what would you teach a 3 or 4 yr old about photography?

[asailorsstar]

ok, so im hosting the local HeadStart class at my studio tomorrow, and me,being the procrastinator that i am, waited until the last minute to try to figure out what to tell the kids {in my defense, ive been dealing with a sewer pipe that busted inside the wall of my house- so its not like i just wasnt doing ANYTHING}. So my question to all you lovelies out there in YA Photog land, is this.... what would YOU *try* teach a pre-schooler about photography?? Also, I have to take photos {1-2 } of each of the kiddos, all 18 of them yay... lol...

~N

[Bill P]

Both of my children had cameras by the time that they were 4. All I taught them was how to look through the viewfinder and figure out what they wanted pictures of. Most of the viewfinders have "framers" so that you can center the picture. 4 yr olds can understand that.

the problem is that if you are using film, you have a slow return time on the film whereas they want instant gratification. Digital is best in this circumstance. Mine learned on film because Ihad a darkroom in the basement of the house and they knew they would see the whole process. Yes, they helped mix the chemistry, expose the negs, and print the pictures.

[Dawg]

Without obviously being too technical probably the best approach would be composition. What do you want in the final image....but in simple terms.

Aperture/dof/shutter duration will all be lost on them, they are concepts that the kids are not ready quite yet, but almost all kids draw at this age and so composition they can grasp readily and it's one of the foundations of the art.

[Terisu]

When my kids were that age, I didn't try teaching them anything about photography. I just handed them a camera that shoots in automatic exposure and let them take pictures of anything they wanted to. There were some interesting pictures, showing what a little kid's point of view is. Just have fun with it, and spark an interest. There's plenty of time for learning as they get older.

[dms47949]

I don't know! But you just gave me an idea! I am probably going to get myself in jam too!