It's no secret that photography was changed forever with the invention of the digital camera. My earliest memories of having my photograph taken include my father with a contraption hanging around his neck, walking this way and that in the garden, trying to find enough light to take a decent photo of myself and my sisters. You then had to wait until the roll of film had been filled, then wait some more for the photographs to be developed, and then finally, you got to open the envelope and see how many of the photos had turned out alright. The process seemed long and involved in my mind, and I certainly remember thinking that cameras were expensive, fragile and totally off limits.By contrast, today's children have got it so good! Photography is now more immediate, cheaper, even free if you don't print anything out, and lots of fun. On our recent holiday to my parent's farm Mimi and I went on a photography-walk. She held the camera and took the shots, I merely kept her moving so we didn't end up with multiple shots of the same thing. We talked about the option of taking long-distance shots of scenery, close-ups of details, and discussed how shadows and textures can also make interesting photos when you get used to working with sunshine.
At the end of our photo shoot, she derived so much pleasure from looking through her photos, getting excited over the ones she liked, realising that some hadn't worked out so great, and chatting about what she'd like to photograph next.
It was a fabulous way to fill an afternoon and so informative to see the world through the eyes of a four year old. What's more, we're both thrilled that we came home with a photographic record of her time on the farm and a collection of her favorite things and places of interest, all of which will enhance her holiday memories.
I highly recommend letting your children have a go at being a photographer for an hour; the results may surprise you, and will certainly thrill them.
