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Are you shopping for a camera for your child this holiday season? Do you want to introduce your children to the wonders of photography, without sacrificing your fragile iPhone or pricey camera in the process? With all the stuff out there this holiday season, a camera is a relatively inexpensive gift that will last for years, while providing hours of education and creativity in kids as young as two years old. Printique Ambassador, Jay B. Wilson of Jay B. Wilson Photography gives us five tips on introducing your kids to the amazing world of photography.
There are a lot of toy cameras out there, and while they may seem like an easy choice for your child, I’d caution you on most. They tend to take extremely poor quality images – something they might have lived with ten years ago, but if your kid has experimented with your smartphone camera, he or she is going to be disappointed. Yes, they’ve got princesses and superheroes plastered all over them, which may get you some big smiles when they’re unwrapped, but kids aren’t dumb – they’ll lose interest quickly if they can’t really enjoy the images they create. And you’ll be frustrated too, trying to explain why that photo of the cat they worked so hard to get looks like a furry smudge.
Any camera you get for your child is going to get dropped, stepped on, thrown, and generally mistreated. Yes, you want to instill a sense of responsibility and care in your child, but if you teach him or her to treat their camera like a delicate flower, with constant admonishments to “be careful!” they’re going to be afraid to use it. One of the most important considerations for pro photographers when choosing a camera is feeling comfortable with it in our hands and having a good “build quality” – it’s durable and will stand up to constant use. Take it a step further with your child’s camera and choose a water-proof, shock-proof model. Not only will this give you peace of mind your investment won’t be listed on eBay for parts by New Year’s, your child will be able to take it to the playground, to the beach, and even in the water, which will open up creative possibilities they wouldn’t have if the camera had to stay home. I particularly like the Nikon Coolpix W100 which is waterproof to 33 feet underwater, shockproof to 5.9 feet and takes HD video. Best of all, it’s less than $160 and you can find it HERE on the Adorama site.
One of my favorite bedtime activities with my daughter is to scroll through my Instagram feed looking at photos from around the world. She’s developed a specific taste in styles and subjects – she despises black & white – and loves recognizing locations and photographers she’s familiar with. Share the photos that you’re taking – of family events, vacations, and more – preferably on the big screen of your computer or television, so that your child gets the full effect of what a powerful image can be. Take her to a photography museum like ICP, or a local gallery in your town. Find some fun photography books like Underwater Dogs at the library or bookstore. Stoke your child’s imagination with the possibilities of their new camera, and they’ll have a head start on creating beautiful images.
Sadly, with the proliferation of social media and smartphones, printing photographs is done less and less frequently. But there’s something about holding a photograph in your hands, or hanging it on a wall, that makes the process so much more fulfilling. Children love to make stuff, so don’t let that memory card fill up and sit in a desk drawer somewhere. Whether you use a home printer or a professional lab like Adoramapix in NYC (yes, they ship!) I really think it’s imperative that you DO something with those photos. Let her decorate her room with framed photos that she’s taken herself. Let your preschooler take some 4×6 prints from his holiday break for show and tell. And with photobooks, prints on canvas, and other photo products, the possibilities really are endless.
You’ve bought the perfect camera, made prints of your child’s work, encouraged her to bring it along on vacation. But she’s just not taking to it as you had hoped. Don’t force the issue. In my experience, trying to force a new hobby or interest on a child who isn’t receptive is doomed to failure, and may close their minds to other experiences. Perhaps he’ll never develop an interest, but maybe it’s just not the right time. Conversely, if he takes to photography like a fish to water, encourage him. Lots of schools and community centers have photography classes for kids as young as kindergarten. As with any skill, photography takes lots of practice – the sooner you start her off, the sooner you may have the next Vivian Maier on your hands.
Thank you to guest blogger and Printique Ambassador Jay B. Wilson of Jay B. Wilson Photography for these insightful and fun tips in getting your kids introduced to the world of photography.
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