When kids are young, everything is fresh and exciting for them! Going to the grocery store is an event, watching the clouds and imagining what they look like is a blast and well, who hasn’t had the experience of a young child sitting on one of those mall rides, unaware that that it moves if you put money in it – grinning and loving just being on it?
They express their joy and interest very clearly and frequently – there’s not a lot of guessing about what is piquing their interest.
Some of my favourite simple memories of my kids in their younger days are waiting for the fluorescent green- yellow recycling truck to arrive Tuesday morning and watching it cast a glowing, green outline on our blue walls when it stopped at a certain point. Another hit for them was sitting in the car before going on the grocery store to see if the freight train would pass by on the tracks beside the store. The conductor would always wave to us.
Sometimes as kids get into their teen years, things shift a bit – sometimes a lot. Interesting experiences can seem like they are fewer and farther between and often more expensive! It isn’t that life isn’t still interesting though – it may be just that they’ve seen a lot of the simpler things before, they’re naturally in a place where their thoughts have turned more inward and related to themselves and it’s harder for a while to know how to express or explore an interest.
Enter photography. Not fancy, technically complicated, high- end photography. Well, if you and your family have those skills, that’s great and it would definitely be an interesting skill to learn more about but you can can also just enjoy random, fun, simple photography of all kinds of things with a quick click. Sometimes it’s not about the lighting or angle or even having enough time to get a good shot – it’s creates a memory and point of conversation either way.
Photography can be a form of expression.
If a child or teen isn’t typically someone who is into or feels competent with creative arts, they might find their creative bent behind the lens. It allows kids and teens to express themselves- what they find interesting and in various ways of positioning, lighting, etc. I have found it has allowed some boys whose artistic side it not as front and centre ( not generalizing – only speaking for my own) to find their own really great way of thinking about colour, lighting, creative positioning and have something tangible and permanent to show.
M sent me the photo at the top of his bike down at the lake after he finished his work on the dragon boats. I was very interested and openly thankful and it’s become kind of a thing – on several days after his work, I get photos of him and/or friends. He’s either got an idea and is featured in them or taking them. He puts some thought into them and looks for things that catch his eye.
He also enjoyed capturing many moments from his trip to Alberta last year. It was a great way to capture things and show us the chronology of the trip.
Photography can be a form of exploration.
S started taking quite a few photos while we were camping last year as a way to just look around and see what he’d like to capture. I began to notice that he suddenly was paying a lot of detail to nature and his interest in plants, animals and sky resurfaced.
It can be a way to share a moment or image that you know someone else will appreciate.
S will sometimes also notice one of my favourite things blooming in the backyard or leaning or illuminated a certain way and capture it by photo to show me later.
It can be a way to have fun and joke around.
L’s time behind or in front of the camera is almost entirely about capturing moments with the cats or finding ways to insert into photos her quiet, but crazy, sense of humour.
Watch out frozen pumpkins. There’s a crazy shadow coming for you…
It can be a way of capturing memories or interesting places.
G has always been happy to pose in a natural way for photos or take group selfies on trips on days trips. He likes being in photos and they are a great way to look back on as common conversation.
With the other kids, there is often a humorous twist or last minute photo bomb involved, G usually poses for or takes photographs naturally and stays put in the pose if I’m trying to catch a shot at an interesting place.
Sometimes I’ve had fun taking pictures of him taking pictures:). He has always had a natural bent for the geography of places knows an epic photographic moment when he sees it.
It can happen with regular, everyday technology.
We have only one or two fairly basic cameras other than our phones and my daughter’s iPad. M has enjoyed using a couple of different cameras … but for the most part, this is about fun, expression and connection. It’s wonderful if it leads into something more serious or highly skilled but it doesn’t need to.
Getting into a family and friends culture of photography is as easy as saying, “Look at where the cat is! Can you grab a shot of that with your iPad if it’s handy?”
Or, “Those photos of the dock with the high water level were crazy. If you have time after work, could you take a couple more?”
It can mean being open to having your own photo spontaneously taken using added features of their choosing, haha! In short, it can mean being a good sport about having your picture taken as well!
Photography can be a way to connect.
If you get in on the fun, there can be a lot of back and forth sharing. One of us often sees something cool or funny or sometimes even sad that we capture when we’re out and about and send to one or more of us who might be interested.
If we are each taking a series of photos when we’re out and about at the same places, it’s fun and a great point of connection to look back and see the perspectives from that day.
And don’t even get me started on the crazy videography …. add in the option of singing, dancing and pranking and there is no shortage of expression:).
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