Photography lessons from a 4-year-old

When I was in college, I steered clear of all the teaching majors. I just couldn't see myself leading small groups of children anywhere, much less towards goals in math and science and reading. Today, I find myself teaching all the time, from the basics (like how to wipe a bum and how to brush teeth) to the more advanced (like how to be a good friend and how to get free stuff by couponing at CVS). Okay, I haven't started on the CVS lesson yet with my girls, but I assure you, I will.

What I have heard often from my teacher friends is that they learn as much from their students as their students learn from them. I thought that was just a cliche - something they said because it made them sound like the Mother Theresa of the teaching world. But as I continue on this "teaching journey" with my girls, I have found myself thinking that exact same sentiment (and trust me, i am no Mother Theresa). I have learned invaluable things from my girls, which I hope to write about in the future. But today's lesson is a photography lesson that Kate taught me. Yes, my four-year-old knows a thing or two about photography. We have spent many moments with her parked in my lap, huge camera in hand, aimed at whatever is in front of her face at the moment. What I realized is that Kate's pictures are often more interesting than mine. We may be shooting the same subject, but the angle of her pictures and the way she frames the subject is funkier, cooler, more intriquing. Check them out:

These photos tell a better story than traditional photos. They tell the story of a wild pony, grazing his way along the sand dunes; a little sister in her pajamas on a windy day; a group of preschoolers at the end of a fun birthday party.

I love Kate's photos and after studying them, I realized that I could recreate her style. I learned to get low and look at things from different angles. That's the difference between a snapshot and an amazing photograph. Don't be afraid to lay on the ground and point your camera up or put your camera in the grass and shoot strait toward your subject or stand on a table and shoot down. Crawl around. Get dirty. Feel the stares of passing strangers. It's okay. Your photographs will improve and that's what really matters. It's just a little lesson I learned from a 4-year-old.