Photographer shares perspective through 'snapshots'
A nanny for several families' children, Debra Hruby was out walking with one of her 4-year-old charges when the two came upon a surprising scene.
They were out on a pier in Lincoln Marsh, near the part of the Illinois Prairie Path that goes through Wheaton.
"It's a long pier that goes way out in the water. That green duckweed covers the whole surface," Hruby said.
They noticed little bumps in the water that suddenly disappeared as they drew closer. The "bumps" were actually animals plunging underwater to take cover when they perceived a potential threat.
Hruby and her young friend realized they had seen dozens and dozens of frog heads bobbing near the surface.
When they looked closer, they saw one frog hadn't ducked.
A longtime photographer, Hruby's sharp reflexes kicked in and she got the shot with her Sony digital camera. The photo is the September winner of the Daily Herald Photo Finish contest.
"I have always liked photography. I try to carry my camera wherever I go," she said.
She was about 10 feet away from her subject.
"I zoomed in as far as I could," she said. "It was one of those weird little photos. Once I cropped it really close, I fell in love with it."
Hruby said most of her photos are images of nature, people, travel destinations and photos taken during ski trips.
She also likes to take photos of the Chicago Cubs and Wrigley Field, where she works as a summer tour guide.
"We run tours all summer long. We take up to 60 people on a tour. I don't nanny in the summer because I work for teachers," she said.
Another of her favorite photo subjects is her four grandchildren, whose candid portraits are displayed in her Wheaton home.
As this month's Photo Finish winner, Hruby will receive a $50 gift certificate to PJ's Camera in Glen Ellyn.
"I'm there all the time," she said of PJ's. "I have a gallery wall in my home, going up the stairs. All of my art in my home is pictures I've taken."
She said she relies on PJ's for producing frame-worthy enlargements.
Hruby said she has little interest in the technical aspects of photography. She crops her photos using Picasa, a recently discontinued image application, and she doesn't use manual settings.
"People will say, 'What was the setting that you used?' I'll say, 'I have no idea.' I just kind of point and shoot."
Hruby said she likes to shoot photos simply to preserve her unique view at the moment the photo was taken.
"I tend to see things a little bit differently. I take a lot of photos," she said. "I think I see the world in snapshots."