Coming Home and Kids Photography

We are back from our little trip and as always it's a mixed bag. Joy at being home and the inevitable chaos that always seems to accompany our return; unpacking, washing, the finding of homes for the new things the children have accumulated, the picking back up of activities and the hundred and one new projects floating around everyone's heads. Oh well, it is like all transitions I suppose, a little uncomfortable, somewhat frustrating but also quite enjoyable at times. 

I didn't really have a post planned this week with all this chaos. But looking through our photographs from our trip and just before I decided to share some shots from my apprentice photographers... 

Noah takes Lotta taking something

Noah's joy taking photos (by me)

In this learning experience we really only apply one rule which is to give them decent tools and show them the basics of how to use them. Their patience won't stand for anything else, this is definitely one skill they seek to master through a lot of practice. We do try to look through their many photographs with them afterwards to discuss things like not putting your fingers in front of the lens and how sometimes taking lots of pictures of the same thing isn't necessary - that's a hard one because as every photographer knows sometimes that is exactly how you get a good shot!

They both have small digital cameras; a Fujifilm Finepix which used to be ours for Noah (7) and a Coolpix S220 which we bought for them on sale and is a little broken for Lotta (4). Both have a viewer rather than a lens and that seems to work for them for now. The basics we teach them our to always attach the camera to their wrist so as not to drop it and where not to put their fingers - this latter hasn't always been successfully integrated particularly by Lotta but she is only 4 and the camera is small. I can see that for her one of the big kids cameras would be more adapted. Maya our oldest also uses the Fujifilm and occasionally takes over our Canon digital SLR with supervision. 

Without further ado, to the photos...

Lotta waiting for her Pony Quiriquou (by Noah)

Shooting the shooter (Noah)

Noah (by Lotta)

Things that interst me (Lotta)

Camera Man on the Run Action Shot (Noah)

Noah gets Arty

This last shot we retouched together in google photos cropping it slightly to the right to remove some grass and clean up the image and flushing it shades of blue. I was very impressed with the result. How do you handle photography and kids? What advice to do you give them and how free a rein?