Saturday, January 10, 2009

Digital Photography: Thoughts of a Six Year Old

How do you select the digital pictures you choose to print?  Well, today I had the great joy of looking through 130 pictures taken by my great-nephew.  We gave him a "Kid Tough" Digital Camera from Fischer-Price.  I learned a new and different way to look at the world....

After he and I had gone through the pictures, I thought about his method of selection. The selection process was SO different from the one I use.  I always think: Is it focused clearly? Is it framed well?  Well, the little guy had different thoughts... For example, this one made the cut because it was a nice shade of blue...

Listening to my little friend, I thought of things I have heard from my adult friend, Peter H. Reynolds. Everyone is an artist. When do we lose that?  When did we start acting so conventional.  For example, what's not to love about a picture of a hand?
Pictures out the window of a moving car are pretty cool! Framing??? Where does it state in the rules of life that a frame in a picture has to be square?  Look at the clouds!  Beautiful!


And my personal favorite..... Little shoes (and the mess they made of that car seat)...

I hope that little dear boy never loses his unique and creative approach to what is good. Imagine how many beautiful things in life we miss because we stick by the rules someone has taught us. So, the next time you look at your pictures, try to think of them as "spooky," "blue," or just look for the fun in them..... We are ALL artists.

2 comments:

TNC (Teacher Networking Center) said...

As a former art teacher I loved your posting. I hope he never changes.

Sherry Crofut said...

I love looking through the eyes of a child! And I love how you shared the thinking! It makes me want to get some cameras for the little ones in my life. Maybe I need a new perspective!