January 11, 2010


isaak received a panasonic lumix digital camera for christmas. he is four. these are his shots. completely his. thus far, he has been instructed how to turn on/off the camera, how to zoom in/out, how to snap the picture, and how to handle it with care. many would say he is far too young for a "real" camera. in fact, when his grandma was at the camera store asking for a recommendation, the salesman quickly informed her that he IS too young and that fisher price makes a camera for kids. (perhaps we should send him these photographs?) it is my belief that children are far more capable than we assume. it is my belief that if we provide our children with real things of value, they become that much more able. not only in skill, but in character. think of a child's tea party. we can set the table with plastic ware. or, we can set the table with fine china. each option sets a tone. an expectation. each option provides an opportunity. distinctly different. as does the camera. isaak is thrilled about his new camera. he goes about his picture taking with pride and respect. we are both excited about our learning adventures he will now be able to document. this is not just a fun toy to capture memories. this is an instrument of knowledge. and we are off to discover!

6 comments:

Kristine said...

beautiful. I love his pics and this post. My boys use real tools and real knives. They have a respect for them and can make real stuff with them. Awesome camera choice. He has his mom's artistic eye.

elizabeth ~ so wabi sabi said...

I love the ball shot especially...I agree much better to let them use the real thing than a plastic toy.

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Kelsi said...

I agree. Both my girls have digital camaras that rival those of most adults I know. Neither has broken or lost them, both take awsome picture and can download them to the computer when the chip is full. They are respectful of their belongings and of others belongings because they know the value of having, "adult" things. This year for Christmas they got IPODs and I foresee many hours of enjoyment listening to books and the bible. (Right now they are truly engrossed in James and the Giant Peach)

elizabeth said...

we gave our girl a real camera for her 6th birthday. she loves taking pictures and is very careful with this piece of equipment.

what fun to go on photo adventures with your little guy!

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