How to introduce a 12yo to photography?
My 12yo niece will come visit this summer and I'm thinking of taking her on a photowalk (or more, if she ends up enjoying it).
Should we go with just my camera or should she have her own? (and in case, should I get her a "proper" one or a simpler/compact one?)
Can you share your experience in introducing young boys/girls to photography?
I am just someone who is interested in photography, but haven't really embarked on that journey, so please take what I say with a grain of salt.
She having her own camera to use would give her the freedom to take photos of the subjects she finds interest in. She could very well spot something, take out the camera, and take a quick shot. Because of this, I think having a very simple one (just a point-and-shoot) would suffice. One of the things that intimidated me about the hobby is the amount of technical stuff that I encountered, including, but not limited to:
I appreciate the people who shared me this knowledge, but truth be told, it's only the framing techniques that I was able to practice. That's on me, of course.
I suppose it'd be great to introduce her to these concepts one-by-one, and giving her the freedom to pursue their interests (in what to take pictures of). Maybe she'd be more interested in macro photography, or landscapes, or portraits. I suppose there are techniques that work better in one area than another.
I suggest getting her a more proper camera after she's expressed interest in going further would be a good idea.
Again, not any photographer, not even a hobbyist. Just someone who is interested in the hobby, and had several people share their knowledge.
PS:
Just as an afterthought. Since I suggested that she use the simplest "point-and-click" camera, wouldn't a cellphone camera suffice? IDK.
I‘d strongly argue against a point n shoot or phone camera.
A 'proper' camera can be just as easy to use (just put it in program/auto mode) and isn’t much more expensive either, if you go for something older and used, which is all a 12 year old beginner needs anyways.
The versatility also allows and encourages experimentation, and having an actual camera in your hand gets you in a very different mind set than just snapping away on your phone.
Not to speak of the quality difference even an older DSLR has, compared to the tiny sensor of most cheaper point n shoots and even most modern phones.
Thanks for this.
I remember being handed a DLSR (this was in the late 2000's, early 2010's) and I was too afraid to even do anything. I suppose if reassurance is given that no, things won't be messed up, and it's fine to make mistakes anyways, then it'd be great.
I suppose being intimidated by the tech and being overwhelmed by the information given to me is what prevented me from getting further.
I agree, the important part is definitely someone who teaches you how it works without going too in depth (for the beginning) and who encourages you to experiment.
But, do you think that your feeling of intimidation stemmed from the cameras being relatively new/espensive? Like, would it have been less intimidated if the camera was 15-20 years old and accordingly cheap?
Because today, you can get a 15-20 year old DSLR that’s still very useable and costs less than 50€, while in ~2010, there essentially were no 15-20 year old digital cameras.
Oh, yeah, certainly! DLSR cameras back then were expensive, and I'm afraid I'd be made to pay for it if I ever break something.
Right now, they're still kinda expensive for me, but not enough that I get paralyzed fearing any action might break something. 😅
EDIT:
I just did the conversion, and a DLSR at 50€ is kinda cheap indeed! Considering it's like 500€ back then (well, brand new entry level because you've basically got no choice). I think I'm seeing like 1500€ DLSR cameras on display at shops tho, and I'm like "who has the money for these?!"