NZPhotographer Issue 23, September 2019

How young should you be when you pick up your
first camera and become a photographer?
Although old dogs can most definitely learn new
tricks, the answer is, the younger the better!
In this article, I’m going to talk about involving young
kids in photography. I believe that children need to
start taking photos as early as possible, as soon as they
are able to hold a phone or a small camera without
dropping it repeatedly. Here’s why…
DEVELOPING THE ART OF SEEING
One of the most important parts of a child’s
development is their imagination. Reading and
playing helps them to develop their creative
thinking and broadens their horizons immensely
but photography goes further, teaching “the art of
seeing” which can often be overlooked.
It is not so much about developing creativity, it is about
‘seeing beyond seeing’. Everything around us can be
seen from a different angle if we try hard enough but
believe me, the angle that children see the world at is
completely different from how we see it as adults.
Since kids are much closer to the ground (both in
height but also because they tend to spend more
time on the ground playing), they see a lot of things
that we, as adults, just don’t tend to notice.
It’s vitally important to support this ‘special sight’ in
children, motivating them to find and capture the
moments or things that are important to them. If ignored
or dismissed, the natural way of paying attention to
different things will very soon disappear in the big
grownup world of noise, busyness, and daily routines.
Supporting the ability to see things that other people
don’t notice will go a long way in helping your kids
grow up to be confident and creative individuals in
the future. From stopping to appreciate the bright
Taken on a Samsung Galaxy A10
by a 12 year old photographer
blue sky to noticing the contrasts, colours, shapes, patterns, interesting views, places, and tiny details –
all of these seemingly small things are actually a huge
gift.
Taken on a Canon Powershot
by a 9 year old photographer.
44 NZPhotographer
IMPROVING FOCUS AND CONCENTRATION
Giving a camera to your kids is not only great for
improving their concentration and focus but also
boosts their mental well being. It is no secret that
photography is associated with meditation and
mindfulness as are many other art forms.
As an adult, you yourself know that photography
motivates you to go outside and explore the real
world beyond tablets and computers. While taking a
photograph, be it on your phone or with a DSLR, you
might find yourself in a state of meditation even if it
wasn’t intentional and lasted a few minutes. Being
able to focus and concentrate on something with
the end goal in mind of achieving (or capturing)
something interesting, meaningful, and beautiful
can help our kids perform better throughout school,
college, university, and throughout their adult life.