Introducing Your Child to the Wonders of Photography
Introducing Your Child to the Wonders of Photography
by Wilfred Luecht
Give a child a camera and you have given them a time machine which will create
wonders and may, at some time in the future, be considered family treasures.
Expect that, at first, film will just be used quickly in order to see the
pictures, but be patient, this will soon be over and selectivity will begin to
be shown.
You will undoubtedly be treated to some early shots of grandma
as a headless wonder, but these will also be accompanied by some unexpected
jewels. As the young photographer learns more about his or her new hobby and why
grandma’s head was not in the picture, skills will begin to develop and you will
start to see a legend of the world through the eyes of a six year old, or
whatever age your young photographer is, begin to emerge.
Expect to see
more pictures of the family pet than you will see of any other member of the
family. Hey, don’t let it get to you! The kid really doesn’t love the family dog
more than he or she loves you, I’m sure of it.
Buy the young
photographer an album and fill it with these pictures. Don’t forget to put the
date on the back. You might also want to keep a written journal of your own to
include with these picture when special occasions are observed and are
photographically recorded for all posterity.
You may want to consider
buying or borrowing from the library a book or books on photography for children
and share it or them with the young photographer. If the book or books is/are
written for someone older, you can simplify it.
Helping your child to
set up a scene with toys can make for good shots also. Let him or her see how
toy trucks and cars can be set up and photographed in such a way that they look
like their full sized counterparts.
Is there a younger sibling in the
family? Read up on taking pictures of babies and small children, then share the
tips that you have learned with your young photographer. Such things as putting
a piece of scotch tape on a little one’s finger for example can lead to some
fantastic facial expressions, as he or she tries to figure out what has happened
and how to get rid of that thing. Armed with a camera, encouragement and a
little bit of knowledge, your young photographer may be the one to get THAT
picture, making it doubly a family treasure.
Getting a child interested
in photography, is giving them a gift that may well last them a lifetime.
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