The most important part of photography isn’t the camera. It’s learning to truly see the world without one. That’s the heart of what we focus on in our Art of Seeing Academy (photographyforkids.org) workshops for kids. Each session is designed to help young photographers slow down, observe carefully, and think creatively before pressing the shutter.
To build this way of seeing, we introduce topics that are both playful and thought-provoking. One of our favourites this season was eye level. Kids were asked to take photographs from the eye level of their subject, whether it was a duck, a bird, a flower, or even a tree. The most popular question from the group was, “Where is the eye level of a tree?” It’s a question without a fixed answer. The fun lies in imagining how a tree might see the world.
We also introduce deceptively simple yet powerful challenges like lines and reflections. Not just leading lines, but a call to look for all kinds of lines in everyday spaces. They might be straight, curved, bent or hidden. It’s a great exercise in sharpening the eye and understanding composition, no matter your age.
We thought these ideas and examples might be useful for grown-up photographers too, especially those wanting to improve their photography by getting back to the basics of observation, creativity and intent.
We’re proud to showcase the results on the following pages. These images reflect not just what the kids saw, but how they explored, imagined and interpreted the world around them. Their work is a reminder to all of us to stay curious and keep looking with fresh eyes.
