Children love to explore and learn new things. One such thing you can teach your child is photography. Photography is quite fun. It can be a fun hobby for your kids. But you need to give them the right tools and help them better their photography skills.
In this article, we are going to explore a guide to help you teach your child photography. Let’s get started!
- Provide your child with his/her own camera
If you want your child to learn photography quickly and truly feel like they are part of it, they must have their own cameras. When choosing a camera, you need to consider the age of your child. For small children, a plastic digital camera is the best option. These cameras are quite affordable, and your child will take real pictures without you worrying that the camera may get broken.
For elementary school-going kids, a basic point and shoot camera is a great option. For middle school and high school kids, they can use their smartphone cameras.
- Teach your child how to hold the camera properly
Learning how to hold the camera properly will minimize the risk of your child dropping the camera. It will also help them take better images. The camera which your child is using should be equipped with a neck or wrist strap. Remind your child to always wear the strap while shooting to help keep the camera safe.
Once you have taught your child how to wear the camera comfortably, you need to teach them how to bring the camera closer to their face, keeping the arms tucked in to limit movement, and create sharper images.
- Teach them the basic composition techniques
For older children and elementary school age, learning composition technique is excellent and will help them create better pictures. Start with the rule of thirds, filling the frames, leading lines, etc. Then move on to lighting techniques. Teach them how to shoot in manual mode, too. Wherever possible, try to give your kids opportunities to practice shooting in different lighting conditions.
- Allow 70% practice and 30% theory
Without a doubt, children can easily divert their focus if they sit still for a long time. This is why you need to spend most of your time allowing them to practice. Assign your child to take a certain number of photos and encourage them to come back for feedback. Let them practice the best family portrait poses wherever possible.
- Encourage them
Chances are that your child will get discouraged with their photography. They will have a terrible day even after a fun day taking pictures around. If you notice that they are getting frustrated, you can take a break from photography and resume after maybe a week. Continue encouraging them and remind them that they will be expert photographers with practice.
- Print their photos and hang them on a wall
If you want to motivate your kids and encourage them to continue learning photography, you should print the photos they have taken themselves and hang them in their bedroom, kitchen, or dining room. This will motivate them to go out and take as many pictures as they can.
