|
There’s a new shutterbug in the Lynch household.
Benjamin was given a simple 35mm camera for his birthday. Before he had a chance to use it, though, he took his first shots with a digital camera.
We were at a family reunion, and he begged and begged to be allowed to take some pictures. I cautiously gave him my camera, stressing that he needed to keep the wrist strap on his wrist at all times.
He turned out to be very snap-happy, racking up a total of 18 pictures and two accidental videos. I was pleasantly surprised at how his pictures turned out. Granted, in some of his pictures of people, he was a little too close. Believe me, those are not very flattering photos, especially for someone who’s overweight.
But some of his pictures are good enough that I would consider putting them in the “official” reunion photo album. Others could be classified as art shots. He took a close-up of grapes in a bowl, for example, as well as a shot looking down at the remains of a tree stump.
Perhaps he comes by his photographic tendencies naturally. (Can such a thing be genetic?) When I was a kid, I loved taking pictures. I remember one time in particular when I decided to try some “unusual” shots. My favorite was a picture of our pear tree. At first glance, it seemed quite ordinary, until you realized that if viewed properly, the tree was upside down! I took the picture while hanging by my knees from the top bar of our swing set.
Benjamin has shot two rolls of film in his own camera now, but he seems to do better with the digital. Of course, in the digital, he looks at the screen to see exactly what the picture will look like, instead of having to peer through the viewfinder. Also, the lens on his camera is recessed, making it easier for his fingers to get in the way. On the digital, the lens projects outward, so it’s harder to cover it.
Then, too, there’s the expense. With his busy trigger finger, if I had to buy film and get it developed, I’d go broke in no time.
The other week we traveled with my parents to my dad’s World War II Navy ship reunion. (He served on an LST, the amphibious ships that sailed right up to the beaches, then opened up to allow the tanks to roll out.) This was Benjamin’s fifth trip to the annual reunions, and we’ll continue to go as long as they have them. With several next-generation family members involved now, the reunions of the crew and families could go on for quite a while.
This year’s trip was held in Hagerstown, MD, and on Friday we had a bus trip to Annapolis to tour the Naval Academy. He only took 68 pictures! To a grownup, some of them were silly, like when he stood by the street and took a picture of each car parked along the curb. Others were unusual views, such as the one looking straight up at the rotunda in the academy chapel. But he actually took about two dozen shots that are worth printing and putting in an album.
Our Saturday excursion meant even more pictures. We visited the C&O Canal visitor center in Hancock, MD, where Benjamin took 30 more pictures. I think he took a picture of every old photo and painting on display in the center.
The walk back to the van and short drive to the canal yielded another 30. While most of them appeared to me to be wasted shots, he did get some interesting views out the front of the van, catching the profile of the driver, my brother John.
We wrapped up our time in Hancock with a few minutes at the canal itself, which parallels the Potomac River. It reminded us a lot of the Schuylkill Canal in Mont Clare, with a picnic area between the canal and river. Oh yes, and that meant another two dozen photos of the area as seen through Benjamin’s eyes.
Next up was a visit to Sideling Hill, where I-68 was cut through the mountain. Benjamin has been asking to visit a museum with rocks, and at the visitor center, I think he took a picture of almost every rock on display. The result was another 30 images!
After the evening’s banquet, we gathered in the meeting room for games. We were playing Rummikub, and while waiting for Grammy to get ready, Benjamin decided to take an individual picture of every tile in his rack. I stopped him before he got to all 14, though, and he finally put the camera aside.
It’s really fascinating seeing what a first-grader thinks makes a good picture, and I really do want to encourage him to develop his photographic skills. But even with the digital, if I print all the pictures he wants, this could become an expensive hobby.
I guess like all aspects of parenting, it’s a balancing act. I just hope I find the right balance for both of us.
|