Capturing the moment
9/2/2026
Emily Osweiler
Seeing the world
Emily Osweiler took on a photo-of-the-day challenge in 2022, and it quickly trained her brain to look for one meaningful image each day instead of rushing past everything.
“There are a lot of ways people find joy. For me, it’s through awe and gratitude, and taking a picture and sharing it are both part of the same practice,” she says. “Most of my photos happen on walks, just with my iPhone.”
Osweiler gravitates toward nature, including plants, animals and outdoor scenes. Photographing people can be trickier, so she prefers subjects that allow her to take her time with lighting and composition. Rather than planning shots, she often walks and captures whatever draws her attention.
She says she is fine with using her phone for photos and has no plans to upgrade her equipment. Photography remains a creative hobby she enjoys. For Christmas, she printed several of her photos as greeting cards and gifted sets to friends and family.
“After thousands of photos, I’ve realized the hobby hasn’t just changed what I see through the lens… it’s changed how I see the world,” she says.
Source: Johnston Living, August 2026; by Ashley Rullestad
Michelle Tunney
Perfect moments in an imperfect world
As a young child, Michelle Tunney enjoyed taking pictures. She developed a passion for photography by watching her mother, who she says always carried a Canon camera everywhere she went.
“She was always taking pictures of things, but I didn’t understand why she took pictures of some of those things until I got behind the lens,” Tunney says, adding she especially enjoys taking pictures of scenery and animals.
When her children grew up and Tunney became an empty nester, she developed some health issues. She now uses her photography to find something positive in each day. Her son put up bird feeders in her yard because he knew she likes birds.
“Watching the birds reminds me about the Scriptures that talk about sparrows and how God takes care of them. It helps me on days that are hard,” she says.
She enjoys going to places like Pammel Park, Middle River, Lake Ahquabi and Ledges State Park to photograph nature when she is away from home, but she often finds her moments along backroads. Tunney is delighted that three of her five daughters have also grown to love photography, and they often ask to borrow Tunney’s camera — a Nikon her husband bought her one Christmas.
Source: Winterset Living, August 2026; by Rachel Harrington
Steve Givens
Wildlife photography
Steve Givens’ patience is tested repeatedly as he waits with his camera for the perfect shot of an eagle. With his finger on the shutter, he can take 30 pictures per second in burst mode. Knowing how quickly eagles fly and land, he has less than five seconds to react.
“When it appears, it’s all hands on deck,” he says.
One favorite photo features a bald eagle near the water searching for its next meal.
“It got too close to shoreline and there was a blackbird’s nest close by. The blackbird was defending its nest trying to scare the eagle away,” he explains. “It was incredible. You can see its toenail pulling on the bald eagle. That makes for a great story.”
Storytelling through photography has long been a passion, but his career as a CPA left little time to pursue it. After retiring in 2021, Givens turned his focus to photography. He admired wildlife photographer Thomas Mangelsen and took a trip to the Grand Tetons where he joined a scenic wildlife tour.
“I got hooked on it,” he explains.
He recalls traveling to Yellowstone National Park to follow a wolf pack but arriving too early. He explored another area and ended up photographing grizzly bears instead.
Source: West Des Moines / Jordan Creek Living, August 2026; by Jackie Wilson
Heather Johnson
Shooting the stars
Heather Johnson says the art of photography fascinates her, so, about five years ago, she decided to dive in.
“I absolutely love the night skies, and, once I started photographing them, I was hooked,” she said. “Milky Way photography is my passion. Once I start talking about it, you can’t shut me up. It’s a pretty niche type of photography. I plan my vacations around the new moon so I can get the darkest skies.”
Johnson uses an astro-modified Sony A7III camera, Sony lenses and a star tracker. She is mostly self-taught, but she attends night photography workshops around the country that have helped her hone her craft.
For some photos, like her Milky Way images, she uses blends. This means she may take a picture at blue hour (after sunset) and then wait until nighttime to capture a Milky Way image at the same location. Once it’s completely dark, she puts her camera on the star tracker, which moves to counteract the Earth’s rotation.
“I don’t think it’s hard, because I’m totally invested in the process,” Johnson said. “It’s so cool. I also do deep space objects, which is where it gets really crazy. Photography gives me a creative outlet, and it brings me peace.” ♦
Source: Ankeny Living, August 2026; by Ashley Rullestad
