Comments on: Teaching photography to a 5-year-old

By: Vivian

Vivian — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 18:21:17 +0000

I started taking pictures around 7-8. My mom gave me an old Fuji 110 camera that had belonged to her so I started taking pictures of everything I saw. My dolls, my schooltrips, etc. I’d always been very image-oriented and would see things as if they were pictures so it was my most cherished gift for a long, long time.
Today I have a DSLR but the impetus is the same :)

By: belinda white

belinda white — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 06:57:46 +0000

started when I was six, still remember my first polaroid at xmas, has been one of my greatest loves ever since, hobby and a little money made, now my five-year old is getting into it. I think you covered everything well here, but one thing is missing besides all the technical, whether it be focal points, framing, or light and shadow, and that is the passion for observing, capturing beauty and curiosity…the wonder of looking – which of course all children have!!!! But so few adults continue to encourage….wow, look at the colours int hat pile of garbage, or the twinkle of light in the cat’s eye, or the shadopws behind the curtain! In encouraging photos skills in children, I’ve felt this to be the most useful, once they’ve gotten over the wanting to manipulate an adult object stage…my kid started at three.
thanks

By: Palm Beach Wedding Photography

Palm Beach Wedding Photography — Sun, 20 Dec 2009 18:56:21 +0000

Photography is such a good thing for kids. Thanks to digital. No more buying film. When I was younger, I had a camera, but getting film was a different story. Getting it developed was a different adventure.

By: Phil Hibberd

Phil Hibberd — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:58:05 +0000

I agree – get them young before their common sense comes into play! We have found that the most disruptive and awkward children take the best photos!

By: Tim

Tim — Thu, 20 Nov 2008 15:23:28 +0000

Good article – interesting stuff. My 5 year old has been using our little Kodak easyshare for at least a year and he gets some good results with it too!

By: Barcelona Photographer

Barcelona Photographer — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 17:47:02 +0000

I am thinking about offering a photography course for children at my photography school. This article is really helpful.

By: Shellypain

Shellypain — Fri, 20 Jul 2007 17:38:34 +0000

About 5 years ago I started Geocaching (see geocaching.com for details). I was almost 50. This sport involves using a GPS to locate a hidden box. One of the things Geocaching trained me to do – and can teach a 5 year old-is how to SEE what you’re looking at.
After my Geocaching stint I took up photography…I love digital photography… click, click, click… you get the idea. I took my more experienced geocaching eyes with me to photography. It has helped tremendously. I don’t see why the same kind of SEEING training can’t be used in teaching kid’s photography. After all, even the best technique isn’t worth a great deal if the subject isn’t interesting.

By: Deborah Robertson

Deborah Robertson — Sat, 14 Jul 2007 05:35:15 +0000

I have been doing photography since I was about 11-12. I wish I learned it earlier. I am now building a photography business at the age of 43. On the other hand my grand daughter is 2. I was at her house doing photography and she had her Moms camera taking pictures too. I told her mother we need to get her a camera. Now they make digital cameras for kids. I hope that my business takes off so that when my grand-daughter get old enough she can step in my place. She is a co-owner. Friends laughs. I have a picture of her taking a picture of me. It is my greatest joy.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:55:24 +0000

One of the things I did when my neice and nephew visited (both under 12) was to buy them each a disposable camera and let them take pics of the sites (Washington DC).

At the end of the trip I took the cameras to a 1-hour photo store and had the kids make a mini trip photo album.

Beside their parents loving the pics when they got home, one of the kids was hooked on taking pics.

By: Earle Rich

Earle Rich — Sat, 30 Jun 2007 22:05:13 +0000

I teach digital photo classes in the local libraries around here. In one class I might have students that range in age from 8 to 80. We have a lot of fun with it and don’t take ourselves too seriously. Humor goes a long way, especially with the kids. They are fearless with the computer and are usually very creative in their work. Digital cameras are everywhere now and since there is zero cost for the images, along with the instant feedback of the rear screen, they learn the basics of composition and exposure very quickly.

