Images: The Week in Pictures

  Hazel Kocher, 12, of Crystal Lake, gets some help launching her kite from her mom Jill Brown at Lions Park in Cary Saturday during the Illinois Association of Park Districts' statewide Flying 4 Kids celebration. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

  Niranjan Sundaram, of St. Charles, walks with his sons, Bryce, seven months, and Jaiden, 3, through Mt. St. Mary Park in St. Charles Tuesday evening. The family lives close by and visits the park often. The warm weather drew lots of people to the park Tuesday evening for walks, bike rides or just sitting on benches enjoying the temperature. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com

  Tommy Donovan, 25, of Lombard, left, and Dan Marin, 25, of Villa Park, check the weight a bass that Donovan caught Friday in Pratt's Wayne Woods Forest Preserve in Wayne. After weighing the five-pound fish and taking a picture with it, the men released it back into the lake for someone else to catch. Pratt's Wayne Woods is the largest forest preserve in DuPage county. Combined with James "Pate" Philip State Park to the north, it forms a continuous 4,000-acre stretch of open space. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

  Runners make their way through the last station during the Fun Run in Color race throughout downtown Wheaton. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com

  Liam Becker, 1 1/2, works the pedals with his hands Sunday at the Kane County Farm Bureau Touch a Tractor event in St. Charles. He came from Wheaton with his mother Kari for the event. John Starks/jstarks@dailyherald.com

  Louis Moreau, right, and Cyril Turpaud join other members of the Fontenay-Luçon Vendee rugby club singing the French national anthem before playing the Palatine Rugby Club Sunday at Fremd High School in Palatine. The French team is visiting the area as part of a Sister's City exchange trip. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

  Juli O'Flaherty, of Norwood Park, dressed as Wonder Woman, warms up with her son, Flynn, 6, dressed as Spiderman, before the Heroes with Hope 5k run Sunday at MB Financial Park in Rosemont. More than 350 runners and walkers dressed in superhero outfits and raised money for the Bare Necessities Pediatric Care Foundation. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

  Activist Joann Michel speaks at the rally protesting the police shooting death of Waukegan youth Justus Howell in Zion. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com

  Andrew Ursihi, right, of Wheaton, runs down Main Street during the Fun Run in Color race throughout downtown Wheaton. Daniel White/dwhite@dailyherald.com

  Runners in the Batavia Mothers' Club's 15th annual Fox Trot 5K and 10K runs start by crossing the Fox River pedestrian bridge in Batavia Saturday. About 265 people were registered for the 5K/10K and about 60 in the kids run later in the morning. Funds raised support local charities. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com

  The background in a photograph is equally import as the subject in the foreground.The background that a photographer picks often determines whether the photo is average or something special. Once a subject is selected, such as Buffalo Grove High School's Jacob Kerman, in this image as he competed on the still rings at a recent Rolling Meadows High School boys gymnastic innovational, a background needs to picked. The American flag hanging in the gym a little out of focus made a great background. To line the rings up with the flag I moved to an exact spot on the large gym floor. When Kerman was lifted up by a coach and started his routine he was right in front of the flag. Zooming in all the way on a lens will make Kerman appear to be closer to the flag then he really is - zoom lens have a a crunching up effect. Once a background is selected the photographer will need to move slightly to the left, right, up or down, and often quite a bit, to place the subject right in front of the selected background. As a photographer I have to be aware of the background every time I start shooting - often it is the largest part of a photo. For news photos we try to capture a background that relates to the subject or helps tell the story by providing more information. If you're stuck with a bad background and can't move, you can make the background go completely out of focus, which constantly makes the subject stand out - pop! And makes the photograph look professional. To take a photograph with the background completely out of focus simply set the shooting mode dial on top of the camera to the sports or portrait mode (icon of runner or face). The camera them automatically sets the field f-stop to a low number, creating a very small depth of field. This photo was published in the Perspective column in the print edition of the Daily Herald. George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com

