Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 2001/08/06
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]Frank.Dernie@btinternet.com (Frank Dernie)8/6/0110:31 AM > These suggestions are invalid comparisons, knowing how paper is made is > unlikely to aid the development of writing skills. It is however a good idea > to let kids learn the sort of things you suggest. - --------------------------------- As a matter of fact I think it worthwhile to consider these extreme suggestions for kids. When my daughter was around 9 yrs old. We bought a book, "Paper making for kids" and had a ball making paper and showing her how to do calligraphy. And now, at 32 yrs old, she still uses those skills when appropriate to making wonderful gifts. Let us not imagine that we know what will kindle the imaginations of the young and impressionable. Exploring the possible ways of introducing a young person to photography - including asking, "what type of kid?" seem very important. And the ideas of introducing a 10 yr. old to all the possibilities available in photography seem wonderful to me. May I suggest that you have the 10yr old put an 8x10 negative on his belly, put a piece of glass over it, and have him lay out in the sun for few hours and experience the magic of having a print burned into his skin? The possibilities are endless. Show him all the possibilities and let him gravitate where he finds the most interest. Take him to a swap meet and let him see all the possibilities. Let him look through a view camera - the bigger the better. I still get a chill run up my spine when I set up the 12x20 and crawl under that black cloth. It doesn't even matter what it's pointed at - it's just a kick to see that big projected image. Show him the great photo books. Take him into the darkroom. Invite him to get togethers with other photographers. He'll either get adicted to the medium or not. None of it will hurt him. George