Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Here's a shot of my almost 10 year old grandaughter using my D90 for the first time. She loves taking pictures, and we're going to have "school" as time goes by, the same way I did for my grandson. Today it was some very basic instruction. I just had it set on "auto" so she can get the idea of taking photos. We'll move up to A or S modes as time goes by. Her name is Aimee, and is pretty artistic and enthusiastic. I expect, as she catches on, that she'll become a pretty good photographer.

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Greg, if she turns out to be half as good a photographer as Ryan is, I’d say you’re one heck of a good teacher! Cute girl - from what I can see of the pary of her that isn’t hidden by the camera.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Hi, Karen. I gave her a Nikon S8200 point and shoot over a year ago, and she's been taking pictures all the time with it. Some are pretty good and some not so good, but that's how you learn. I was surprised that she'd be interested in using that D90, as it's a pretty big camera, but I showed her how to properly hold it and how to properlly press the shutter button. She hasn't quite yet gotten the hang of using the focusing point, but I told her about it, and knowing Aimee, she'll get it figured out pretty quickly. I need to show her how to focus the optical view finder, too. Time will tell, but she's got the potential. Besides, she's cute!!

MadMikeOne Loc: So. NJ Shore - a bit west of Atlantic City

Actually, I noticed the proper technique she used to hold that camera that’s almost as big as her head. She’s gonna do good! And she’s definitely cute.

Bipod

The simpler the camera, the less your grandaughter will have to learn about the camera,
so the more she can learn about photography. The D90 is not simple, not by a long shot.
It's also kinda expensive.

Knowing which menu to go into on the D90 to enable/disable which feature
won't help her in the future (Most of what's in the manual for any digital camera
is specific to that model or line only. )

Unfortunately, I don't know of a simple digital camera: even the cheapest ones I've seen
are encrusted with dozens of bells & whistles. Does anybody here know of a simple one?

I did find this review:
https://www.dpreview.com/articles/5154059852/best-digital-cameras-for-kids

At the very least, I'd put the normal lens on instead of that zoom. Zooms teach
people how to be *bad* photographers. :-)

As for "curriculum": safety first, camera safety second, basic functions third,
having fun fifth-- all else sixth.
1. No picture taking in roadways or on a bicycle, ever.
2. Have fun with camera in "auto" mode!
3. How to cuddle your camera (proper grip)
3. Precautions for handling optics (dull and important)
4. How to find out battery level and free image memory
5. How to make a scene (subjects and composition)
6. Moving your feet (perspective)
8. Depth-of-field
9. Lighting and exposure
10. Changing lenses

Another way to look at this is the order in which you
*turn off* automatic features:
1. Image stabilization
2. Face detection
3. Active D-lighting
4. Programmed exposure (as you suggest, AP mode is a good choice)
5. Auto Focus

When she's a little older, maybe you can help her build a pinhole camera.

The problem with tons of automation is that if a shot doesn't turn out, you
have no idea why. Maybe AE flubbed up, or maybe it was Active-D.
Or AF or face recognition or.... Extremely complex firmware always
has bugs.

Back in student days, armed with a Pentax K-1000 loaded with B&W film,
if the shot didn't turn out, I knew who was to blame: me. Ones learns by making
mistakes, but one learn nothing by watching a computer make mistakes.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

The "problem" with her is that she loves to learn, and picks up things quickly. She already knows the camera is complicated, but she's excited about it. I'm not too concerned with that aspect.

Bipod

When she figures out how the firmware works, maybe she can explain it to me. :-)
(I'm dying to know the boot sequence after power-on.)

Parents often buy little Johnny a PC or Mac so that he can "learn about computers".
Of course, all he learns is how to click on icons in applications programs.
They'd do better to buy him a copy of Knuth's *Fundamental Algorithms*.

In this case, you've got photography (which is difficult, but basically simple)
and this excellent Nikon D90 camera, which is an enormously complex computer.

