(5/3) Digital Photography and Connections to Children

Digital photography opens up a whole new platform for creativity: it is a material that is easily accessible, most of us have digital cameras on our smartphones that we carry on us daily. Thus, it’s very easy to capture a moment or an image on the go. Most digital cameras today are also lightweight and have many functions and modes. As opposed to before, we were limited by film photography, it requires physical time and effort to go to a darkroom to develop each photograph, making it more time consuming. In a lightroom, the editing options are endless, and can be done with a click, and even un-done and re-done. One digital photograph can be used to create many effects, and can be compared and contrasted on the same screen. Digital printing options are also fast and very clear with inkjet printers.

Today, we are saturated with so many options of how to use our time. Children get distracted easily, and often have trouble concentrating. This is not a problem that should be solved by medications for ADHD, instead, the vivid and fast paced nature of a child’s mind can be captured through the medium of digital photography. They can use digital cameras as a form of entertainment that constantly engages. From taking the photography itself to going back and editing it in many options with filters and in Photoshop, they can constantly entertain and engage themselves.

Secondly, the digital camera also teaches children basic technology. Even a basic point and shoot goes beyond automatic mode. DSLRs have the options of changing lenses to suit certain environments and lighting. Children will be challenged to think about the proper aperture, ISO, and shutter speed to best capture the subject. This makes them understand how a digital photograph is taken, and think on their own about which combinations will allow them to get the best result, placing the learning in their hands.

Lastly, digital photography is useful for children’s interest-based arts learning. Digital photography can be applied to anything and everything. Children these days are also heavily immersed with images via the internet, social media, tv, games, movies. Digital photography is the ideal image-based medium, kids can create their own images that suit their personal interests. They can easily share their photographs online via a blog or their social media outlets, and get feedback from their peers and other online communities. They allows for social engagement and will encourage children to generate more material: keeping children entertained, collaborating with one another, and self motivated.