Earle Rich
Mont Vernon, NH

By: Brian Auer

Brian Auer — Wed, 27 Jun 2007 00:49:41 +0000

DO IT!!! DO IT!!! Kids love taking pictures at that age. My 2 year old takes a ton of pictures. 3 is definitely not too early!

By: Ed O'Keeffe

Ed O'Keeffe — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 20:11:46 +0000

I started taking pictures at about 3 / 4 years old with my first compact.

My dad has been doing part time freelance photographic jobs all my life and trying to make it pro but failing mainly in the early years do to the finacial risks involved and having to support a kid (me) on his own.

What is more interesting is I was printing my own black & whites at the age of 8, had an SLR a couple of years before that. If I remember rightly I had a tripod for my 5th birthday, because family always tell the story of 5 year old Ed with his tripod stopping traffic to take a photo in Ireland. Still use that tripod today at the age of 20.

My dad taught me all about photography and light and I taught him how to use a computer and Photoshop etc.

Note to PARENTS…

Show, educate and teach but don’t force them into it, take pictures with them and get them cameras but dont force them to use their cameras all the time, this will only put your children off photography. My dad never pushed me into photography, when I was 13 – 17 I never touched a camera and my dad never asked why I had gone off it, but since digital I love it again and will make a future career out of it. Think about it.

By: furious photographer

furious photographer — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 19:23:40 +0000

Good stuff! I just learned two years ago (age 22) and I wish I had you as my teacher haha *sigh* I had to learn everything the hard way and boy was it expensive.

By: Tony

Tony — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:42:10 +0000

My boy is 3 in a few weeks, I soooooooo want to get him a camera for his birthday……

By: Rogerio Reis

Rogerio Reis — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 12:13:18 +0000

I remember the very first picture I took. I was 7, on the beach with my parents and my father gave me a compact camera. It wasnt’ 35mm, I can’t remember. But anyway, I stayed with the camera the whole morning and then an old bright yellow VW Beatle passed right in front of me and I took the picture. it came out really good. I still have it.

By: Will Foster

Will Foster — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 15:20:49 +0000

I didn’t own a still camera until last year… I got into video about 5-6 years ago… I wish I had taken high school classes, but I didn’t really grow up in a family that took a lot of pictures… I am kind of the pioneer in that category! My mom has a 2MP digital still camera, and is content with it… And that is the only camera my family has… Now I am running around with a D200, and enjoying every moment of it! I will teach my children the importance of photography… but… i am single, so that might be a while! :)

By: Sharon

Sharon — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:50:34 +0000

Thanks for that – maybe I will stop hogging the camera in our house and hand it over to the smaller people.

By: James

James — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:35:53 +0000

ACK … All these child prodigies. I didn’t pick up a camera until two and a half years ago when I was 47. Now I can’t get the silly thing out of my hands :-)

By: Andrew Ferguson

Andrew Ferguson — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:06:28 +0000

I wish I had started earlier as well. I don’t really consider my start until I learned how to use an SLR when I was 15. It was part of a school course on visual communications.

Before that, I just had a compact from the time I was 9 or 10. I rarely used it, because I always got frustrated with how it wouldn’t do what I wanted. The lack of control on a compact drove me up the wall, even as a nine year old.

By: Jon Angliss

Jon Angliss — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 18:05:33 +0000

My son, 3, is very aware of cameras. While I don’t consider myself very good at all, and most of my stuff seems more like family snapshots, my son loves to take pictures, from using one of my older SLR cameras, to those one time use cameras, to even my cell phone camera. He’s getting pretty good at getting things in the shot, and I’m trying to keep him interested. I’m going to start introducing him to some of these ideas, good stuff.

By: Brian Auer

Brian Auer — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:06:13 +0000

Good stuff — I wish I had started in photography a lot sooner than I did. I didn’t really start up until my first child was born. Now, my kids (2 and 4 years old) are already little digital photographers and they have a blast with it. My oldest is probably about ready for some of the things you mention in the article.

By: photographyVoter.com

photographyVoter.com — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:01:49 +0000

Teaching photography to a 5-year-old

Tips for getting children interested in photography by teaching them topics such as framing, perspective, focus, and concepts of light.