Digital Photography for Kids

Is digital photography for kids? I'd say it definitely is. When I was a child I used the famly point and shoot to take pictures. They were nothing great. I was given a camera with no guidance other then don't drop it, so I didn't really know what to do. Even though most of my pictures were bleached out from the flash and had no real visual point of interest, I loved taking pictures. You can instill that love for photography in your children from a young age. With the right guidance they can begin to develop an eye for photography early.

Start by teaching your children how to treat and respect the camera. You can do this by modeling appropriate behavior. Our kids learn many things just by observing us. If you mistreat your camera you're child will too. Emphasize the need to be careful with the camera through your actions.

Teach your children the some basics to help them take good pictures. The age of the child and how well they take direction will determine what exactly you teach them. You know your child best. Here are some hints to get you started.

Using a Camera

First they need to know how to use the camera. Just cover the basics about the camera settings and when to use and not to use the flash. You may also want to teach them how to lock the focal point if they tend to take pictures of objects off center.

Learning how to hold a camera properly when taking pictures will also help them improve their photography skills.

Getting your child used to a camera when they are little will give them more confidence to use it when they're older. Let young childern see the pictures on your LCD screen, look through the viewfinder and even press the shutter button while you hold the camera for them.

Basic Composition

Learning basic composition is a big part of digital photography for kids. Teaching your children some of the most basic composition concepts will help your children develop an eye for a good picture.

Teach your children to move around their subjects and take pictures at different angles. Encourage them to get close to their subjects and fill the frame with them.

Teach your children to notice light and color in their pictures. A basic lesson in the rule of thirds will help them too.

If you don't know about these things you can find out about them on the tutorial page of this site.

Encourage

The best tip for digital photography for kids is to encourage your child to take as many pictures as they can. When the picture is good, let them know. With encouragement your child will take more and more pictures and feel more confident doing so.

Related Articles

The Rule of Thirds--This basic rule of composition is used by many photographers.

Digital Photography Tutorials--Check out these tutorials to find out how to improve your digital photography.