One day last week I got together with a group of 10 and 11 year old girls for a little photography discussion. The girls brought their cameras and we talked about what makes a photograph successful. We walked around my inside and outside finding good lighting for photographs. I showed them how window light gives your subject gorgeous lighting compared to a dark area in the house with a flash. I explained that the cloudy weather we’ve been having is fantastic for giving us nice even lighting outside. We talked finding open shade when it’s sunny, and what back lighting does. They already knew you should not have your subjects face the sun directly because they will be squinting. Then we talked about paying attention to the background and how you frame your subjects. Finally we touched on eye contact, and great ways of making your subject feel comfortable in front of the camera to get the best results.
They were incredibly enthusiastic and eager to learn. They took pictures of each other by the windows, standing on walls, and making silly faces. They all spent a long time photographing the flowers outside, and anything they found interesting. There was a lot of giggling, and loud high pitched voices. It was great fun. Hopefully I can do it again sometime. Here are a few of the photos taken that day.
