Teaching a New Generation

As a photographer and father of 3 1/2 year old twins, I have captured them in every waking moment to the tune of 17,000 images and counting.  It was inevitable that at some point they would start to wonder what was going on inside that heavy black box I am constantly carrying around. And so, from the age of 2 1/2 they have become increasingly interested in the process of photography, and more recently have taken an active role as both models and artistic directors. Usually the first thing I hear after the shutter clicks is, “daddy, can I see it?” Due in no small part to the instant feedback available with today’s digital equipment, the girls are quickly learning how to interpret both abstract and natural representations of the world from the camera’s two-dimensional viewpoint.

Yesterday we stopped into my studio on our way to the San Francisco Zoo to pick up some spare batteries. What started out as a short detour turned into a one hour marathon shooting session once the girls discovered some light stands and umbrellas leftover from a previous workshop.  I showed them how the portable speedlights I usually carry with me are used with the umbrellas to soften and diffuse the light for portrait work. Audrey promptly asked if she could take a picture of Tamsin and daddy. So with a major adjustment to the cameras hand strap and showing her how to balance the camera on her knee, I let her fire off a few frames.

I had a single flash set high on the stand to camera left. Audrey directed Tamsin to sit in my lap and carefully framed the shot. This was the first image she captured. Not just the first from this session, but the first ever, as she has never used my camera before. The framing is quite good although as is often the case, one of the models decided to blink at the wrong time.

The girls quickly traded positions, and Tamsin took her spot behind the camera. Again, I was somewhat astonished at how accurately these initial images were framed. These files are straight out of the camera with no cropping or other adjustments, and I let each girl dictate how the other would be sitting or interacting with me in the final composition.

It has been both an honor and a privilege for me to be an instructor and mentor to so many aspiring photographers over the years. But the recent interest my daughters have shown in developing their own visual style is on an entirely new level for me. Every day I am amazed at how quickly they learn what seem to be quite complex and difficult tasks. And this in turn has rekindled my passion for both the art of photography and my desire to share the tools of the creative process with others.