What was the purpose of that venture?
The primary purpose was simply to have a little fun. It gave us something to do that we had never done before and was a fresh excuse to get the family out of the house and out into the summer sun. But it was also an opportunity for my kids to explore a creative art form--photography--in a relaxed, non-threatening way.
Giving your child a camera and letting them go a little crazy with it (Ah, the wonders of going digital!) is a fabulous way to encourage them to look a little closer at their world. Some kids might experiment with close-ups, like in my daughter's photo of a thistle blossom:
They might try looking at the world at a slightly different angle, like my other daughter's shot of Lake Superior:
Or they might find something of interest in something that most of us wouldn't look twice at, like my son did when he took this photo:
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| Do you see the bee? |
Give your kid a camera, and you just might be surprised at what they see, and how they see it!
Other tips for sharing photography with your kids:
- Look for photography at art shows and galleries. Talk about the photos with your kids. What do they like or dislike? What, in their view, makes a good photograph?
- Sort through old photographs at antique stores (or in family albums--ha) and use it as an opportunity to talk about how photography has changed over the years.
- Talk about the different ways photographers can earn a living.
- Consider encouraging your child to enter a real photography contest.
Some photography resources:
