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Photography for Kids: Fun Activities, Latest Lesson Plans & Tips

It's never too early to pick up a camera. Learn how to get your kids or students motivated and excited to start photography with these top tips and lessons.

Learn | By Jeff Collier

Photography is a fun and creative activity that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, including kids.

It allows children to express themselves, explore their surroundings, and develop their artistic skills.

I’m a photographer and want my grandkids to learn how to take pictures on cameras (as opposed to just my iPhone!) – maybe you’re in the same boat?

In this article, I’ll show you how you can teach your child to take pictures, whatever their age.

You’ll even find some fun photography activities and lesson plans that can be tailored to kids and students.

(You may also be interested in our article on how to photograph children .)

Let’s dive in!

Kidamento Kids Digital Camera

The Kidamento digital camera is cute, easy to use and packed full of fun features. Available as a sloth, cat or a koala.

Table of Contents

Photography for Kids: How Do I Teach My Child to Take Pictures?

teach-kids-photography

Raíssa de Paula

Photography for kids is an exciting topic, especially if you’re a parent and want to pass on your passion for digital photography.

Teaching your child to take pictures is a great way to help them develop their creativity and technical skills.

Here are a few tips on how teach photography to children:

  • Start with a simple camera: Unlike regular photography, kids’ photography should be as simple as pointing and shooting. Children may not have the patience or coordination to use a complicated camera, so it’s best to start with a simple point-and-shoot camera or even a smartphone. You may also want to invest in one of these kids’ cameras which are a fun design.
  • Explain the basics : Photography lessons for kids should emphasize fundamentals. Show your child how to turn the camera on and off, how to focus, and how to take a picture. Teaching photography needn’t be dry or boring – keep it simple to start with.
  • Encourage creativity: Encourage your child to take pictures of whatever interests them, whether it’s a tree in the park or their favorite toy. Take a step back and forget about all the usual photography tips and any photography skills you’ve picked up along the way – just let them take a few photos of whatever they want, however they want.
  • Offer guidance: Offer guidance and suggestions, but also give your child the freedom to experiment and make their own decisions. Remember – these aren’t structured photography lessons, per see – think of it more as playtime with a camera.
  • Review and discuss the pictures: After your child has taken some pictures, sit down with them and review the pictures together. Ask them what they like about each picture and what they might do differently next time.

It may be interesting for kids to learn that digital photography is a relatively new ‘invention’, and that back in your day, everything had to be printed.

At What Age Can Kids Start Photography?

There is no specific age at which kids can start photography, as it depends on the child’s maturity and ability to handle a camera.

Some children may be ready to start taking pictures at a young age, while others may need to wait until they are older.

Here are a few factors to consider when teaching photography to younger kids:

  • Physical ability: Children should be able to hold and handle the camera securely and press the button to take a picture. Obviously, this will depend on the size and shape of the camera – Kidamento makes this one that’s easy to grip for smaller hands.
  • Attention span : If the child able to focus on taking pictures and not get easily distracted?
  • Understanding of instructions: The child should be able to understand and follow basic instructions, such as how to turn the camera on and off and how to focus.
  • Interest: Is the kid showing an interest in taking pictures, and are they motivated to learn? Do they want to have their own camera? Are they asking for photography lessons?

If your child meets these criteria and is interested in basic photography, they are likely ready to start taking pictures.

Is Photography a Good Hobby for Kids?

Photography can be a great hobby for kids because it allows them to express themselves creatively and develop their artistic skills.

It can also help children learn to see the world in a different way as they start to notice details and compositions that they might have otherwise overlooked.

Remember the saying, “see the world in the way a child sees it”? This applies to photography for kids – they’ll take pictures of things you never even considered before.

Photography can also be a great way for children to document their experiences and memories.

In addition, photography can help children develop important life skills, such as problem-solving and communication.

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They may need to think creatively to capture a unique shot or communicate with members of their family or their friends when taking pictures of people.

Overall, photography can be a rewarding and enjoyable hobby for kids as long as they are interested and motivated to learn.

14 Photography Activities for Kids and Students in 2023

photography-activities

Ryunosuke Kikuno

Here are seven fun photography activities that kids can try:

  • Self-portraits : Here’s an easy photography activity for students. Encourage the child to take self-portraits using your smartphone or a digital camera. They can experiment with different angles, lighting, and expressions to create unique self-portraits. Give them a few basic photography tips (like using a tripod and the self-timer), but then leave them to figure the rest out themselves.
  • Nature photography : Take a walk with the child and encourage them to take pictures of plants, flowers, and animals. They can also try taking close-up shots of flowers or other small objects to focus on details. Young photographers will always love getting out in nature with a camera.
  • Black and white photography : Try taking pictures in black and white to create a different look and feel. This can also help kids learn about how color affects an image.
  • Action shots: Encourage your child to take action shots of people or animals in motion. This can be challenging, but it’s also a great way to practice capturing movement and freezing it in a photograph.
  • Still life photography : Set up a still life scene using household objects and encourage your child to take pictures of it. This can be a great way for kids to practice composition and lighting.
  • Street photography : Take a walk with your child and encourage them to take pictures of people and scenes from everyday life. This can be a great way for kids to practice candid photography and capture candid moments.
  • Night photography : Try taking pictures at night to capture the beauty of the stars or the city lights. This can be a fun and challenging activity that allows kids to experiment with low-light photography.
  • Photo editing: Photography for kids needn’t just be about taking photos. Show them how you can change the look of digital photography using a simple editing app like the one found on your smartphone. See what effects the child likes applying to their photos.

If you’re looking for photography activities for students , here’s a list of seven more:

  • Landscape photography : Encourage students to go outside and take pictures of landscapes, including mountains, forests, and beaches. This can be a great way for students to practice composition and lighting.
  • Portrait photography : Students should practice taking portraits of their classmates or friends. Encourage them to experiment with different angles and lighting to create unique and interesting portraits. Experiment with different lenses to see how they affect the look of their friends’ faces.
  • Architecture photography : Encourage students to take pictures of interesting buildings or structures in their community. This can be a great way for students to practice composition and capturing the details of a scene.
  • Food photography : Have students practice taking pictures of food. This can be a fun and creative activity that allows students to experiment with lighting and composition. See if they can guess how these food photos were taken.
  • Product photography : Encourage students to take pictures of products, such as their own toys or electronics. This can be a great way for students to practice capturing detail and showcasing the features of a product.
  • Street photography: Have students take candid pictures of people and scenes from everyday life. This can be a fun way for students to practice candid photography and capture candid moments. You may also need to teach them the local laws about taking photos of strangers.
  • Night photography: Encourage students to try taking pictures at night to capture the beauty of the stars or the city lights. This can be a fun and challenging activity that allows students to experiment with low-light photography , and blurring lights with slow shutter speeds.

Teaching photography to students is immensely rewarding.

Just remember to keep your photography lessons light on the technical details initially to ensure that the students’ creativity can flourish – you don’t want to make them bored too early on!

10 Digital Photography Lesson Plans for Elementary Schools

Here are ten photography lesson plans that can be used in an elementary school setting:

  • Introduction to Photography: This lesson introduces students to the basic concepts of photography, such as the camera, aperture, shutter speed, and ISO. Students can learn about the different parts of a camera and how they work together to capture an image.
  • Composition Basics : Students can learn about the basic principles of composition, such as the rule of thirds, leading lines, and symmetry. They can practice applying these principles by taking pictures and analyzing their compositions for discussions with their classmates.
  • Portrait Photography: Students should learn how to take portraits and experiment with different angles, lighting, and backgrounds. They can practice taking portraits of their classmates and friends and learn how to capture natural expressions and emotions in their photos.
  • Landscape Photography: Teach how to take landscape photos and experiment with different perspectives, angles, and lighting. They can practice taking photos of the natural environment or urban landscapes and learn about the importance of composition in landscape photography.
  • Black and White Photography: In this lesson, students learn how to take black and white photos and how to use contrast and lighting to create dramatic and impactful images. They can practice taking photos in black and white and learn about the history and aesthetics of black and white photography.
  • Action Photography: In this lesson, students learn how to capture movement and freeze it in a photograph. They can practice taking action photos of sports, dance, or other fast-moving subjects and learn about the techniques and equipment needed for action photography.
  • Night Photography: Students will learn how to take photos at night and experiment with different lighting techniques. They can practice taking photos of the stars, the moon, or cityscapes at night and learn about the challenges and rewards of night photography.
  • Still-Life Photography: In this lesson, students learn how to set up and photograph a still-life scene. They can practice using lighting, composition, and props to create an interesting and visually appealing still-life photo.
  • Street Photography: Teach students how to take candid photos of people and scenes from everyday life. They can practice capturing candid moments like laughing or talking and learn about the ethics and considerations of street photography, including local laws that affect taking photos.
  • Food Photography: Teach how to take appetizing and visually appealing photos of food. They can practice using lighting, composition, and props to create a mouth-watering food photo.

You can find the best photography schools here.

The History of Photography for Kids: A Simplified Summary

kids with cameras

Martin Bekerman

The history of photography is a fascinating and colorful one that dates back over two thousand years.

If you’d like to talk about how it all originated in your photography lessons, here is a brief overview of the history of photography for kids aged 10+.

  • The earliest known photograph was taken in the early 19th century by a French inventor named Joseph Nicéphore Niépce . He used a camera obscura (a small, dark room with a hole in the wall) to capture an image of the view from his window. This photograph is called the “View from the Window at Le Gras” and is considered the first photograph ever taken.
  • In the 1830s, a British scientist named William Henry Fox Talbot developed a process called “calotype” which allowed people to make multiple copies of a photograph. This process used paper coated with silver chloride, which turned black when exposed to light.
  • In the 1850s, a French photographer named Louis Daguerre developed the daguerreotype process, which used a polished silver plate to capture an image. The daguerreotype process produced very detailed and high-quality photographs, but it was expensive and time-consuming.
  • In the late 19th century, the wet plate collodion process was developed, which allowed people to take photographs more quickly and inexpensively. This process used a glass plate coated with a chemical mixture that became light-sensitive when wet.
  • In the early 20th century, the first color photographs were developed. One of the most popular color photography processes was called “autochrome,” which used microscopic grains of starch dyed in three primary colors (red, green, and blue) to create a color image.
  • In the 1950s, the first modern digital cameras were developed, which used electronic sensors to capture images. Today, digital cameras are the most widely used type of camera, and people can take and share photos instantly using their smartphones.

Throughout its history, photography has transformed the way we see and understand the world.

It has also allowed us to capture and preserve memories, document important events, and share our experiences with others.

Photography for kids isn’t just about creativity and camera settings – it’s also important to show them how digital photography came to be, and some of the ‘old story’ of the days of the darkroom too.

See also: when were cameras invented?

Tips for Encouraging Children to Take Photos

girl-holding-camera

Kelly Sikkema

How do I encourage my child to turn the camera on?

If you want to encourage your child to turn the camera on, you can try the following strategies:

  • Make it easy to use: Consider using a camera that is easy for your child to turn on and off, such as a point-and-shoot camera or a smartphone camera. This one from Kidamento is a great choice.
  • Show them how: Demonstrate how to turn the camera on and off, and encourage your child to practice doing it themselves.
  • Make it fun: Encourage your child to take pictures of things that interest them, such as their favorite toys, pets, or places. This can make taking pictures more enjoyable and motivating. Give the child a camera in the morning and ask them to take 10 photos before lunchtime, for example.
  • Offer guidance and support: Offer guidance and support as needed, but also give your child the freedom to explore and experiment on their own. Review the photos the child has taken at the end of the day.
  • Be patient: Children may need more time and practice to learn how to turn the camera on and off, so it’s important to be patient and encouraging.
  • Reward their efforts: If your child is making an effort to turn the camera on and take pictures, be sure to praise and reward their efforts. This can help them feel more confident and motivated to continue learning.
  • Show them your photos: Show some of the first photos you ever took or more recent example photos.

How can I get my 4-year-old to take pictures?

Here are a few tips for encouraging your 4-year-old to take pictures:

  • Start with a simple camera: Children at this age may not have the patience or coordination to use a complicated camera, so it’s best to start with a simple point-and-shoot camera or a smartphone camera.
  • Explain the basics: Show your child how to turn the camera on and off, how to focus, and how to take a picture. Use simple language and demonstrate the steps using hands-on examples.
  • Encourage creativity: Encourage your child to take pictures of whatever interests them, whether it’s a tree in the park or their favorite toy. This can help them feel more motivated and engaged.
  • Offer guidance: Offer guidance and suggestions as needed, but also give your child the freedom to experiment and make their own decisions.
  • Be patient: Children at this age may need more time and practice to learn how to take pictures, so it’s important to be patient and encouraging.

By following these tips, you can help your 4-year-old learn to take pictures and have fun with photography.

Download Free Photography Cheat Sheets for Kids

photzy

Tons of great free content available to download.

Photzy is a great place to learn photography, with tons of ebooks packed full of photography lessons on everything from basic tips and camera handling skills to taking exhibition-worthy photos.

While much of their content is geared toward students and ‘older’ people, there are also a handful of excellent free photography cheat sheets you can download for kids.

Their e-books are well-designed and informative and provide tons of useful tips to help your photographers improve and get inspired.

You can download three free photography cheat sheets here >>

Final Words on Teaching Photography to Kids

I hope you got some good information about photography for kids from my article.

Most schools offer photography lessons for young students, but I haven’t come across any for younger kids.

That’s why it’s important to encourage younger children to pick up a camera earlier and start experimenting.

A child’s photos are a wonderful thing. Make sure you’re part of the learning process to encourage these new skills.

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Jeff Collier is an experienced film photographer who enjoys experimenting with modern digital photography equipment, software and apps. He’s also an ex-world champion triathlete and avid cyclist, clocking hundreds of km each week in the beautiful Tweed Valley of northern NSW, Australia.

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May 10, 2018 By Sixth-Bloom Leave a Comment

How to Teach Photography to Elementary Students

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Teaching photography basics to beginners through these tips and activities will answer all your questions on How to Teach Photography to Elementary Students.  Teaching photography to to kids is so rewarding and fun that it will stretch your creativity as a teacher too.  

I am SO excited about this post…Why?  Because today’s post is written all by an elementary student who is 11 years old and learning photography.  She is sharing what she knows to help you learn to teach your children and students photography.  Several years ago I held several Kids Photography Workshops and Summer Camps and we had a blast and those kids blew me away…so grab your camera and don’t shy away from teaching your kids photography skills!

Table of Contents

How to Teach Photography to Elementary Students

I remember the first time I experienced the world through a viewfinder. My Mom is a sports photographer and she let me use one of her cameras, a Canon 7D to capture my school field trip. As an 11 year old kid in today’s world we are far more tech-savvy which has helped in learning how to use a camera. My Mom placed her camera in my hands showing me the proper way to hold it. She then began to explain some basic rules to start with.

teaching photography basics

LEARN THE Photography BASICS

  • The most important concept in photography is “Fill the Frame” and “Rule of Thirds.”
  • “Fill the Frame” simply means your subject must fill the frame to remove distractions.
  • “Rule of Thirds” is to imagine breaking an image down into thirds (both horizontally and vertically) so that you have 9 parts. As follows.

how to teach photography

  • The theory is that if you place points of interest in the intersections or along the lines that your photo becomes more balanced and will enable a viewer of the image to interact with it more naturally.

Basic CAMERA SETTINGS

My Mom shoots with both Canon and Nikon cameras. A DSLR camera alone has a lot of different settings and can be overwhelming. However, once I learned what the different setting were used for I became more comfortable with using any camera. I first started out in Automatic which the camera makes all the decisions for you. I found our quickly that some of my images did not look great in low lighting situations. Sometimes, the camera can’t make the necessary adjustments for the environment you are in. After all it is just a camera.

how to teach photography to kids

After looking at some of my images my Mom explained to me what Shutter Priority is. It allows you to choose the shutter speed while your camera chooses the aperture. This mode is helpful when you want to control motion blur which is nice since my Mom photographs a lot of sports and there is always something in motion. I know I need to keep my shutter speed at 1/125 of a second. It makes it easier to get a clear shot. This setting I use a lot since I ‘m still learning how to make adjustments to the camera.

photography activities for students

Experiment with Photography Activities:

My Mom always encourages me to take the same shot from different angles (above, below, straight-on), distances, and with various backgrounds. We review my shots so I can describe the techniques used and discuss the outcome. This helps me to build on my skills.

teach photography basics

Practice is important when learning to make good photographs. Capturing the things I love in pictures makes the process more meaningful and fun for me. You might not see anything interesting to photograph in your living room or your backyard, but try looking at familiar surroundings with fresh eyes. You might catch an interesting trick of the light or find some unexpected wildflowers in your yard. Often, a simple subject makes the best shot. If you’re using a digital camera, the cost of errors is free. Go crazy – you might end up with something you like. You’ll certainly learn a lot in the process.

A few additional thoughts:  Are you interested in teaching a Kids Photography Workshop ?  Here is a guide to give you a checklist of everything you need to make your Kids Photography Workshop successful!!

If you are also looking Photography Activities for Students consider Click it Up A Notch – and their list of fun photo projects.

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15 Valuable Lessons to Teach Photography for Kids

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Teach a child photography , and their curiosity and creativity will skyrocket. But teaching photography for kids isn’t quite the same as teaching photography to adults. Chances are, adults already have an idea of what a good photograph is supposed to look like. This sets the bar too high from the start. But kids? Kids are naturally curious and expressive. They don’t yet have the creativity-squashing rules in their minds. Teaching photography for kids is less about learning rules . It’s more about allowing creativity to blossom. You might want to create formal photography classes for kids or teach your child the joys of photography. No matter which one is you, here are 15 valuable lessons to teach photography for kids.

Photography for Kids: Lessons to Learn

Camera care.

Photo of a little boy with a camera

Exploration

Photo of a young girl taking a photo with a Canon camera

The subject is one of the most basic and essential pieces of photography. Most kids understand, even innately, that a photo should have an object or person in it. Talk to them about what is in the photograph and what’s in the photograph that’s the most important. Introduce the term “subject” and ask them to think of other ways to photograph that same subject.

Perspective

Photography is a way of seeing — the camera helps young photographers show others their view of the world. Offer tips on perspective when teaching photography to kids. Especially if they only photograph everything at eye level. Encourage them to shoot while lying on the ground or standing on tiptoes. Suggest they try shooting the subject from another side.

Macro photo of a fly

An eye for detail is a great thing to have as a photographer. Encourage them to slow down before they take the picture. Is the camera being held straight? Is the subject crooked? Is there a random, distracting object in the photo that could be removed? This is a great time to each young photographers to look for distractions in the background too. Make suggestions on looking for distracting objects that could be left out with an adjustment in the perspective and zoom. Help them see awkward background placement. For example, a telephone pole sprouting out of the subject’s head. A great exercise to teach this is to try the opposite. Ask them to take funny pictures where their stuffed animal is wearing funny “hats”. These are objects in the background that appear to pop out of its head.

Storytelling

A photograph tells a story. Look over the child’s photos, and ask them to tell you a story about what’s going on in the photo. This exercise helps kids recognize that photographs tell a story .

Composition

Photo of a laptop, a camera, and a phone on a wooden desk

When you first give a child a camera, they will be using the auto area autofocus mode . As kids build a basic grasp of photography, show them single point autofocus mode (if their camera has one). Here they can select where the camera focuses using the arrow keys on the back of the camera. Place two objects on a table, one close to the camera and one farther away. Have them move the focal point over one, then the other, refocusing each time. This is a great way to introduce how focus varies based on distance.

Before teaching a child about exposure, teach them that there are different modes on the camera for different types of shoots . Show them sports mode for action shots and macro mode for close-ups . Show them both how to change the mode on the camera, and what each mode is best for. This helps build a foundation for learning exposure.

Kids with a firm grasp of basic photography concepts can even start diving into learning about exposure. Teach one aspect of exposure at a time — diving straight into manual mode is overwhelming, even for adults. Use simple language and lots of practice. Shutter speed : A visual aid may help teach kids shutter speed. Show a movie of a camera shutter at work. Explain how the shutter is a door that opens to take the picture and anything that moves while that door is open will blur. Find a moving object, like the family dog or a fan. Take a photo with a fast shutter speed and a slow shutter speed to show this. Encourage practice using shutter priority mode . Aperture : Visuals are helpful here too. Go outside on or before a rainy day with a narrow glass and a wide bucket. Ask him which one he thinks will collect more rain — then wait and see if he’s right. Explain that, like a wider bucket gathers more water, a wider aperture gathers more light. Then, introduce the concept of depth of field . Ask them to take a photo at a wide aperture and then the same photo at a narrow aperture. Compare how the background in the two images looks.

Photo of a little girl taking photos in the woods

Common Questions About Photography for Kids

What do photography classes teach.

Photography classes teach students how to use a camera . And how to turn the idea in their mind into a physical photograph. Some common topics include exposure , focus , editing , and more.

What Do You Learn in Digital Photography?

In a digital photography class, you’ll learn the essentials. These include shutter speed , aperture , ISO , focus modes and more. With digital photography, you’ll also learn how to see the beauty in a scene to create an image.

What Is the Best Beginner Camera for a Child?

The best beginner camera for a child is a camera that’s durable, easy to use, and offers different shooting modes. Waterproof cameras are great for kids because they are hard to destroy. An older child may do well with a used, inexpensive DSLR or mirrorless camera . The best digital camera for a teenager is often an entry-level mirrorless or DSLR camera.

What Do You Teach Kids About Photography?

Photo of a little girl with a camera

Popular Content

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

13 Lessons to Teach Your Child About Digital Photography

A Post By: Darren Rowse

Teach-Children-About-Digital-Photography

Today while sorting through some old boxes I found a photo album filled with the first ever photos that I took as a young budding photographer. I was around nine years old when I first started using our family’s film point and shoot camera and I still remember my Dad’s ‘training’ on how to use it. Basically it consisted of this advice:

‘Don’t take too many shots’

Remember, this was back in the day of film photography where film and processing costs made my Dad’s advice pretty sound. However looking back over my early images I wish he’d taught me a few other things about taking photos. Here’s some of the advice I could have benefited from hearing.

Note – before I start I should say that you can probably teach a child too much about photography and ‘kill’ some of the playfulness that I think makes the images that a child can take special. My main advice would be to instill in your child the first lesson below – of experimenting and having fun:

1. Experiment

Experiment

  • shoot from different perspectives – up high , down low etc
  • getting in close – stepping back for a wider angle shot
  • moving around your subject to shoot from different sides
  • experimenting with different settings (teaching them about different exposure modes)

2. Check your Backgrounds

Backgrounds

Teach your children to scan the background (and the foreground) of an image quickly and to change their framing if there’s too many distractions – otherwise their shots will end up like mine used to with all kinds of objects growing out of the heads of those I was photographing.

Read more about How to Get Backgrounds Right

3. Hold the Camera Straight

Straight

While shots that are not straight can be quite effective (they can be playful or give a more ‘candid’ feel to them) it is good to teach your children to check the framing of their shot before hitting the shutter.

Read more on Getting Horizons Horizontal and Getting Images Straight

4. How to Hold a Camera

Holding-Camera

A quick lesson on securing your camera could help a child get clear, shake free images for years to come.

Further Reading on How to Hold a Digital Camera

5. Get in Close

Get-In-Close

Teach your children how to use the zoom on your digital camera – but don’t forget to teach them how using their legs to move closer can achieve the same results!

Learn more about Filling Your Frame

6. Take Lots of Photos

Lots-Of-Shots-1

While you probably will want to encourage your children not to take 100 shots of exactly the same thing – encourage them to experiment with lots of different shots over time and as they do you’ll see their photography improve.

7. Getting the Balance Right Between Photographing People, ‘Things’ and Places

People-Places

I chatted to a friend with two children recently and she told me that one of her children did the same thing with me – but the other came back from a school trip with hundreds of photos of their friends but none of the sites that they saw. I guess some children get too focused on photographing sites and some too focused upon photographing people. If you see your child doing this – perhaps reflect back to them that they think about different types of photography.

8. Find a Point of Interest

Points-Of-Interest

Once they’ve identified the point of interest they can then think about how to highlight it (by positioning themselves, using their zoom etc).

Learn more about Finding Points of Interest in Your Photography

9. Rule of Thirds

Rule-Of-Thirds-1

Even if the child doesn’t completely understand to position their subject right on the intersecting third points – to teach them how to place their subject off centre can be enough.

Read our Rule of Thirds Tutorial

10. Review Your Children’s Images with Them

Review-Photos-Together-1

As you scroll through them pause to affirm them with what they’ve done well and to point out things that they could do better next time to improve their results. Pay particular attention to the shots that they do well with as this will give them positive reinforcement and inspiration to keep going with their hobby.

11. Focal Lock

Focal-Lock

Teach your child how to press the shutter halfway down to focus and then to frame the shot while still holding it down and they’ll have a skill that they’ll use forever!

Learn how to Use Focal Lock

12. Different Modes for Different Situations

Digital-Camera-Modes-2

Just knowing that different situations will mean you need to use different settings is an important lesson for kids to learn as it helps them to become more aware of not only their subject but things like how light, focal distance and subject movement can impact a shot.

Read our tutorial on Different Camera Modes

13. Exposure Settings

Exposure-1

The best way for them to learn this is by introducing them to Aperture and Shutter priority modes.

Learn more about different aspects of exposure including Shutter Speed , Aperture and ISO .

What do You Teach Your Children?

Of course deciding which of the above lessons for kids on photography to teach your child will depend upon their age and experience. Some are obviously more appropriate for some children than others. I’d be interested to hear what readers do when it comes to this topic? What have you taught your kids?

With my own son (who is 16 months old) we’re obviously not up to any of these – however I am teaching him to become familiar with cameras – showing him images once they’ve been taken on the LCD, letting him look through the viewfinder and even pressing the shutter. This familiarization is really nothing more than that – but in doing so he’s becoming more comfortable with cameras – and I’ve noticed when I’m photographing him (which does happen a lot) he’s much more happy to pose for me.

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13 Lessons to Teach Your Child About Digital Photography

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Darren Rowse

is the editor and founder of Digital Photography School and SnapnDeals .

He lives in Melbourne Australia and is also the editor of the ProBlogger Blog Tips . Follow him on Instagram , on Twitter at @digitalPS or on Google+ .

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15 Fun Photography Lessons for Kids

Paul Skidmore

In today’s modern world, it is difficult to teach your children new skills. It is easy for children to simply sit in front of a TV or tablet – absorbed in the latest series or YouTube sensation.

If you have a love of photography, why not try and teach your children about this wondrous hobby? Photography can bring endless fun and opportunities. It is something you can learn together.

To help, we’ve got 15 fun and educational photography lessons for kids.

Photography lessons for kids graphic showing three kids with cameras.

Easy & Fun Ways to Teach Kids Photography:

These are basic tips but will help your children find their way and ease gently into the subject.

If you have some photography knowledge, you will undoubtedly know these photography basics already. On the other hand, you may learn something new too!

The most important thing is that these tips give children a great insight into photography and how a camera works.

Getting your children interested in photography can be exciting for the both of you!

Before we start, please remember that learning should be fun. Watching your children explore how a camera works, and taking their first photos, should be a treasured memory. Don’t force them to learn. If they have a genuine interest in photography, then help it flourish. Let them learn at their own pace, and gently encourage them with these 15 photography lessons for kids.

The Fundamentals

Lesson 1: the basics of framing using a diy viewfinder.

A DIY viewfinder can easily be made with a piece of card

Understanding what a camera takes photos of is often overlooked. This is why we have included it first in our list of photography lessons for kids. This is a basic principle of photography – what you see through the viewfinder, is what your camera will take a photo of – and only that.

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Consider creating a simple cardboard camera cutout with a viewfinder cut into it. Your child looks through the cardboard viewfinder cutout and thus understands this basic principle. This cutout can also be used later to teach other rules and techniques.

Before your kids get hands-on with a camera, you can use a simple cutout (like the one in this template) to get them used to the viewfinder.

Lesson 2: The Meanings of Basic Photography Terms Such as Depth, Focus, and Aperture

This lesson doesn’t have to be in-depth or overly complicated. However, a simple list of photography terms, like those of the exposure triangle , can really help your child understand more about the subject.

Consider using cue cards, or a small printed document for them to keep. This could contain different words such as focus, depth of field, aperture, exposure, and shutter speed. Try to keep the terminology simple, and always explain these terms using your camera and real examples.

Using flash cards can help your child to learn the important key terms photographers use.

Lesson 3: How to Handle a Camera

As far as photography lessons for kids go, holding the camera is a great place to start. A DSLR camera is tricky to hold. Even a basic point-and-shoot camera requires a certain grip. Let your children hold the camera. Show them the grips and the various buttons and wheels. In addition to this, let them look through the viewfinder.

A key photography lesson for kids is how to hold the camera.

Once they are comfortable with the camera layout, show them the best way to hold the camera. Then explain why this is the best way, i.e. to keep the camera stable and to easily access the buttons.

Refining Technique

Lesson 4: the importance of a point of interest.

We truly are starting with the basics in this list of photography lessons for kids. What should every photo have? A point of interest, or a central subject. When starting photography, children are pleased to snap away and as a result, their photos will lack basic compositional skills .

In most cases, they will simply snap what they see without any forethought.

This is why they should understand the importance of a point of interest in the frame. Explain to them how a photo should have a main point of interest that the viewer’s eyes are drawn towards. Furthermore, explain how a central subject can help create a story or give meaning to a photo.

 The mechanical tree creates a central focal point for this photo

Lesson 5: The Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is one of the simplest photography lessons. And by teaching your children this rule, they greatly improve the basic quality of their photos. The rule of thirds is difficult to verbally explain, so consider using visual aids.

The rule of thirds grid is a great compositional tool.

Show them example photos where the rule has been correctly and incorrectly used. When they start to understand it, let them practice using the rule – give them objects to photograph and show them how to frame the object in the best way.

As with shooting straight horizons, also consider placing a grid overlay onto their camera. A grid can help children understand the rule of thirds, and capture their subjects in the correct framing.

 The main subject i.e. the rock, uses the rule of thirds for positioning

Lesson 6: Exploring Perspective Through Angles and Positions

Photography involves movement and experimentation. When a child first handles a camera, they will generally stand still, with arms outstretched, and photograph whatever is in front of them – from a static position. While this is ok to learn the basics, children need to understand the benefit of changing position, and using different angles.

This road has been shot low-down which makes it appear longer and stretched out

Show them how physically moving changes the composition of a photo. Teach them about the difference in height. Show them different angles , such as crouching down low, or climbing up high. Take a series of different photos with varying angles and positions and show them the different results.

Lesson 7: The Importance of a Straight Horizon

This is possibly the simplest tip in our photography lessons for kids. Using this tip, your children can improve the quality of their photos easily. When taking a landscape shot, (or any shot for that matter) the horizon must be straight. An uneven or angled horizon can cause a distraction and upset the whole balance of a photo.

Teach your children about horizons and straight lines. Show them both good and bad examples of landscape photography. Let them try and take shots with perfectly straight horizons. Furthermore, to help, use a grid overlay on their camera so that they can get used to taking straight photos.

 This beach landscape has a perfectly straight horizon

Lesson 8: Composing with the Background in Mind

An important part of photography lessons for kids is to understand the significance of background objects. While the main subject is important, attention must be given to the background too. Children must understand how background objects can add or detract attention from the main subject.

The background setting can completely alter the flow of a composition. It can take away from the main subject or create the illusion of an uneven photo. Show your children examples of complementary background settings. Give them examples of how a bad background can ruin the composition of a photo.

 Look how the background complements the foreground object

Creativity and Independence

Lesson 9: the importance of diversity.

Children often become fixated on one particular subject. They may, for example, love taking macro photos of insects and flowers. While this isn’t a bad thing, you should encourage them to photograph a wide variety of subjects.

Your child may take to one genre of photography. While this is great, it's also important to encourage kids to explore different genres too.

Strike a balance between allowing them to pursue their own interests, and also showing them different photo subjects so that they gain a wide range of skills. This could include portraits, landscape, macro, wide-angle, black and white, and long exposure, for example. The more they learn, the better their repertoire will be.

Lesson 10: Experimenting with Light and Shadows

Light and shadow play an integral role in photography. Without light and shadow, photos lack depth and detail. Moreover, the photos often look flat and lifeless. A strong source of light (i.e. natural sunlight), totally changes the composition of a photo. When used correctly, light creates added dimensions to photos. It creates fantastic shadows and contrast.

Show your children the importance of light . Maybe even show them the difference between a photo lacking in natural light and a photo that uses light perfectly. Explain to them how shadows work and the effect light has on colors and highlights.

 Look how the light in the Pantheon creates interesting shadows on the roof

Lesson 11: The Good and the Bad of the Flash

In general, camera flashes are to be avoided. This might seem counter-intuitive, but using a flash should generally be kept to studio environments. Children often use a flash as they think that it allows them to take remarkable light photos in dark situations. This is indeed what a flash does, however on a standard camera, the effect isn’t great.

Kids may want to use the flash on their cameras. An important photography lesson is to know when the flash should and shouldn't be used.

A standard camera flash is basic – it can’t be changed or toned down like a proper DSLR flash attachment. The result is a harsh flash that overly illuminates the subject. Explain to your children how this is not a desirable effect. Furthermore, show them how a flash is effectively used, i.e. to create soft and welcoming light, for example.

Lesson 12: Two Photos Are Better Than One

As one of our top photography lessons for kids, we look at quantity. Remember when cameras used film? We did not have the luxury of an SD memory card that holds thousands of photos. Quantity was limited. Once the film was used, that was it!

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

This is not the case today. To that end, ensure your children understand that it is OK to take multiple photos. You don’t need to tell your child to limit their number of shots. It is unlikely that a child will fill a whole memory card. If they do, it doesn’t matter!

Lesson 13: Take Pride in Your Kit and Care for It

A DSLR camera and accessories are expensive. And photographers often spend thousands on their kit. Due to this fact, it is important that your children take pride in their equipment. Try to instill in them a sense of ownership. If they are using your DSLR camera, they should understand its value and the cost to replace it if it was broken.

Let your children look after their equipment. Buy them a basic cleaning kit and encourage them to use it. Give them the responsibility and place the ownership with them. By doing this, they will develop greater respect and reverence. Furthermore, they will learn to maintain the camera – clean it and keep it in working order.

Related Post: Essential Photography Equipment for Beginners

Lesson 14: Exploration Is Key to Creativity

While structure and learning are important, you must also let your children find their own way. If they enjoy a particular type of photography, such as landscape, or macro – let them explore it. Children have their own likes and dislikes. They also have their own personalities, and these are key to helping them learn.

 This road has been shot low-down which makes it appear longer and stretched out Children are natural explorers, it's important that they foster this exploration attitude with their photography too.

Try not to stifle their personality and suppress their own choices. Just because you love architectural photography, doesn’t mean that your child has to, for example.

If you dictate the process and tell them what to learn, the results can be lessened, and your child may find photography boring and a chore. Photography is a craft that requires creativity and imagination – you should help these qualities flourish in your children.

Lesson 15: Practice Makes Perfect

Remember this phrase! This is one of the most important photography lessons for kids. A child won’t learn how to use a camera instantly. The process takes time. Repetition is key. Furthermore, the more they use a camera, the more skilled they become.

 When your child is out shooting, remind them that practice makes perfect. Praise them for good shots and reflect on the ones they feel aren't so good.

If your child only uses your camera once a month, for example, the learning process takes longer. Therefore, it is important to strike a balance. Ensure they gain enough practice so that their skills develop at a reasonable pace.

Alternatively, don’t force them to practice photography too much. It’s also important to remember that kids quickly become bored. Practice makes perfect, but balance is also key.

Photography Lessons for Kids Summed Up

Summary of the 15 photography lessons for kids.

Helping your children learn can bring new meaning to your life. Watching them take photos and learn different aspects of photography is hugely rewarding. You gain a sense of pride and accomplishment.

While doing this, your children have fun, strengthen their bond with you, develop their own skills, and gain a new appreciation of the world through the lens of a camera.

We hope you have found these 15 photography lessons for kids useful. Please let us know if you have had success teaching your own children!

About the Author

Paul skidmore.

A seasoned content creator at PhotoWorkout, Paul merges his love for traveling and photography to craft insightful articles. With a solid grasp of Adobe Lightroom and Photoshop, he enjoys testing new photo software, apps, and gear. His background in web development further enriches his photography endeavors. Connect with him on LinkedIn .

5 thoughts on “15 Fun Photography Lessons for Kids”

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As a retired teacher, I found your tips to be good, not quite a lesson plan but a guide and starting point. As you mentioned, the key is to keep it simple and fun. My grandson and I did a lesson/walking tour with my Rebel t6i with a zoom lens on it. At first I pointed out things to photograph such as “that chain going across the drive way” and “the ocean between the hills” or “the remote”. Eventually he chose the image and some had stories behind them, like the window of an upstairs bedroom framed by shrubbery was a secret hide out of a gang. It was a lot of fun and a great bonding exercise. He did quite well at it and I took his images and made his first photography book using Snapfish.

photoworkout author

Happy to hear that you found our photography tips for kids good. Photography can indeed be a fun and bonding thing to do and create memories that will last forever.

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I am a Children and Newborn photographer and have been asked by a local homeschool group to teach a class on photography.

Your tips are great and I will be using them to guide my very young students. Thank you for posting this valuable information. ☺️

Keeping it simple seems to be the key. I tend to over complicate, so this layout is perfect.

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Hi, this is exactly what I am looking for, for my granddaughter. do you have this in a printed format so that I can give it to her?

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Thanks for sharing, very useful for a Scout looking to learn a new skill!

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Photography Lesson Plan: Documenting Learning with Digital Cameras

Submitted by: angela watson.

In this lesson plan, which is adaptable for grades K-12, students use BrainPOP and/or BrainPOP Jr. resources to explore the functions of digital cameras. Students will then use a digital camera to take photos which utilize simple photography composition principles. Students use their photos to share ideas and information with peers and the community, both in person and online.

Lesson Plan Common Core State Standards Alignments

Students will:.

  • Demonstrate an understanding of basic digital camera functions.
  • Utilize simple photography composition principles when taking photographs.
  • Use a digital camera to take photos and use them to share ideas and information.
  • Internet and BrainPOP access
  • One digital camera for each student or group of students (phone cameras and iPad cameras are acceptable)
  • Several inspiring digital photos to use as examples

Vocabulary:

Preparation:, lesson procedure:.

  • Show students some of your favorite photographs in digital form (shared on a blog, website, etc.) These may be personal photos or those of famous photographers.
  • Ask students to notice what makes the photos visually strong and appealing. What techniques have the photographers used to convey emotions, ideas, or information? Encourage students to notice the use of color, various angles, zoom functions, etc.
  • Facilitate a discussion around a unit of study your class has been completing. How would students like to document their learning using photography? They could take photos of projects or presentations, interview sources and take their pictures, capture photographs of related resources (for example, a life or earth science unit might inspire some outdoor photos taken in the community or on a field trip), or take photos to document experiments or experiences in and of school. Encourage students to be creative! Let the class know you will consider their ideas for documenting learning with photography and develop the project around their suggestions.
  • Tell students you are going to share a BrainPOP movie to help them build their photography skills before they begin taking pictures. Use BrainPOP Jr.'s movie Taking Photos for K-3 classes and BrainPOP's movie Photography for grades 4-12.
  • You may want to use the  Worksheet to help older students broaden their understanding of photography concepts. For younger students, use the Talk About It feature.
  • For homework, have students reflect on their own favorite photo. They may wish to show their photos to the class in a follow-up lesson. Younger students can use the Write About It page to help them document their thoughts.
  • The following day, share the project guidelines with students. Provide time in and/or out of class for students to take their photographs. You can assist K-3 students in this activity during centers or independent work time by pulling small groups of students to take their photos with your help.
  • Assist students in uploading photos to a class blog, wiki, Flickr account, or Voicethread. Allow students to share and comment on one another's photography.

Extension Activities:

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

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Home » Lifestyle » Photography for Kids: Activities They Can Do!

One of my friends wants to give her son a project and thought a photography one would be fun! I love this idea and wanted to give you some ideas to do photography for kids.

Use what you can to get your child started on their photography journey.

Table to Contents

Photography for kids: ages 5-10.

  • Activity Ideas for Kids photography:Ages 5-10

Photography for Kids: Ages 10+

  • Activity Ideas for Kids Photography: Ages 10+

You may not be able to teach them as many photography skills at this age but you can familiarize them with a camera and give them different activities they can have fun doing.

Start teaching them the basics like how to hold the camera. How to press the shutter button. You can also show them how to view their photos to make sure they captured what they wanted to capture. 

Kids this age can understand different types of cameras as well. Show them a DSLR, polaroids, a point and shoot, and don’t forget about the camera we all have in our back pockets, your cell phone!

Photography for kids can start pretty early on in a child’s life. The skill and hobby can really develop over the years.

Don’t forget kids learn through play, let them PLAY!

Stuffed animal sitting under child's feet. Photography for kids is a fun activity for all.

Read more: How to get started teaching kids about photography

Activity ideas for kids photography: Ages 5-10

Learn their colors.

Have the child walk around the house or outside and look for things of a certain color and photograph them. 

They will start to notice color patterns everywhere and that is really fun!

Starts with…

Ask them to find objects that start with a certain letter and photograph them. Make your way through the alphabet if you have time!

They could either find objects that start with the letters in their name or they could look for things that look like letters to make their name.

Take it to the next level by creating their name and printing it off to hang in their room! This is a great way to boost their confidence in photography.

My favorite things

Ask the child to take a photograph of their five favorite things. Favorite color, food, friend, toy, activity, etc.

You can take this one step further by letting them create a slideshow to show friends and family. 

Family tree

Have the child take some portraits of their family, don’t forget the pets! You can have them take a photograph of anyone in their family, immediate or extended.

Then create a tree on paper or the computer and make their own special family tree. 

Child wearing pink sunglasses, pink shirt, and holding a pink camera in front of a white wall. Photography for kids is easier than you might think.

Start with composition

You can teach this age range even more about photography. Start with some basics in composition.

Teaching your child how to add variety to their photo with composition will help them tell a better story with their photos.

Rule of thirds

This basic compositional guide of rule of thirds that has been used by artist and photographers alike for many years. Simply have them view their scene as if a tic-tac-toe board was over it. Place the subject on one of the intersecting lines.

Draw it out on another photo to help them have a visual. Let them practice drawing it too.

This is an important skill to know when photographing people or animals. In short, don’t crop your subject if the joint bends.

Start by making making sure they include the whole body in a single shot. After they have that down, have the child show you where each joint bends.

Then remind them NOT to crop the subject there. Limb chopping is a very common mistake but easily avoidable if they practice. 

Leading lines

This is one of my favorites and a more advanced technique. Look for lines that will guide the viewers eye through the frame and lead them to the subject.

You will find lines on sidewalks, on buildings, even using an arm can be a leading line.

Go on a walk with them and find 3 examples of lines. Have them photograph those as leading lines .

Child holding phone taking a picture. photography for kids.

Fill the frame

If you have an interesting subject, don’t be afraid to fill the entire frame with it. Try to photograph bicycle wheel, a flower, or a fun pattern!

Sometimes up close and personal can make a photograph very unique.

Negative space

Another powerful composition technique is to add negative space. You can do this by leaving empty space in the photograph so the subject really stands out. This can create a dramatic look and will make the subject pop.

Child laying on white carpet with feet up in front of the fireplace. Using negative space.

You can tackle lighting as well.

Since lighting is such a main component to photography, it is important for children to learn how to utilize it.

Catchlights

This is extremely important to understand when it comes to lighting as adding catchlights can give your subject such a sparkle to their eye.

Practice by standing in front of a window and have them take photographs of you looking in different directions and using different angles. This will help show an example of catch lights.

Backlighting

Backlighting is achieved by placing the main source of light behind the subject. It can be best achieved during golden hour.

By learning to use backlighting can add a nice glow and warmth to your kid’s photos.

Go out for a walk a hour or so before the sunset. Find a nice warm light and place the subject in front of it facing the camera not the light. This will help them practice backlighting.

Often times we are inside without a lot of natural light. Learning to see low light and understanding how to use it in your photos allows your child to play with all different types of light.

This is also a chance to teach when might be a better time for a photograph. If the light is too low and you can’t quite capture what you want, try another time.

Window light

The most popular type of natural light. Sometimes window light can create nice soft lighting. Other times it is very bright and harsh.

Knowing what kind of light you have available and how to position your subject using window light can help create depth and dimensions with shadows.

Play with creating big shadows for dramatic lighting in a photograph.

Child in front of window holding green camera printing off a polaroid. Showing photography for kids.

Activity ideas for kids photography: Ages 10+

Skill building.

Before you give them an activity you can have them practice the skills you want them to learn.

If you want to focus on composition, have them read the above posts.

They can choose one skill a day.

Ask them to create 3-5 images displaying that composition guide.

Have them take a photograph of anything and write a story about it.

It could be of children at the park. Name the children and create a story behind them.

This will help their language arts skills as well as their creativity.

Scavenger hunt

Create a list of 20 items they need to find in the house or in the yard.

Hand over the camera and have them photograph the options as they find them.

Be sure to throw in something of a challenge.

ABC’s

Have them photograph something that starts with each letter of the alphabet.

Take it to the next level and have them create a slideshow or print them off and showcase their work.

Create a blog

You could give them their own corner of the internet. Feel free to keep their blog private for only family to view if you choose.

They can post their images, add captions, and record what they are learning.

If you’re not sure how to start a blog, we have just the resource here for you: How to Start a Photography Blog

Child in yellow dress holding a pink camera. Taking a photograph of a doll in a blue dress. Photography for kids example.

Feel free to take their photos and stories and compile them in a digital photo album for them. How excited would they be to have their own book of their own images!

Why stop there? Why not take on your own photography activity?

Are you ready to capture those everyday moments and turn them into lasting memories? Take our 30 day challenge TODAY!

What are some photography activities you have done with your children?

Learn it all, step-by-step, with me, the force behind Click it Up a Notch, a Huffington Post Top 5 Blogs for momtographers.