  During a respite from the rain on Thursday of last week I went out looking for cars splashing their way through standing water. After shooting some more straight-forward pictures I did a little panning. It wasn't a wholly successful venture but I liked the lines and the color of this one. And I stayed dry. PERSPECTIVE is a weekly photo column by the Daily Herald's Fox Valley photo staff. To comment, please contact Rick West, rwest@dailyherald.com. Follow me on Twitter @dhrickwest or Instagram @rickwest. You like the Facebook? www.facebook.com/rick.west.7393. This photo was published in the Perspective column in the print edition of the Daily Herald. Rick West/rwest@dailyherald.com

  Victoria Guadarrama, left, plays Alice as Emily Stokes plays the White Rabbit during Monday's rehearsal for Cathy's Creative Kids Club's "Alice in Neverland" at Oakland Elementary School in Antioch. Paul Valade/pvalade@dailyherald.com

  Hope Aylward, 11, of Roselle, balances a balloon on her palm during the Kids at Hope Community Resource Fair, held in the Hanover Park District Community Center gym Saturday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com

  Zion-Benton High School junior Ivette Enriquez, 17, calls her mom, Ivette, after winning a 2013 Ford Fiesta during the Operation Click awards ceremony at Concorde Banquets in Kildeer on Tuesday. Selected students from area high schools had a chance to start the car after having gone the year with safe driving records and good behavior at school. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

  Palatine High School senior Nancy Cabrera can't believe it after winning a 2014 Chevrolet Spark during the Operation Click awards ceremony at Concorde Banquets in Kildeer on Tuesday. Selected students from area high schools had a chance to start the car after having gone the year with safe driving records and good behavior at school. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

  Dwayne Miller, of Woodmark, cuts rafters as construction of town homes in Bowes Creek Country Club continues Tuesday in Elgin. Brian Hill/bhill@dailyherald.com

  First graders Sierra Rodriguez, left, and Dylan Doughty build a boat as first grade students designed boats to hold plastic monkeys Wednesday at Adler Park School in Libertyville. Teacher Emily Maki created different educational programs for different age groups during STEM Week. Gilbert R. Boucher II/gboucher@dailyherald.com

  Westminster Christian School sixth grader Paige Anderson, 12, of Elgin, helps Highland Oaks resident Marie Hugh play her hand in Uno in Elgin Thursday. Anderson and classmates spent time with residents at the senior care and retirement community during the school's fourth annual "Give Back" day, while others did ground maintenance outside. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com

  Joe Battaglia operates a tapper to push down the fresh asphalt Nick Falco, center, and Art Herrera, right, of Archon Construction Co. out of Addison, just poured in a hole as they do preliminary road work along southbound Route 31 in Geneva. The stretch of road south of Geneva and through Batavia will be totally repaved soon. Laura Stoecker/lstoecker@dailyherald.com

  Cookie decorator Jennifer Parkinson takes a bite out of a Blackhawks cookie, while Hawks and Bulls cookies were being made at Continental Bakery in Mount Prospect. Bob Chwedyk/bchwedyk@dailyherald.com

  Eighth-grader Alli Hacker, right, reacts as a lock of her hair is cut off by Paige Crews of Legacy Salon in Round Lake Beach, as students and staff at Grayslake Middle School participated in their second annual St. Baldrick's event Friday morning. Steve Lundy/slundy@dailyherald.com

  Hersey High School senior Peter Wesolowski and junior Anna Ignas perform their "Swing Kids" dance routine during the Hersey High School Service Over Self (SOS) Club's 45th annual senior day, held at Atlantic Banquets in Arlington Heights Friday. Joe Lewnard/jlewnard@dailyherald.com

  Crystal, left, a patient at Almost Home Kids, plays a game called Hedbanz with Therese Jochum, center and Clare Willis, right, eighth-graders from St. James the Apostle School in Glen Ellyn. They were helping out at the transitional care facility as part of the third annual Day of Service. Bev Horne/bhorne@dailyherald.com