Monday, November 16, 2009
Having Fun With Kids Digital Cameras
Kids digital cameras are designed so even your three year old can have fun with photography.
What kid doesn't like to pick up some new gadget? Most especially if you join in and get into the act. Even the most boring of items can turn into funny photos when you get up close or shoot from a kid's sure to be odd angles. The breakfast table suddenly becomes an adventure. Put a camera in a kid's hand and suddenly morning breakfast becomes a roadmap to a fantasy land, or the surface of an alien planet. Milk suddenly appears to be the great white north. Oatmeal is especially photo-genic.... Why? Well, because now with a digital camera in their hands, your child's imagination soars and how they percieve the world is expressed through captured images - with their own unique perspective.
Have you tried breaking your child's facination with TV or video games? Try a kid's digital camera. Or a kids digital video camera. How many would'nt want to star in their own music video or create funky images of your family outing. Many of the kid's cameras on the market today offer both video and still image capture. Watch the new film director blossom right in front of you even with the most mundane tasks.
Kids digital cameras are designed with little ones in mind. Many come equipped with many features and some even have games pre-loaded to keep them busy even when they're not taking pictures. Remember to be patient with them. Your little tyke or tykette doesn't have to become a photography expert overnight. Learning should be fun and easy. So, when you introduce your young one to a camera and snaping photos, keep it simple at first. Before you know it, you'll have a budding artist taking beautiful artwork. Could be fridge art at first, but hey, we all start somewhere!
Most every child can express themselves with the art of photography. Even by playing around with the digital camera settings, they're working their way through with their imagination and creative thought. You can even see them grow their wonder as they experiment with their naturally artistic expression.
If the little shutter-bugs have a bit of time behind the lens and have the properly equipped camera, they can try zooming in close (usually much too much so), and/or using wide angle shots to get more stuff in. They can experiment with adjusting the exposure, shooting in different lighting, maybe using a flash, and looking for different angles. This will all add up to unique and quite possibly great images. Your fridge door will now be a photo album, covered in your kid's idea of artwork. Some will surprise you. You may even consider a digital picture frame to show off the award-winning shots captured by your own artiste. Now everybody can view them!
Let your children know that its ok to make a mistake too. And not just with photography. We all learn a great deal from 'mistakes'. Obviously, not every photo will turn out, but that's the beauty of kids digital cameras - you simply delete the really bad ones and make room for more. Not all the pictures taken will be worth printing. Your child can look at them through the camera's digital screen and if something is worth keeping, great! If not, they can just delete it. It's a great way to learn with no additional expense like film and processing fees.
To move through and keep track of your child's progress, save some of the not-so-good shots and print them. They can be used as a learning tool to see what not to do next time. And likely provide a couple of chuckles in the process. Consider making and keeping a scrap book or photo album; you'll easily see how your child has gone from a beginner to creative artist in pretty quick order.
Not wanting to promote any particular brand, I suggest looking at the major manufacturers so you don't end up with a 'toy' that just doesn't cut the grade. Though little in most cases, kids can be pretty tough on their stuff. A true kid's digital camera is built with kids in mind and should survive a little roughness. Look for twin viewfinders, a large display screen, and provision for adding a memory card. The better ones will have a rubberized outer 'skin' that's pretty shock and moisture resistant. Guaranteed, your kid's camera is going to take flight and or get wet at some point.
Oh, and don't forget the batteries.
Once you've decided among the many kids digital cameras on the market, you'll find family time includes everything from groceries, to car rides, to closets as subject material. And if you have a pet, well, 'nough said.
What better way to spend time together as a family?
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