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Just Click It!

By Deanna Frautschi March 1, 2017

Last year I was asked to talk to a group of girl scouts about photographing nature. The girls ranged in age from 6 to 12 so there was a mixed level of understanding and experience about taking photos.

I started the session by showing them some of my photos of nature subjects and asked them to tell me what they liked or didnā€™t like about each photo. It was interesting to me that they had different likes and dislikes, and they were often based on whether they liked or disliked the subject. (Example: rabbit is a good photo, spider not so much).

After we discussed what makes a good photo, some of them changed their minds about the spider and snake photos. All of them were interested in photographing nature and they had access to cameras ranging from cell phones to point and shoot cameras to single lens reflex cameras with interchangeable lenses.



Getting the most out of your camera

No matter what camera you have, some things are basic such as learning to hold the camera steady. One of the crucial mistakes adults and children make is not learning to hold the camera steady. This often makes for a blurry shot or cuts off part of the subject.

A second simple mistake is staying too far away from your subject. You want to be able to tell what nature object you are photographing so donā€™t be afraid to encourage your child to get closer or use the cameraā€™s zoom options to bring the subject itself in closer.

When photographing animals, the eyes say it all, so focus on the animalā€™s eyes to bring the photo to life. When animals move rapidly, as with many birds, itā€™s another challenge to photograph them. But experience and patience often help.



Get outside and practice

Whatā€™s great about cameras today is they are digital. That means you can take as many photos as you like and delete those that arenā€™t good. This also means you often have many chances to take photos of the same subject and choose the ones you like best.

If you donā€™t have a camera for your child to use, there are a number designed specifically for children on www.amazon.com. Just search ā€œchildrenā€™s camerasā€. A simple point and shoot from your local department store will also work. Or, you may want to start with a cell phone camera.

As a naturalist, one thing I donā€™t like about using cell phones for nature photos of animals and other critters is that you often have to get so close you could scare the animal or you could get hurt. Neither is a good result.



Tips for teaching

While school age children are probably at the best age to start learning, even preschoolers may want to mimic when you are taking photos. Fisher Price has some great cameras suitable for them. Once your child is old enough to understand heā€™s responsible for the camera is the time to give him one of his own.

When youā€™re starting out, let your child decide what sheā€™s interested in photographing. Encourage her to take photos of things that move and things that donā€™t. After that, you can start with other approaches (distances, viewing points, etc.) to the subject so she can see the difference when you look at them on the camera or your computer.

Start working on holding the camera straight and steady. Teach her to look at how light affects the subject and to see what else is in the background that could be distracting.



Encouragement helps

Encourage your child to take his camera outside with him so he can capture nature scenes in the backyard and around your neighborhood. Then talk about what makes it a good photo or what improvements could be made to make it better. Encourage him to take photos of the subject again to see what he can do to improve or change it. Thatā€™s the great advantage of digital. You can take as many shots as you like and see what they look like instantly, deleting those you donā€™t want to keep.

As your child develops more skills, think about a childrenā€™s photography course. Local nature centers like Sugar Grove Nature CenterĀ may offer one or there may be other courses available in the area.

Always let your child be the one to determine his interest level and timeframe for advancing his skills with photography.Ā 

Deanna Frautschi is a local Naturalist who is passionate about connecting families with nature. Using her knowledge of wildlife and her photography skills, she helps others enjoy the nature around them. If you have any questions about exploring nature with your children and grandchildren, you may contact Deanna at Decardinal@aol.com. Join the hundreds who follow her on Facebook where she posts photographs and short video clips of birds and other wildlife taken on her travels as well as in her yard. You can also join her "Nature Lady Lessons" and "Hummingbirds Anonymous" Facebook group pages.

Photos by Deanna Frautschi.