How to Approach Photography for Children

Photography is a great way to inspire a child's imagination.

Teaching the art of photography to children is a rewarding activity both for the adult and the child; the students learn a fun and challenging lifelong hobby, while the teacher has the opportunity to see the world through the lens of a child. Approaching photography for children is similar to teaching photography to adults, emphasizing technical aspects like composition, focal points and the rule of thirds. However, there should also be major emphasis on playfulness, experimentation and imagination to maintain the children's interest and sense of wonder about discovering this new activity.

Things You'll Need

• Cameras for each of the children
• Example photographs
• Subjects for photography

Instructions

1. Discuss with the children what photography is and what it's function is in our world. Cull the answers from the children by asking them questions like "Why do you think people enjoy taking pictures?" or "Can you name a picture that is very special to you? Why is that?"

2. Teach the children the most basic functions of the camera like the power button, shutter switch and the zoom function. Demonstrate the process of determining a subject to be photographed and the subsequent steps it takes to actually create a photograph.

3. Encourage the children to experiment by taking as many different kinds of pictures as they can, exploring high and low angles, close and far shots, and inside and outside shots. Ask the children what pictures look best to them. Explain what each type of these shots is typically used to achieve in professional photography.

4. Instruct the children to take as many shots as possible. This will be great fun and educational for the kids. The more pictures they take, the more they will learn what sort of pictures they enjoy taking and how to reproduce these effects in the future.

5. Implement the rule of thirds for the most interested children. Explain that a photograph's quality can be increased significantly when the photographer's subject falls on certain intersecting lines. Simply telling the children that a slightly off center photograph can look more interesting may be enough to get their imaginations going.

6. Encourage the children when reviewing their pictures by pointing out both their well composed shots and their more experimental pictures, noting their use of visual imagination in their photographs.

Tips & Warnings

• If a child appears to be struggling with one of the lessons, set aside time to take a few pictures together with you both holding the camera, picking the subject and deciding how to take a better picture.

References

• Digital Photography School; 13 Lessons to Teach Your Child About Digital Photography; Darren Rouse
• Better Photography: Photography For Kids