There are many reasons why most people learn to fly in a Cessan 150 and not in
a heavy twin -- not the least of which are low cost and simplicity. But hey,
if somone"picks up things quickly", I'll bet they can learn to fly in an F-22!

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

I'm not sure what you're telling me here. But she's gonna learn this stuff a little bit at a time. I taught my grandson well--he's now a professional photographer--so I figure I can get her started. She's not the least bit intimidated by the D90, either.

Bipod

Right--I undertand.

My point was that we learn by making mistakes. But for learning to happen,
the student has to know when she has made a mistake. Sometimes when a picture
doesn't turn out, it's not the shooter's fault---it may not have been a makable shot,
or the camera may have messed up -- becasue that's a computerized camera.
It makes decisions for the shooter (if you let it).

Suppose I point it, hit the shutter button, then look at the photo and it's a bit
out of focus. Is it something I did, or did the AF mess up? And if it's the
AF, is within tolearances or is the camera broken? Difficult to say.

What if there's a bug in the firmware? However will I know? I'll blame
myself or figure that the shot wasn't makable. Either way, I haven't learned
anything or I've learned something false.

On a very complex "smart" camera, failure doesn't necessarily mean you did
something wrong, nor does success mean you did something right. It's like
when a novice poker player draws to an inside straight and makes it: he
wins the pot and concludes that he played well. But in reality, he played badly
and just got lucky.

I know that AF sometimes has trouble with low constrast scenes without
sharp edges, and sometimes in low light. But how do I figure out what
exactly went wrong?

On a manual focus camera, if the image is blurry, it's the photographer's fault.
You know what to do: check the distance with a tape measure (like they do on
movie sets) and set the distance you measure on the focus ring. If the shots
still blurry, the lens needs to be collimated and calibrated (which is fairly
simple and straighforward).

It's a whole lot simpler to figure out what's wrong with a screwdriver than
with a self-driving car. That D90 is close to latter than the former.
There is so much automation that turning it all off is difficult--and it's still
running a firmware program.

Remember when you learned how to read and write on a paper or a chalkboard?
You didn't try to learn typing at the same time, or typesetting. Simpler is
better for learning.

Hope this is clearer.

Wingpilot Loc: Wasilla. Ak

Hmmm, I believe I know what you're saying, but not sure what it has to do with my grandaughter wanting to learn photography. I suspect, when she is older, like in high school, she will want to enroll in a photography course and get some further education from someone more learned than me.

As for complicated cameras, yes they can fail or malfunction and sometimes we don't know why or aren't aware of it and merely assume we have done something wrong. Which may or may not have been true.

We're going to take this slow, a bit at a time so she gets a clear understanding of things, rather than hit her with a ton of tech stuff she can't understand. Right now the camera is set on auto while she gets used to it and starts learning to take photos with something more than a pure point and shoot camera like her Nikon S8200.

SharpShooter Loc: NorCal

Wing, have a great time!!
BUT, don't you think you should skip straight to full manual mode right off the bat??? LoL
Just kidding!!! Make sure she knows why the pop-up is up in the daytime though!!!
SS

BebuLamar

Is she left eye dominant?

swartfort Loc: Evansville, IN

Man oh Man.... So many critics!!! I think it's awesome that she has a passion AND someone who cares enough to share it with her. Successes will bring more joy, "less than successes" will bring the desire to learn. TOGETHER she will both have fun and learn a life long skill. Like every participant in photography, her desires and passions will lead her to what she "needs" to learn to make her happy in her pursuits whatever they end up being. ( if she never gets off of AUTO but loves to snap images... so be it, she doesn't have to be a professional to enjoy the activity) DON"T overthink this. At age nine, her natural curiosity will lead the learning curve and her passions will fuel the depth of interest in the activity. Enjoy her and her passions. I envy you both your journey!!!

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

PeterBergh

Knuth may be a trifle advanced for little Johnny!