Teaching Photography to Young Children

Naturally, children are some of the most curious beings on the planet, so you shouldn’t be surprised if they take an interest in that spiffy device in your hands that captures still pictures and makes a flash. And it’s not something that you should hide from your children. If a child shows an interest in photography, encourage him or her to pursue that. Here’s how:

Select a camera carefully: OK, so let’s face it. If you’re trying to teach your child about photography, you probably don’t want to do so with your digital camera that cost you hundreds of dollars. Kids are kids, and kids break stuff. So rather than have to fork over your paycheck for a costly repair or a new camera altogether, purchase your child their own camera. Start with a basic model that you can acquire without breaking the bank so that if it breaks, a replacement can be inexpensively purchased.

Photography basics: After your child has their own camera, teach them some photography basics. For instance, the buttons to snap a still photograph, the zoom in and zoom out buttons, how to preview your photos that you’ve taken, how to turn the flash on and off and how to use different settings to capture different types of shots. A warning: start slow. Remember, you’re dealing with a child, so you don’t want to overwhelm them with too many details or too much pressure or else they could easily lose interest in the hobby. Teach your child the very basics, then integrate new information for photography as your child advances with his or her camera skills. A child with some experience may be curious about lighting or nature photography. With this you might even take a lesson-based approach, where you take your child to the park or forest as soon as he or she has mastered a particular photo and you want to teach your child about other aspects of photo taking.

Pay attention to photographs: Help your child pay attention to photographs. For example, look through newspapers, magazines, billboard and talk to your child about whether the photo in print is a good one, and what elements make that photo a quality picture. This will help your child pay attention to some of the details that can be captured that might turn a good photo into a great photo. Consider taking your child to photo exhibitions, as well. The more exposure your child has to photography, the more notice he or she will take in taking pictures of their own.

Does your child have an interest in photography? How did you help them learn the basics?

-Backdrop Express Photography Team

Interested in reading about photography kids? Check out Portrait Photography: Working Well with Young Kids!