A former teacher who got into photography to capture my beautiful family, I am eager to share what I’ve learned over the past 5 years & open the door to photography for other moms.

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I love this idea, especially now that my little guy has a camera of his own!

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Good luck with your move, I hope everything will go as smooth as possible!!

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I really like these ideas. I think they will make a fun week of activities for my kids before we start back to school!

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What fantastic ideas! Both my older children have cameras of their own and have asked me to help them learn, now I have some great activities. Thank you!

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no this comment so old

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Awesome ideas!! Love the one about writing a story to go along with the picture. Makes each picture so much more meaningful.

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My grandchildren love the scavenger hunt photo shoots. I always try and get them to be creative. This last time one of the things was glasses so my youngest 7 yr old made glasses out of rocks and sticks! They also had fun with a Barbie photo shoot- they posed them in different positions, changed their clothes and added other Barbies to make groups. It was a great way to get practice and their subjects never complained about changing clothes or getting hot!!

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Love the idea of them photographing their Barbie! So clever!!! And love the willing model :O)

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Thank you so much for this idea! I have been wanting to do this with my 3 and eight year olds but had no idea where to start!

Awesome! Hope you all have fun doing these activities!

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Hi Courtney,

These are all very great techniques. I used some of them while teaching my own course on Kids Photography. Please feel free to share with your followers a special $10 off coupon with the coupon code ‘courtneysdeal’ or clicking this direct link: https://www.udemy.com/photography-for-kids-online-course/?couponCode=courtneysdeal

Thanks for all your support and your great work! Phil

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Wow! Had I learned the composition rules and the basics about lighting before the age of 10, as you recommend it, I probably would have evolved much faster in becoming a skilled photographer (while I liked to take travel photos, I had to learn the basic composition criteria while taking my professional certificate as a photographer before realizing what I did wrong and what I could do to improve my shots). Knowing these at a young age makes you have more time to practice and take advantage of every occasion you encounter for taking beautiful photos.

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Love the abc idea! http://www.daniellegeriphotography.com

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my daughter photographs one thing a week that makes her happy and we plan on making a little book for her out of them.

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These are great ideas, thanks for sharing. They will be so helpful with the career day presentation for my daughter’s classroom.

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These are such great tips! Thank you so much- I will definitely use this with my daughter!

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Just started teaching photography to K – 5th graders…. these are some great ideas! Please keep them coming!

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Thanks! Enjoy teaching those little ones.

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can you suggest some gear for the new born photographers ?

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Love this ideas! now I need 3 cameras for my 3 girls… difficult! mmm

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Thanks for this great information. My 11 year-old daughter needs to present information to her Girl Scout troop so they can work on their Digital Photography badge and your tips and examples are wonderful! The activities you suggest will be a great addition, too. TY!

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Why is there no ages 11-16?

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I have a problem with the child proof toy cameras like the one shown in the picture: the shutter speed is so slow that it’s really hard (in my experience) for a 3 year old to old to hold the camera steady enough to take a recognizable picture, and also the screen is so small they can’t really see the picture they took.

I suggest trying an old iPhone or iPod touch (with a sturdy case probably). The camera is much more forgiving to the unsteady hand of my 4 year old, and its much easier for her to look at the picture she just took. But one problem is that it can be hard for them to hold the phone and press the shutter without having fingers in front of the lens, but I’m wondering if some better case would help. And I also don’t like to expose young kids to iphone/ipod/ipod in general. For that, I suggest locking the phone/ipod with a passcode: the camera is still accessible from the lock screen, but at least they won’t watch youtube.

I wish a toy company comes up with an hybrid kid camera with a large touchscreen that is easy to hold so I can get the best of both world.

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For a photographer kids photography is fun but also very challenging because you don’t know what kids really want to do.For asucessfulkids photography session you have to friendly with kids togive them a comfort zone. Baby Photography Adelaide

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Thanks for this article, all pictures are toy camera pics, I wonder if you could recommend a digital or instant camera for a 10 year old kid

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Love all these ideas! Just wondering, what has been the solution for printing pics out. An “instant” photo camera would be ideal for my 6 yr olds but it works out to be SO expensive!!!! What does everyone else do?

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Thanks for the article Courtney, I was asked to teach basic photography to kids from 6 – 10 years of age. To be honest, I was clueless about how to go about it. After reading this article, I get a fair idea on how to go about it as it is quite challenging to teach photography to very young kids. Moreover, the list of activities you provided will help me in getting the necessary confidence to give the children a taste of photography.

I really owe one to you since I am not married and I do not know how a young mind works, specially when it comes to photography. Thanks a ton for the article. I am sure to trouble you in case I have some questions in mind regarding the same matter.

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This is such a great idea! My kids would love to do this too. My daughter would love to take pictures of here baby sister.

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This is a great idea for kids! I want to do it to #gialsz

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My daughter is going to her grandparents’ to spend 2 weeks with her brother and sister and cousins. I wish I had this in a book format she could take with her. Just throwing out an idea here, but if you ever compile a book I would totally purchase it!!!

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Great article, it was very helpful! I just started in this and I’m getting to know it better! Cheers, keep up the good work! Photography for kids

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May I share this great post with others through the National 4H website? They have a photography book series and they are also looking for great ideas to share with others.

Yes, feel free :)

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I love these ideas! As a fun game, I give kiddos an iphone to take photos with me during family photoshoots (it helps them get more comfortable with the camera and with me). These games and tips will come in handy… especially with the little ones around 5.

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My 12 year old granddaughter is interested in photography so these ideas are perfect timing for me. We will be camping together this weekend and I’m going to try some of this. Thanks for the ideas.

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This is EXCELLENT !! Thank you for sharing.

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8 Educational Photography Resources to Spark Creativity

Aperture is invested in providing resources for photography enthusiasts looking to develop their knowledge of the medium, as well as to educators who want to teach their students visual literacy skills. From educational titles written by the world’s top photographers to Aperture’s free twenty-lesson photography curriculum (Aperture On Sight), we’ve gathered a variety of educational resources and activities to inspire those who are eager to engage with the craft of photography.

Activities for kids:

Go Photo! An Activity Book for Kids By Alice Proujansky

Go Photo! features twenty-five creative hands-on activities inspired by photography. Aimed at children between eight and twelve years old, this playful and fun collection of projects encourages young readers to experiment with their imaginations, get messy with materials, and engage with the world in new and exciting ways.

Try “Little Me,” a fun and engaging activity from Go Photo! today.

two images of sports balls side by side

Visual Dominoes Activity From Aperture On Sight

Visual Dominoes is a game that challenges students to create a sequence of images by finding visual connections. To play, download, print, and cut out the deck of cards provided by Aperture . Once you have all of the images, find a specific color in one of the photographs (like red), and place it next to another photograph that has the same color in it. Now find a shape in the second photograph, and place a photograph that has that same shape in it next to that one. Keep going like this, trying to find harder elements as you go, like composition or focus (color and shape are usually the easiest to notice).

A child's bedroom full of colorful toys

Signs and Symbols Activity From Aperture On Sight

Lesson Five from Aperture On Sight introduces signs and symbols and how they contribute to meaning in photographic images. Understanding that photographic content can function like a symbol—representing things not seen in the picture—encourages students to look for elements in their own work that stand in for something else. Have your students look at James Mollison’s book Where Children Sleep , part of which you can view in the Lesson Five slideshow . Have each student choose an object from their bedroom, and ask them to photograph the object against a colored poster-board backdrop to create a still life “self-portrait.”

