Nine Digital Photo Basics for Kids

When most children get a hold of a camera, they begin to do one thing, point and shoot. Far too often children take too many pictures of nothing. Back in the day when digital photography didn’t exist, a child could cost their parents a fortune in film and processing. If you have purchased your child their first digital camera, you need to teach them how to use it. Here are some tips to help your child with their first digital camera.

First, teach your child to experiment instead of taking the same picture over and over. Many children will grab the camera and snap the same subject without variation. Teach your child how to shoot from different angles. For example, teach them about close-ups and why they may need to step back to get a wider angle shot.

Second, show your child how to check the background so that they have a clear shot. Teach your child how to scan the foreground and background to make sure there aren’t too many distractions.

Teach your child to have a clear background.

Third, teach your child how to hold the camera. If your child wants their pictures to look good, they need to learn how to hold the camera straight. You can teach them how to check the framing before they hit the shutter button. Blurred or fuzzy pictures result from poor technique. By showing your child how to hold the camera properly, you can avoid fuzzy images. You can also teach your child about a tripod and how to use it to avoid fuzzy pictures.

Fourth, you should also show your child how to get in close to their subject. The digital camera you purchase may have a zoom, but if it doesn’t you should teach them how to get in close to your subject and capture the detail.

Fifth, teach your child that it’s ok to take a bunch of photographs. The days of film photography are over and you won’t waste a fortune developing all the pictures your child is taking. Taking a lot of pictures is a great way to learn about the different techniques of photography. Encourage your child to take pictures of different images instead of the same subject over and over.

Sixth, teach your child how to get a balance of the people and places they are taking pictures of. If you go on a family vacation, it may be fun to take pictures of the place you are visiting, but teach your child to take pictures of the people they are on the vacation with.

Seventh, teach your child about having a focal point. An interesting photograph has something interesting in it. Teach your child how to find a central point of interest and how to highlight it in their photograph by different positioning or by using their zoom.

Eighth, review your child’s pictures with them. By looking over your child’s pictures with them, you can help them improve their future photography skills. You can point out pictures with things they have done well and show them pictures that they can improve on for the future.

Ninth, show your child how to use focal lock. Most cameras have an auto focus feature, but there are many times pictures are out of focus because the camera is confused by the main subject. Show your child how the focus on their camera works so they won’t have blurry pictures.

You can always enroll your child in photography lessons to teach your child extra skills. If your child is showing a great interest in photography, it may be beneficial to enroll them in courses that will help them as they age and move toward a future career.