Tiny Photographers
A few weeks ago we began to casually introduce our “real teacher camera” to the children on the playground. We invited them to take pictures of what and who interested them. With their tiny hands holding the camera and tiny feet leading the way, we followed closely behind to observe (and keep ahold of the camera string just in case to keep it safe). The group quickly took to photography and with a variety of techniques. Some children chose to snap a picture of nearly every item and texture on the playground, while others sought out friends to pose for them. We kept asking the same question …
“What do you find interesting on the playground?
What do you think is beautiful?”
We have also introduced a few broken old film cameras to practice around the classroom! The act of winding the spool and the sound of the click captures the children’s attention.
The results have been fantastic! Our cameras have brought a slow-focus and new attention to our surroundings, as well as a tool for new social interactions. As educators and adults, this new perspective has been enlightening, offering a sense of what truly catches the eye of the child, something difficult for the children to fully articulate with words. While we have just figured out a good system of organizing and labeling what photos have been taken by what kids (after about the first 600 photos!), we have begun to add some to children’s portfolios and will continue to. We know who took some of the posted here, while others are anonymous, but for now let’s just enjoy a new (and about 3 feet shorter) perspective!
There may be many photos below, but narrowing them down from our first 600 was no easy task!
Scroll down and enjoy!