Resources for college students and adults:

A white house at night, surrounded by snow, with light coming from the windows

PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice Edited and introduced by Sasha Wolf

Curator and lecturer Sasha Wolf was inspired to seek out and assemble artist responses to specific questions about their craft after hearing from countless young photographers that they often feel adrift in their own practice, wondering if they are doing it the “right” way. The responses, from both established and emerging photographers, reveal that there is no single path. PhotoWork is a collection of interviews with forty artists—Robert Adams, Dawoud Bey, Elinor Carucci, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Paul Graham, Rinko Kawauchi, Richard Renaldi, Alec Soth, and more—about their approaches to making individual photographs and a sustained a body of work. Structured as a Proust-like questionnaire, each individual answers the same set of questions; the resulting interviews provide essential insights and advice from both emerging and established photographers.

With wide-ranging conversations and inspiring artist talks, we offer over one hundred Aperture Conversations online . To list just two examples: hear from Elinor Carucci, Paul Graham, and Gus Powell on their processes of making photographs ; or delve into Diana Markosian’s exploration of immigration and identity through family .

Resources for educators:

The shadow of a man holding a child is illuminated on a wall, with a couple embracing in the foreground

Free Visual Literacy Curriculum

The Aperture On Sight curriculum is designed to teach visual literacy through working with photography and creating photobooks. It builds students’ abilities to communicate as visual storytellers and develops their creative and critical thinking, as well as building their capacity for academic and professional success. Educators can download all twenty lesson plans, plus a variety of resources, for free through Aperture’s website.

An elephant wrapping its trunk around a man's neck.

Workshop Books by Leading Photographers With Free Learning Guide Companions

For The Photography Workshop Series , Aperture Foundation works with the world’s top photographers to distill their creative approaches to, teachings on, and insights into photography—offering the workshop experience in a book. Our goal is to inspire photographers of all levels who wish to improve their work, as well as readers interested in deepening their understanding of the art of photography.

Aperture has created free learning guides for almost all of the Workshop Series titles. Aperture’s Education Department staff have organized each guide thematically, highlighting salient topics from the text. Within each theme, relevant chapters, passages, and vocabulary are noted, along with guiding questions to accompany specific images. You can download the free guides here .

Virtual Professional Development

Alice Proujansky, Aperture’s community partnerships coordinator and the author of Go Photo! An Activity Book for Kids , is available to provide direct educational services virtually, or over the phone. Aperture is also available to assist educators and schools in developing best practices and strategies on how to work with students who are learning from home. Proujansky was the lead curriculum writer for the Aperture On Sight program and is currently coordinator of the online program and all professional development activities. If interested, please email Alice Proujanksy and Emily Stewart, manager of education and engagement programs, at [email protected] .

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

View and download the full Aperture On Sight curriculum here .

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7 Ways to Use Digital Photography in The Classroom

Grab your camera or pull your phone out of your pocket! It’s time to snap some pics in your classroom,[…] Continue Reading

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

Grab your camera or pull your phone out of your pocket! It’s time to snap some pics in your classroom, or better yet, encourage your students to take some photos. By focusing your lens on the learning, you might just see some things you didn’t see before. So get ready … here are seven ideas for using digital photography in your classroom.

1. Photographer badge. Create a “Photographer” badge for your classroom. Encourage kids to sign up to take photos around the classroom. Turn the digital camera, iPad or other device over to the students and ask them to tell your learning story. Provide students an online space to publish their work, such as a classroom Edmodo group, a simple blog or a digital newsletter. You might just be inspired by their perspectives, and you’ll have all kinds of great photos to use in some of the projects below.

2. Participate in a Project 365.  A Project 365 is when you take one photo each day for the whole year. By taking a photo each day, you’re reminded of the good around you. You can use a website like ShutterCal for easy uploading each day or take your photos on Instagram and use a hashtag like #edugood or #T365 . Taking that moment to pause and notice the good really does make a difference. At the end of the month, you’ll have a record of lots of little bits of good that add up. If you miss a day, don’t worry: There are no late fees. 

3. End-of-year slideshow. What should you do with all these photos you’ve been taking throughout the year? Create an end-of-year slideshow for your students and give each student a copy to keep the school memories forever. Great songs to use include 10,000 Maniacs’ “These Are the Days,” Graham Colton’s “Best Days,” Green Day’s “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life),” Rascal Flatts’ “My Wish” and my personal favorite, Stephen Kellogg’s “Roots and Wings.”

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

You can check out a video I created using Corel Video Studio for my class a few years ago right here . It is always special to surprise your class with the slideshow at the end of the year, and better keep tissues on hand because there’s something about watching kids grow—set to a great song—that brings on the tears. Because the end of the year is always busy, I always start a folder in August called “slideshow,” then add the photos to it each month. At the end of year, you can dump all the photos into your favorite program and add your music for a quick video. 

4. Family connections. Show families what is happening in your classroom with a snap from your phone. Post the photos to a classroom blog, Edmodo or school website throughout the week. If there are concerns about student privacy, you can take photos that do not show students’ faces and just be sure not to put students’ names with them. You can show the learning that’s happening in your classroom whether or not students are in the photos, and parents will love getting a glimpse of what is going on in class. These photos are great to put on display at conference time. Create a book—either a photo album or a digital book—for parents to look through while waiting for their turn to chat.  

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

6. Invite students to decorate your classroom. Decorating your classroom can be expensive. But why not use your own classroom photos and encourage students to create motivational posters? Websites such as PicMonkey.com allow students to add text and edit photos. What better way for students to feel a part of a community than to take part in decorating it? The activity will open up great discussions on the reliability of quotes and fair use of photos. The googly-eye shots from idea #5 would be great for posters too.  

7. Change the world. Ask each student to write what they want to be when they grow up on a sheet of paper. Take a photo of them holding the paper. You can create a bulletin board display with the photos, or develop a collage and give each student a copy as an end-of-the-year keepsake. Either way, the photos will remind you just how much every single day in your classroom matters. The collage below was created with PhotoShop, but there are many other apps you can use, including Pic Collage . 

digital photography lesson plans for elementary students

There are hundreds of ways a camera can add to the learning environment in your classroom. It doesn’t need to be another chore for you to do as a teacher—you can enlist the help of your students. By taking the time to document the learning, you’re reminding them just how important they are. And you’re focusing on the good.  

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Digital Photography Project Intro to DSLR 6 Week Unit - High School Curriculum

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Unlock the world of photography with this comprehensive Introduction to DSLR Digital Photography Unit! Perfect for high school classrooms, this 6-week photography curriculum includes detailed lesson plans and activities to guide your students on a journey of learning the basics of digital photography using a DSLR camera. 

Teach your students the artistic side of digital photography and how to take professional-looking photographs, not just snapshots. This bundle pack is full of information to help your students grasp the concept of using a DSLR camera. Students are slowly introduced to different aspects of a digital camera before they put it all together in manual mode.

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Bring photography out of getting "likes" and back into the world of art by teaching your students how to properly edit their photographs. Through this photography curriculum, your students will learn about elements of photography, photography composition, the aperture, shutter speed, ISO, and manual mode. In the final photography project, students are given topics to convey through photographs and taught how to take professional-looking portraits.

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From understanding camera settings and composition to editing and sharing photos, this photography unit has everything you need to teach photography in your classroom!

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    The materials are outlined in the downloadable lesson plan at the bottom of the article. Tape some large format images on the wall behind you. (7 to 10 photos recommended) Large format being11"x 17" prints or larger. if you do not have access to a large formatprinter, 8.5"x 11" will suffice. Bring the lesson plan which is available from this site.

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  15. 8 Educational Photography Resources to Spark Creativity

    Have each student choose an object from their bedroom, and ask them to photograph the object against a colored poster-board backdrop to create a still life "self-portrait." Resources for college students and adults: Todd Hido, #2479-a, 1999, from House Hunting (2001) PhotoWork: Forty Photographers on Process and Practice

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  18. 7 Ways to Use Digital Photography in The Classroom

    1. Photographer badge. Create a "Photographer" badge for your classroom. Encourage kids to sign up to take photos around the classroom. Turn the digital camera, iPad or other device over to the students and ask them to tell your learning story.

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