JimG1 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

Thank you for the excellent advice!

r1ch Loc: Colorado

Wait.. are you saying there is supposed to be joy in photography?

JimG1 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

As you can see in this example he's not afraid to get in your face for a portrait shot!

(Download)

Dannj

What a great story! As for going forward, I wouldn’t rush him…let him go at his own pace. Maybe you could start by just explain the purpose of the aperture, shutter and ISO and let him play with the settings…leaving one setting constant and changing the others. The best thing about digital photography, IMO, is that you can see the results right away and that’s important to kids. That being said, the best part is that the two of you are getting to spend time together. I bet someday he’ll be telling his grandkids about the time he spent with you👍

PHRubin Loc: Nashville TN USA

JimG1 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

Thanks for the good advice

Dannj

My three grandsons are all teenagers now and while we still have great relationships I really miss the times we had together when they….I guess I should say we😂…were younger.

JimG1 Loc: Waxahachie, TX

I understand. The way my health has deteriorated over the last year I really wanted to give him some good memories before it is too late.

skatz

Right. Look at the photos together. Describe what you like about your 6 shots: why you took the picture, what you think about the results, etc. Give your grandson the example of how you look at your photos and ask him to talk about his photos. Maybe he will. Only discuss technical stuff if it comes up in his questions and keep it simple. But you can express your feelings about his photos, which ones you like best, and certainly express your joy in experiencing your activity together. Ask what he would like to photograph next time.
You are a very fortunate grandfather.

jack schade Loc: La Pine Oregon

It’s wonderful that you are sharing your love for photography with your grandson.

Jack

Sentinel4

Suggest you buy book(s) by Brian Peterson- Understanding Exposure, Understanding Aperture and Understanding Shutter Speed. There are other good books available as well.

Sentinel4

gwilliams6

Sounds wonderful.

A good place to start is with youtube tutorials from Adorama TV. They have them for beginners to pros.

I would start with the photography 101 series by Mark Wallace, simply explained and easy to grasp for a beginner. I use them when I teach my beginning photo students

Exposure triangle, a series of vids:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eVjUrY9a9c&list=PLqFn5tB8nZ4X57JlKtrEZMDqDIJXxEYpp

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLe6081JPqyRBjKAUrCaHOyLOwpKAeVDNm

https://www.adorama.com/alc/series/photography-101/

Cheers and best to you.

E.L.. Shapiro Loc: Ottawa, Ontario Canada

I have been teaching advanced techniques to professional photographers for years and SOMETIMES, for me, that adds new meaning to the phrase "pain in the *ss" I don't mean that to be unkind or condescending but someof them have developed so many bad habits that it impossible to help them move forward.
I sometimes do better with talented rookies!

So, it's like music lessons! To gain proficiency at playing a musical instrument there are basics and exercises that need to be learned and let's face it- sometimes kids find that tedious and boring- "all the Etudes and scales- UGH"- the wanna Rock 'N' Roll or play Bach Fugues in the first week of lessons. I know, I took music lessons as a kid! So, just before my music teacher was gonna jump out of the window or throw me out of the said window, he came up with a system that I have since adopted for photograhey teaching.

The method: My teacher asked me what kinda music I wanted to play and then introduced the exercise or chord theory that would enable me to play it. This gave me finger strength and muscle memory to play the piece. I soo realize that I need to do the work to get the results. Kids and adults always respond to rewards for their hard work- it's encouragement!

Detached theory and mathematics are boring but once you attach a technique to the desired results things will CLICK. Exposure is important simply becse pictures that are too dark or too ligh and lack detail can be disappointing. F/stop can be boring unless you can show how they also control the depgh of the field to weigh blur or incle more background detail. Shutter speeds and is equally boring like fractions in math class until they can use the freeze action in sports photography. So the "exposure trigger becomes more than a geometry lesson.

Kids are smart- they can learn all kinds of complicated RULES in sports. Ever seen the BASEBALL rule book- it puts any advanced photogrh text to shame! Kids are tech-savvy. If I have computer issues, I call my granddaughter!

Kids are tough and resilient. They won't melt down if you offer critiques but always point out the successful parts first. You cannot TEACH TALENT, they either have it or they don't but you can help them develop the talent they have.

So many folks insist the should be no rules in art- they feel that rules are somehow restrictive or counterproductive to self-expression. To me, that is like saying there should be no tools in auto-mechanics or brain surgery. Photograhy is an art and a science and a few of the basic rules are simply the TOOLS. If a kid is creative, he or she will put the tools to creative use and make or break them accordingly. If the kid is not particularly artistic, he or she, will at least, learn on top to make clearer, sharper more well-crafted pictures.

Experimentation should be encouraged but sometimes kids and adults can flounder around endlessly and become discouraged without a bit of practical guidance and the right tip or trick a the right time.

Well- I still play a bit of music- it comes in handy to drive mice and other pests (including some relatives) out of the house. Our cat likes it when I play! This is why I continued on in photography!

JBuckley

I have (gladly) looked at the world thru a 35 mm lens, since my teens.
As my mind fades, (at 75 yrs), I realize that the only way to show the present day, world, what they missed, is to share those old B/W photos and 35 mm slides that I have stored in my basement.

The joy of shooting (thru the lens), is a joy, that I cannot make anyone understand.
People often question, "Why do you carry that camera (or cell phone camera), every where? It bothers people to aim it at everybody you see?"

I just found that one of my nephew is taking graphic arts, and photographic arts, at a Community College.

To say the least, I was thrilled. The next generation has embraced the art of photography, by "handing it down" from those that loved the camera, before them.

Nothing against painting, or sculpting. (I've tried both). Some paint with brushes....Photo bugs, paint with their minds and their camera obscura. We just want to share the joy of "capturing the world" in a 250th of a second.

JimBart Loc: Western Michigan

Glad you have this time with the grandkids. Enjoy