se7en

Photography has become the latest passion around our home just lately. Our Gadget Boy, Hood 2 got a digital camera for his 8th birthday, and Hoods 1 and 3 laid claim to two others that were waiting for eager owners. And before I knew it this became the summer of photography.

I popped into their notebooks and typically:

Hood #1: Has written a time-line of photography.

Hood #2: Who has only taken his camera apart and put it back together about 7 bazillion times, has a diagram of the workings. I never cease to be amazed that it still works – to each his own!

Hood #3: Has been creating artworks from photographs she printed out.

I specially haven’t given them any photography books, just the cameras and pretty much left them to their own devices. I wanted them to get totally familiar and comfortable and try things out for themselves. Once we get back to school I will get a couple of photography books from the library – just to keep them motivated and interested during term time. I like this one because it is easy and fun, full of projects that are doable for kids.

And you can’t beat an eyewitness book:

So I gave them se7en photographic tips and set them loose into the world at large:

• Take lots and lots… no harm comes from deleting the flops.
• It is a bit awkward to take good pictures if you are bouncing around – keep that camera still.
• Look at the frame, how many trees have tops and bottoms removed.
• Watch your background, you don’t want strange things coming out of peoples heads.
• Try a different angle – how would the picture look if you turned the camera slightly.
• Play with the Zoom button.
• Take your camera everywhere – no problem with this one!

And here are se7en photographic games we have played:

We found an ancient box camera from my youth – seriously, I took my first pictures with this. We found a tiny little camera that I used all through high-school. My waterproof camera that I got by saving small change and used my entire working career. The father persons fancy schmancy camera. Hood #2′s spy camera that looks like a juice box; and then enter the world of digital – amen and no more paying for processing. At the same time we looked at a box of old photo’s, actual glossy prints – you know where you are concerned for sticky fingers on the pics. And looked at a couple of photo albums. They were astonished to discover that you used to get packets of glossy photos from the chemist.

In the previous post: Se7en are Not In School I mentioned that we would be giving you a challenge…

Here it is: As soon as I have posted this I am going to put this photographic scavenger hunt up on the fridge. They will have to find and photograph these Se7en favorite things:

• There favorite spot in the house
• Something that is their favorite color
• Something that reminds them of their favorite book
• Something that reminds them of their favorite person
• Something that reminds them of their favorite animal
• Something that reminds them of their favorite place to visit
• The nicest thing they did all weekend

If you would like to join us and do the same scavenge, wherever you are then tell us about it. Have a look at our results: and if you blog your own then feel free to leave a link to your photographs in the comments.

Mysterious Images Solutions: The bathroom tap mixer, peeled patch of paint, lounge cushion cover, metal bird sculpture, piece of bark, part of woven picnic blanket, garden bench.

Word Search – 7 Trees: banana, poinsettia, avocado, fir, wild olive, bay, frangipani.

I popped this post onto the Works For Me Wednesday Site – go and have a look there for all sorts of tips on absolutely anything.

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