Photography Demystified - For Kids!: A Kid's Guide and Parents Resource to Fun and Learning Photography Together

by David McKay

Overview

Photography Demystified—FOR KIDS! A Kid’s Guide and Parent’s Resource to Fun and Learning Photography Together, the fourth in the Photography Demystified series, is specifically designed for parents to read and follow with their children to create a fun-filled bond and hobby within the family. Many of the projects can be done even with the simplest of cameras, including those in smartphones.

This book is also very much for pre-teen and teenagers to be able to work with on their own, when needed, AND with their parents, so everyone can enjoy their time together!

This is a photography book that children of all ages and parents alike will learn from. Photography Demystified—FOR KIDS caters to younger children working with their parents in the simpler projects, but mostly to children in upper elementary school (ages 8–10), pre-teens (ages 11–12), and early teens (ages 13–14). But don’t be fooled—this book will ALSO help the adult learn photography too!

Because this book is meant for children and their parents to explore and learn photography together, through a child’s eyes, I’ve formatted it differently than the previous books in the Photography Demystified series. In this book, you’ll find over 50 photography projects and step-by-step instructions on how to do them, as well as photographic visuals.

Most photography books are not appropriate for children because they concentrate on technical information to such an extent that children’s “joy” and “wonder” of depicting the world through photographs get lost in all the “photo jargon” of shutter speeds and F-stops. So, that’s not what you’ll find in this book.

My philosophy is that children need the freedom to be able to “see” and “share” how they see, and their wonder of it all should be acknowledged in a safe and non-critical way, first and foremost.

THEN, upon that foundation, other aspects, including some of the technical aspects, can be brought in to enhance their experience and increase their knowledge. We MUST not put our filters on them! The first rule is to help them develop a love for “seeing” through photographs.

This book is written for parents to experience with their children, according to HOW THEIR CHILDREN SEE THE WORLD. Because of this, many of the projects in the book can be done with the simplest of cameras. This is very purposeful.

This is NOT a book to guide parents on how take over, critique, and dominate what their child learns and sees along the way. I have written this book with a very clear purpose—rather than the parent dictating how the child should see the world, the child shares with the parent how they see the world, and in doing so, the parent will be lost for moments in their child’s wonder and innocence so that the parent too will see “like a child.” You will see through a child’s eyes!

My hope is that your children will fall in love with “seeing” through the means of photography, and you, as a parent, will see through your children’s eyes. In doing so, it will give you a bond so that together you experience wonder, joy, and creation, all in expectation that this experience will provide a precious, lifelong memory that is captured forever through the photos you take.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781640077409
Publisher:	McKay Photography Inc
Publication date:	04/18/2017
Series:	Photography Demystified , #4
Pages:	174
Product dimensions:	8.50(w) x 11.00(h) x 0.47(d)

Table of Contents

Introduction

How to Use This Book

Through a Child’s Eyes

My Story

Cameras and Gear

Project—Introduction to Photography

About Participation and Creativity in the Projects

Section 1—Simple, Fun Projects

Project—Photograph Objects That Start with Alphabet Letters

Project—Letters of the Alphabet

Project—A Bug’s Life View

Project—Same Subject Different Views

Project—A Day in the Life of Your Family

Project—A Day in the Life of Your Neighborhood

Project—A Day in the Life of Your School

Project—Shrinking Objects

Project—Crazy Perspectives

Project—Pets

Project—Reflections

Project—Mystery Photos

Project—Shadows

Project—Time Capsule

Section 2—Basic Technical Elements

Camera Design, Preparation, and the Correct Foundation

Camera Design

Types of Cameras

Memory Cards

The Elements of Exposure

How Light Changes Everything

Project—Make a Sunprint

Project—Pinhole Camera

Exposure Overview

Project—Locate Your Mode Dial

The Exposure Triangle

Shutter Speed

Project—Locate Your Shutter Control Dial

Project—Shutter Priority

Aperture/F-stop

Project—Change Your Aperture/F-stop

Project—Aperture Priority

ISO

Project—ISO Changes

Project—Lots of Photography Using Priority Modes!

Project—Panning Using Shutter Priority

Project—Zoom the Camera

Project—Rotate the Camera

Section 3—Fun with Composition

Lenses

About Some Lens Types

Project—Photograph with the Lenses You Have

Project—Move Your Feet!

Project—360-Degree Rule

Project—Rule of Thirds

Project—Space

Project—Leading Lines

Project—Sense of Scale

Project—Natural Framing

Project—Curves

Project—Walk into a Photo

Project—Patterns and Shapes

Project—Fill the Frame

Section 4—Full Manual Settings—All Three Exposure Elements Together

Project—First Full Manual Shot

Bringing It All Together

Steps to Exposure

Project—Shoot Full Manual Settings

Editorial Reviews

"David McKay has hit another home run! Photography Demystified for Kids is destined to become a classic in the photography world! He has dozens of fun projects for parents (and grandparents) to enjoy with the younger generation. My favorite one is finding the letters of the alphabet in nature. I especially love that he included using smartphones as a tool because that is what will initially appeal to children. I think it is a nice bridge to them wanting to learn on a camera. What a fun way to spend time with your kids and get them outside!"

"What a clever and powerful product. I highly recommend buying it and sharing it with as many kids as you can. This is a well-written, timely, and wonderful gift you will give to both yourself and others. The book takes a topic that can sometimes be overpowering for even adults and teaches in a way that guides and entices the young reader. The writing is clear and the examples very well thought out, but I sense the greatest strength of the book comes in how well it communicates with children. Here's how I know: I read the book and then decided to put it into practice testing it out with the neighborhood children.



The impact was immediate as the kids read, asked questions, played, experimented and compared their own work. Soon they were teaching each other their new "tricks." Parents soon came over to see what was happening, and what was intended to be a brief experiment, I suspect may well become a neighborhood photography circle of sorts -- one where parents, siblings, and friends are all invited".

"I have loved every one of David McKay's books and this one is no different. Cover to cover this book will either assist you in introducing photography to your kids or help bolster what they may already know. It's a great book to work through with them, or depending on their age, they can easily work through it on their own. Such a great addition to his other photography books!"

"As a homeschool parent, I am always looking for resources that I can share with my kids that are technically strong, but written with kids in mind. This book does just that. Whether my child picks up the book and investigates a concept or I use it as a resource for teaching, it clearly defines photography concepts and encourages experimentation. I am happy to expose my kids to the world of photography!"

"David McKay once again hits a home run. Photography Demystified for Kids does an amazing job of bringing the passion and know how of photography to kids. It has allowed me to get my son more involved in understanding what I'm thinking or why I'm doing something a certain way. My son loves to take photos with my old DSLR and my iPhone. We love to compare our shots and see what we captured."

"This book is awesome! It's a great combination of tips of how to have fun with kids using photography as well as great photopgraphy educational lessons. I particularly like the tips for "projects" we can do together with our kids whilst exploring & having fun. It is also inspirational for the kids - a great way to inspire child to see the beauty in all that surround us."

From the Publisher