Idea: Give That Kid a Camera!

A camera is such wonderful way to explore the world and express your creativity. And why not let the children in on this?!

My son captures his favourite toys

He captures vacation memories

Although I don't think children, depending on their age, should be running around with $2000+ cameras, a decent camera is a must in my books. Just like good quality art materials, a good quality camera can be the difference between well used or forgotten. If the camera is too cheap and takes poor quality photos, then who would want to use it? Luckily, it is relatively easy to find a decent camera new or used for a good price these days. Each year camera technology changes and updates leaving behind perfectly great cameras that no one wants anymore. These can be awesome starter cameras for the young photographer who may or may not be the most careful with such devices.

I also abhor dumbing down things for children. I never dumbed down my vocabulary for my son and I'm not going to do so with technology. Besides, these kiddos take to technology like a fish to water, it's so oddly natural!

And plays with perspective

Sure, start off simple with certain things, but allow for continued growth. I'd prefer to buy a camera with several features, but begin a child off with the concept of point and shoot and increase their camera knowledge as they gain experience and/or as they desire.

Photography helps us explore our world, capture memories, and is an outlet for creativity.

Ideas for all those photos?

How about create a picture book using the photographs! Children can write and "illustrate" their very own picture books, for themselves or as gifts.

And tries different angles

Of course, there is always the scrapbooking idea. Scrapbook an event or vacation, etc.

Make a photo timeline! Of a person's life or a day in your life. Take pictures of historical locations and sculptures and create a timeline with them.

Make photo t-shirts by printing out the photos onto iron-on transfer paper. If you don't want to do t-shirts, do canvass bags or aprons or something entirely different.

Create a photo collage and frame it. Maybe a family one or a collage of special memories. How about a collage of all the things you're grateful for?!

Print out and frame favourite photos and put on an art gallery opening in your living room!

Create photo note cards, holiday/birthday gift cards, calendars, or other stationary.

With your imagination, the sky is the limit!

If you live in, or are visiting, the Edmonton/Area you can visit the Royal Alberta Museum and see the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibit which is breathtaking and very inspiring. It runs from May 8- January 9, 2011. From the RAM website, here's a link to their pdf describing the event, the history of the competition, and a few stories behind the winning photographs.


Or, you can visit the Natural History Museum's website to check out the photographs from the Veolia Environment Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition.