Teaching photography to kids is a great way to encourage their creativity - and in the digital age, it's more fun and less expensive than ever before. Here are a few photophraphy tips for kids that will help you engage your children (and yourself!) in photography.

Share your hobby

If photography's your passion, sharing it with your kids enriches their lives and may become their hobby. Sharing your knowledge about the basics of taking great photos helps them learn mental and technical skills that apply not only to photography but other areas of life as well. Just as importantly going out on a "shoot" with your kids is a great way to spend quality time with them in some interesting places and one of the best photophraphy tips for kids.

Basic techniques

One of the most essential photophraphy tips for kids is to teach them the basics of how to operate the camera, frame shots and click the shutter without jiggling, then turn them loose for a while and check the results. Then go a little further: Explain what a "photo "subject" is, then show them the Rule of Thirds on a piece of paper and how to move their subject out of the center of the photograph to create cool results.

Explain the idea of "capturing a moment" in your photographs then "show" them this idea in action: take a photo of them just looking at you, then tell a joke and take photos of them laughing for one of the more joyous photophraphy tips for kids. Then show them the series and they'll see how the laughing photos are better because they "capture a moment" instead of just documenting something or someone. They'll understand quickly and start to looking for their own "capture moments." Also tell them to shoot a lot of pictures, AKA "working the subject."

Instant gratification

One great thing about digital photography technology is the instant gratification and feedback of being able to see how the photo looks as soon as you take it. It's not only fun but useful as a learning tool because you can instantly coach your child on what they did well in taking a photo, and what they could do better next time.

See things from a new perspective

One of the most important photophraphy tips for kids is to take amazing photos because, unlike their parents, everything is fresh and new to them so their eyes often see things that ours miss. Kids also bring a different perspective to by their size alone. They see the world from three to five feet off the ground, so some of their photos are interesting because of the camera angle alone. You can also take it to the next "level," so to speak, by encouraging them to take shots from their pet's point of view. You'll be surprised by how different things look from "down there."

Make it fun

Photography scavenger hunts can be a fun way to get kids out shooting and looking for different things to photograph. Give them assignments like patterns, shapes and colors to look for. Tell them to photograph something red, something alive, something wet. You'll be amazed at how creative kids can be when they're "on assignment."

Hopefully these photophraphy tips for kids will help your children enjoy taking pictures as much as you do!