Chris Sherwood

A great way to let kids express themselves and get an idea of how they see the world is to get them started in photography. With today's digital cameras, it is easier than ever. Ever notice when you take a picture of a child with a digital camera, they run right over and ask to see the picture on the lcd screen. They get even more excited when the camera is in their hands and they can instantly see the results of their picture making efforts.

Most children just naturally enjoy being creative. Give them crayons or paint and some paper and watch them go. Put a camera in their hands and show them the basics of how to use it, and the same thing happens. They can even start as early as three years old. And thanks to digital cameras, you can let them be creative without spending a fortune on printing to see the results the way you would with a film camera.

A basic digital camera with 5 or more megapixels is sufficient to get them started. This will allow you to print from 3 1/2 x 5 up to 5x7, just perfect for a child's first photo album.

Take them out on photo hikes. They can be in the city or in the woods. Or send them out in the backyard and see what they can find. Granted you may get a lot of pictures of the patio stones, the back wall of your house, or maybe 20 pictures of an out-of-focus ant. The idea is just to let them be free to shoot whatever they want to. Eventually, you can teach them to look for things that they find meaning or beauty in. Some kids may automatically find their own niche and just want to focus on animals, their friends, or sports. Remember that you can point things out to them but let them decide if they want to photogaph it or not.

Most computers now come with a basic image editing software installed. If not, you can purchase software relatively cheaply. These programs can remove red-eye, let you crop the image and perform various other image adjustments. You can delete images in camera or wait until you download them onto your computer. Then sit down with your child and go through the images with them and decide which ones should be printed. Photo printers range in price but if you only want to print small pictures for albums there are some printers that are strictly for 4x6 prints. In the long run, having your own printer will save you time and money. But if you prefer, once you have edited the pictures and saved them on a disc, you can take it to the printers and have them print the pictures for you.

Once you have printed the photos, leave them on a flat surface, not stacked together, to dry fully overnight. Make sure you have an album for your child or better yet, let them pick one out. If they're young, help them put the pictures in and then put their album somewhere they can always get it.

Photography can be a lifelong hobby and by starting a child when they are young, they will have a lifetime of memories as they grow up.