Through a Child's Lens

Just a few kid-cam moments too good not to share as I sit here missing my little friends. I love their lack of patience when clicking the shutter and eagerness to go again and again and again. It all makes for the most spontaneous-looking, documentary-style shots.

🧡 Things I like 🧡

You get 3 words, 3 pictures, and one piece of paper to create your story. Naturally, my little buddies gravitated toward concrete, simple subjects: me, the other kids in the room, and that which was sitting directly beside them as they brainstormed. Once their pictures were made, they chose a piece of paper and decided where they’d like to place each image. From there, I gave them the job of decorating and writing one sentence using all 3 words.

That was it! I gave no further directions and let them do as they pleased. My favorite part of this one has to be the misspellings and the labels “first, next, and last.”

The thing is, so many children have a really hard time with their spelling. The English language is so tough! The rules are random, and not at all consistent, which makes it all the more confusing. To see a child go from resisting having to write even one word to writing 17 without a single complaint is a beautiful, magical thing! There’s a hidden lesson in here somewhere about the role of rules and what happens when we create without trying too hard, but I’ll save that for another day.

Translation: Michaela had a dog and she was babysitting Cate and then she ordered pizza.

When I’m not sharing my cameras with the littles in my life, I’m doing all I can to use them myself. In my practice I learn what works and doesn’t. Recently, I’ve found that Fujifilm is a really great brand for children to use because the film itself is far more forgiving (and cheaper)! The colors are more consistent and light leaks don’t seem to happen, really ever. Each image develops quicker, too which is a great thing when trying to keep excitement high.

While Fujifilm may be a better brand for the youngest ones in our lives, I could never abandon the iconic nature of Polaroid altogether. As a child grows older and becomes more invested in photography, Polaroid cameras serve as an amazing next step in helping them grow their understanding of the medium. Lessons on chemistry, camera mechanics, and creative control are all waiting behind the lens of a Polaroid.

No matter their age, there’s something there for every kid.

The biggest upset of the day was when she realized she wasn’t able to zoom in or record video with the

It can be tough to sell this form of picture taking to kids who know how to use our phones better than we do. There’s not a lot going for this medium (in their eyes) until the film pops out and they witness that magical moment when their photo develops. This is why it’s so crucial our younger and smaller counterparts are given as many opportunities as possible to slow down and focus on what’s happening right in front of them. In the case of these photos, the big question was all about how to capture movement without video capabilities. If you zoom in, you can see my 8 year old buddy managed to do just that! The most dynamic shot I’ve seen, made possible because she waited patiently for the perfect moment. The next step will be to get her to move closer to the action and soon, she’ll forget she was ever bummed about not being able to zoom or take video.

There are so many great life lessons hidden within this art form — about patience and mistakes and how to change your perspective. It’s beautiful to watch their eyes light up and hear them make comments about their work: “What do you think about it being sideways? I think I really like it that way.”

Excited to share this stuff with my tiny friends forever. ⚽️🧡

These were dropped on the ground or left behind after not being utilized in the students’ final creations. The island of neglected images consists mostly of blurry, light-leaked ground pictures — all of which I love. While my sweet eight and nine year old friends were left disappointed, frustrated, and uninterested in these masterful accidents, I could see the beauty in their mistakes.

It can be assumed these images were unlikely to benefit the stories my students were trying to tell about their school garden and their job of composting; and yet, the photographs have managed to tell a story all their own.

About the kind of shoes third graders wore every day in the year of 2021. About the way these particular kids liked to capture their subjects: holding it in their hand and looking at it from above. About the experimentation in getting as close as possible to a plant, for it to come out unfocused — a metaphor for something? Like, the closer you get, the more unclear it all becomes???

There’s a story in everything, and although my tiny pals have yet to realize it, I believe the screw-ups they experience with their Instax cameras will bring them one step closer to being expert problem solvers.

A big lesson in instant photography is that you only have a few shots, so whether you make no mistakes or 100, how will you use what you get to your advantage?

Yesterday was all about brainstorming ideas and executing them. We talked about our subjects: The Christmas tree! The trampoline! Monster trucks! Then we moved on to questions about distance, placement, and extra additions to the picture: From high above! Really close! Soccer balls, and the puppy + you, Miss Michaela! When you ask the right questions, they can start to visualize their picture before they’ve even touched a camera — making it even more certain they’ll be excited about the end result. My favorite part was when the puppy stole the monster truck, providing us with an opportunity for a more dynamic and interesting image. Knowing they can take an unplanned scenario, i.e puppy eating the subject, and still manage to make it into something they’re proud of is exciting to say the least.

Of course, they were most amped up about the array of markers I brought with me. My 6 year old friend lined them up according to the colors of the rainbow and decorated his picture in a similar fashion. If you know any 4 to 7 year olds, you’d know the rainbow is really all that matters when it comes to making art. And really, who can blame them?

Merry New Year, my 27 cheerleaders! Thanks for following along on this unpaved path of mine. Here’s to baby steps and an exploration of life’s greatest possibilities.

While it may feel impossible (for me, at least) to make up for the absolute rollercoaster of the last two years, I’ve seen first hand the dedication so many educators have put forth despite it all.

2022 is for the kids. I’m sure of it.

Welcome to Through a Child’s Lens! The brain child of me, 🥳 A photographer turned teacher turned, why not both?

In a season of panic for many adults, children have remained lighthearted and strong. They’re the heroes whose world views demand to be preserved, shared, and experienced. Through collaboration with parents and other educators, my goal is to provide students with lessons on photography that empower and guide them in finding their unique voice.

From 3rd graders’ thoughts on composting in their community garden to the way preschoolers view their school and peers — the possibilities are endless. Using instant and digital cameras coupled with the encouragement of writing each step of the way, I remain dedicated to providing a fresh outlook on tackling our declining literacy rates. It takes a village, you know!

Thanks for joining. Stay tuned for the good stuff, also known as their art. 🤠🧡