Wednesday, July 22, 2015

BOOK REPORT: NatGeo Kids Guide to Photography

Book arrives in stores Aug 4!
My son (almost 7) has gotten very interested in photography. He loves to view my various photo accounts, and see all the pictures that people post on instagram, facebook, etc.  (Sometimes I have to do a little quick editing/flipping, because there are definitely some NSFW images floating around my social stratosphere. )

As for equipment, he's got my old disabled iphone, an Ipad, an older digital camera, and a discontinued flipcam.  In other words, this kid is loaded with equipment.

But having the tools doesn't make you able to see which photos are great shots, any more than having a paintbrush makes you a great painter. You have to learn to use the tools.  And you have to practice.




Annie Griffiths

I recently received for review a book that aims to help kids learn to use photographic tools. The book National Geographic Kids  Guide To Photography , written by awesome and experienced National Geographic photographer Annie Griffiths and accomplished children's author and editor Nancy Honovich, covers all facets of photography, from aperture to editing to composition to selecting your equipment.  (sorry kid, you've got whatever I used to have!)

 Hard to understand terms and tricky concepts are clearly laid out for kids to see and comprehend.

The book is written in short and easy to understand segments, and has a series of exercises after each chapter so that kids can practice what they are learning.  Tips are given, and even bad shots are dissected to see what went wrong.

Kids are also invited to (with their parents permission) set up an account and showcase their work on the National Geographic Kids MyShot site.

MYSHOT is the only moderated online photography community where kids can safely share photos, comment on each other's pictures, and take challenges from National Geographic editors.




This is a great book.  It's comprehensive, it's interactive, it's easy to understand, and it is the next best thing to having Annie Griffiths come to your house teach your kid a workshop in photography. (And that is probably prohibitively expensive!)

The book starts shipping on August 4, but you can pre-order it online at Amazon or you can pre-order it directly from the National Geographic store.  After August 4, it will be available in bookstores.

If you do get the book, let me know how you like it in the comments!






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