advantages of digital photography over film is that digital photographers don’t have to worry about the expense of film limiting how many pictures they can take. Ethan and Logan Oborny of rural Durham both make use of that advantage all the time.

“They’ll take at least 200 pictures to get five good ones,” their mother, Kim Oborny, said.

Ethan, 16, picked up photography as a hobby on a whim.

“I just kind of thought it sounded like a fun thing to do,” he said.

Ethan has had a lot of fun with it, so he has continued to take photos. Logan, 10, has learned the hobby from his older brother. The brothers prefer to focus on nature for photo subjects rather than people.

“Probably the reason I like flowers and nature stuff is because I think it’s more challenging, and I like the challenge,” Ethan said.

“I take quite a few pictures of snow,” Logan said.

Despite shying away from portrait photography, one of Ethan’s most successful photos in competition was of Logan in a wheat field. His mom and aunt were the ones who convinced him to enter the picture in competition.

“I was totally with my dad on this picture, I did not like it because of the mix of wheat, different ripeness,” Ethan said.

The photo won a purple award at the Kansas State Fair and was selected for use on tickets for a lunch with 4-H volunteers.

On the other side of Marion County, Lauren McLinden of rural Marion picked up photography from her mother before taking classes at summer school and in high school. Initially she liked taking photos of flowers, but she has been getting more into portraits after taking classes.

“At first it really was a lot of trial and error,” 16-year-old McLinden said, but she learned a lot more from 4-H and in classes.

The Oborny brothers use a Nikon Coolpix L100 camera, and McLinden uses a Nikon D60. Ethan said he was saving up for a nice camera until his mom got the Nikon. Now buying a camera of his own is less of a priority.

“It’s kind of on the wish list,” Ethan said.

Photographers can find good subjects both near and far. McLinden often takes her camera on 4-wheeler trips in the Flint Hills. For a one-day photography excursion, Logan would like to go to Botanica in Wichita. Ethan looks a bit farther away for a major photography trip.

“For a real trip, I would like to go to Yellowstone,” Ethan said.

Photography by McLinden, the Oborny brothers, other 4-H members, and other photographers will be on display at the Marion County Fair, July 25 to 28 in Hillsboro.