I always wondered why was the star of the show taking pictures at the begining intro? Shouldn't someone like Simpson or a minor character take the picture as Nell and the family pose for the picture? That really got to me I mean she belongs in that picture more than Simpson or Addy.

My guess is that they needed Nell to take the picture 'because' she was the star of the show.
She would be in every episode, unlike Addy or Simpson.
No Nell means no show.

Just my opinion.

Maybe it was her camera.

Uh... wasn't Nell the housekeeper? I know she was the star of the show, but to the characters on the show she was the housekeeper. Why would she have a member of the family take a picture of the rest of the family and herself?

Simpson and Addy were not family. The theme could have had a portrait of the family to open.

I think it was probably Nell's choice (Harper) to do so to have a pic of her family and friends. Nell (Carter) was the star of the show. She got the troops in a photo.

Season 5 and 6 were unfair with those on the cast who were not included in the photo opening.

Katie was taken out of the 2nd photo on the stairs in season 5, Jonathan wasn't there for the first photo, even though he was seen talking on the phone in a lot of episodes.

Season 6 was so small, they only had Addy, Joey, Matt and Grandpa in the photo. Out of all of them, Addy and Joey had more to do that season than anyone, while Matthew and Grandpa were just there for a line or two every now and then the episodes they were on. Maggie, Marty and Mama Maybelle should have been thrown into one final family picture in the last several shows.