5 Ways to Help Your Kid Develop as a Young Photographer

^{Photo by igoriss via iStock}

I started as a young photographer, and I was grateful for all the assistance and inspiration from family, friends, books, and magazines.

Reflecting on my being a young beginner photographer got me thinking of ways to assist youths today in reaching out creatively. Obviously, there are the regular beginner photography tips all photographers learn, such as the exposure triangle, composition guidelines like the rule of thirds, and getting to know your camera controls.

I’m going to assume the young photographer already has those ideas down today and look for tips to help them develop further in the art and craft of photography. Let’s get started!

A Young Photographer Needs Their Own Camera

^{photo by South_agency via iStock}

For young photographers to grow and develop, they should have access to their own cameras. With their own camera, young photographers will become increasingly familiar with it as they use it, which will help them get more comfortable with the nuts and bolts of photography.

That will also allow them to feel more freedom of choice in what to photograph and how to capture those images. They can concentrate on becoming more creative since they will not need to think so much about the camera and lens.

It’s actually an easy and cost-effective process to provide a young photographer with a camera kit of their own. I use an online platform that specializes in pre-owned (AKA: used) photography equipment for a lot of my own camera and lens needs, and I am very happy with the quality of the gear.

This approach saves money and makes it easier for the adult in the equation to let go of the money involved since it will be much less than buying brand-new stuff for everyone. The really good online platforms, like MPB, have warranties on their gear, too, so most worries regarding giving the young photographer their own camera are taken care of.

Make Viewing Pics Fun for the Young Photographer

As the young photographer you’re helping gets better at their photography, they want to see it and be able to share it with others.

To start, they will likely be sharing on some form of social media. Who knows what the next “cool” platform will be for youths? Signing up for Instagram took me a while because I wasn't sure how it supported serious photography. Now, I have multiple platforms available. (Keep it safe with parental controls!).

There is something about a physical print, though, that really makes sharing their images fun and rewarding for the young photographer. One of the neatest ideas I’ve seen in a while is from a site I use a lot for professional printing, Lumaprints.

Peel-and-stick prints are what caught my eye. These are printed on high-quality woven fabric and can be stuck to a wall, removed, repositioned, moved again, and so on, without using nails, frames, or other permanent methods.

This is part of what makes the peel-and-stick prints perfect for a young photographer showing their art to their friends, family, and others. Available in sizes ranging from a 5x5” square to a 12x12’ mural (you read that right, 12 FEET), these fun prints will make showing off their developing skills and creativity a joy.

As a plus, the inks used for these prints are environmentally friendly, so the young photographer can also feel good about that. Also, these peel-and-stick prints are made with the same professional quality as everything from Lumaprints so that you can use them with confidence for your own photography.

Give a Young Photographer Computer Time

^{Photo by MixMedia via iStock}

A young photographer will need some extended computer time as they develop their skills more. I found that some of the free or very low-cost post-processing programs are amazingly simple to learn and use.

Besides a desktop or laptop PC, many of these programs come in forms accessible on mobile devices such as smartphones, Android tablets, and any generation of iPad. Whatever program you use yourself likely has a mobile device version of it.

The funny thing is, once you show the young photographer how to access and use the features on the mobile platform post-processing programs, you’ll want access to them yourself. Personally, I love using Lightroom on my iPad when out in the field.

Here’s an informative YouTube video from Will Simpson comparing the different platform versions of Adobe Lightroom:

Many mobile versions of popular post-processing programs are either free or very low cost, making it painless to provide the young photographer with this valuable learning experience. Photography has come a long way since we learned on a beat-up Pentax K-1000 and Tri-X film in a high school classroom converted to a darkroom!

Let the Young Photographer Learn at their Own Pace

^{Photo by Obradovic via iStock}

As with any venture trying to teach things to kids, we must let them learn at their own pace. That way, it stays enjoyable to them. The other side of that coin is we need to make ourselves available, reasonably so, to these young photographers as they reach out to try new ideas.

This approach also allows the young photographer to determine what they like about photography. Some will gravitate toward people pictures, others to wildlife, sports, or architecture. I found out very early on that I really enjoyed landscape photography.

Give the Young Photographer Credit

^{Photo by Grace Mania via iStock}

By giving the young photographer credit where credit is due, I’m not talking about a byline, though it would be nice if we share their photos ourselves on social media or as an art gallery display.

I suggest giving them helpful praise for what they have accomplished as a young photographer. They will be hooked once they see that they are good and that their creative ideas have merit.

They will continue to benefit from helpful guidance, practical suggestions, and ideas beyond the original beginner photography tips. Implement these ideas with a young photographer in your family and see what develops!

Recommended Photography Gear

Heads up: Clicking on our affiliate links and exploring our sponsored content helps us at no extra cost to you, and we only recommend gear we're absolutely crazy about!