Taking photographs

I am transferring posts from my blog Through the Eyes of the Child, which I have decided not to use it anymore... it just got a little too much to manage....

So here comes  a post about "Taking Photographs"

I have seen that there are those who have started their process… who have handed over the camera to the children… and are  enjoying the journey
For those of you who have not started your journey yet… here are a few more pointers…
Before taking a photograph,  ask questions like…What’s the main subject here? What part should you focus on? What angle do you want? AND, importantly, what do you want this photo to tell others?
Photography is art and science. As an art, photography is a marvelous tool of creative, self-expression.
A photograph can open a person’s mind or even change it. Photography communicates.
It also is a wonderful technical tool, teaching lessons in science (light, math, etc.) and computer skills.
Besides the confidence gained from mastering a new skill and creative expression, learning to take good pictures can also do wonders for children who are shy because photography is one of those skills that can make it easier to take part in activities that otherwise might exclude a shy child.
By taking photographs and sharing and reflecting on these photographs allows children to better understand the advertising images they’re bombarded with every day.
It can help them to see how photographs can evoke emotion and persuade, in other words they can develop a more critical eye.
But most of all, photography, especially digital photography, is just plain fun.
The best way to to get started is to hand over a camera to a child and allow them to experiment. There are books available for those of you wanting to “teach” photography to children… but the main aim of this project is not to create photographers in the next month or so… but to allow children to discover a new medium to express themselves and maybe a desire to find out more and learn more…
AND also a way for the adults around the children – whether preschoolers or teens – to discover a new way to communicate with them, to find out more – to listen and hear (and see) what is important to the children.
I wonder if there will be similarities amongst children coming from the same countries, age, kind of setting? What sort of patterns will we find…