Was asked to present photo tips to scouts

My daughter volunteered me to give a talk to her scout troop on photography. I'm hoping I can cover a list of tips for beginners.

Assuming I'll need about 15 minutes of material, I began searching top 10 lists online. There are many different takes; however, my picks are (in no particular order):

- look 'em in the eye, get even with your subjects such as kids or animals
- rule of thirds
- get as close as you can to the subject
- if portrait, then orient your camera as such
- fill flash whenever possible
- watch distracting backgrounds
- make it interesting via angles
- candids almost always better than posed
- steady your camera whenever possible
- take lots of pictures

I'm hoping to briefly discuss each of these and was hoping you could review the list and offer any improvements or point out anything I really should cover.

Assumptions: girl scouts, about 14 years old, may have point n shoot, but most likely phone camera.

Want to make it interesting, but not boring, so I'm planning to aim for some tips to take better pics. Thoughts?

I might show them the same shot taken with a DSLR, P&S, and cell phone to show what can and can't be done with each.

With all three, having a steady hand, railing or tripod improves the shot (a must for beginners)
I would also highlight the need to focus on your subject (eyes, if they have them).

Just my quick 2 cents.

I would touch on the exposure compensation feature found on most point and shoots. I wouldn't get into exposure as far as it relates to SLR's; however, I would mention that if your pictures are coming out too dark or too bright you can adjust the exposure compensation to make them look better.

I would probably not touch on these topics if I was given my 15 minutes of fame.

- if portrait, then orient your camera as such
- fill flash whenever possible
- candids almost always better than posed
- steady your camera whenever possible
- take lots of pictures

Tell em to step back and zoom in when shooting people pics. The wide angle lenses on point and shoots cause perspective distortion, so your get as close as you can needs to be amended a bit.

I think composition and the rule of thirds should be good, nothing technical, also the comparison between cell phone camera and point and shoot, and dslr. Showing them that is not the camera but the person that makes a good photo

You got to remember who your audience is, I have a sister who is 13 and she could care less about photography. Her idea of photography is taking a picture with her iPhone splashing on an instagram filter and done.

I've tried to teach her the rule of thirds and she could care less.

If you just get them to understand composure, natural lighting and framing I think your job will be done. Don't get into all the technical stuff like Fill flash. Unless they're really interested in photography no 14 year old is going to want to lug around a reflector or a strobe.

14 year old girls.

I think you may be up against a rather short attention span, and possibly a lack of interest, at least for some of them.

Perhaps your list is a little too ambitious, especially when you only have 15 minutes?

Covering 2 or 3 things in a bit greater detail is much more effective than trying to cover a 10 point list.

Use the rear LCD playback to illustrate your points. Get down low - lay prone or kneel real low - and take an upper body portrait of one of 'em. Then stand in a more "normal" position and take the same shot. Show them how much better the low-angle image is, and show them how the background elements are blurred out so much better, and how the subject is isolated. Then have them each try it - with your camera. Show them the "results" of each attempt on the rear LCD.

Tell them that that's a trick that will help their pictures look "more professional". Kids eat that up.

Again, just two or three points, well covered with repetition and hands-on trial & error, is much better than them standing and trying to listen to a list of ten points.

Id teach them how to deal with crappy cell phone flashes, since that will be the thing that wrecks most of their pictures, since that might be the "camera" they use the most. And how is that? 3 things: 1. Teach them when to use auto flash and when not to and how to turn their cell phone flashes on and off. The vast vast majority of the time, they should have it turned "off", not on auto. Shooting BACKLIT friends at the beach is when they should learn to turn it on, because "auto" mode will never flash in that situation and it needs to. (it doesn't have to be complicated, "this is what you do when your friends faces are too dark and you don't know why") 2. most cell phone covers don't have the lens/flash hole cut large enough and what ends up happening is the light from the flash makes it so the photo looks like someone poured milk all over it. Explain this and tell them to take their cameras out of the case for the photo if they MUST use flash. 3. Show them how to use ZOOM on phone to zoom in for "close up" flash photos, otherwise, the flash will be too close to the faces. If they step back, zoom in, and then flash, everyone will look much better.

The question and answer part of your talk will ferret out the kids interested in photography and you can get into the more obscure or specific elements of photography. Have fun. MAKE it fun. ps. As a service to all mankind, teach them that duck lip photos of themselves in the bathroom mirror has been done to death and to stop it!!

Get their attention with a picture of Justin Bieber. Tell them that if they pay attention, you'll show it to 'em again at the end.

I was able to teach one of the 14 year old kids on my block about the rule of thirds, aperture/shutter priority modes, and the golden hour. He was trying to get better pics of his friends skateboarding and the lesson stuck when I showed him first-hand he could get similar results to my $3000 DSLR setup with just a few tips.

*Ideas for posing groups of friends in one photo? Could have half the girls pose while other half shoots, then swap and talk up the resulting photos and questions they have. Indoors, they can learn tricks to improve the photos before they press the button. Posing friends/family/ etc seems a popular subject online this year. And would lead in nicely to troubleshooting for them.
*How to steady any camera is a really good idea. Was something I learned by accident.
*Showing the kids how to improve their photos to please them is a really strong interest holder.
*I also like "showing the same scene shot from phone, point and shoot and DSLR" and how to improve the non-DSLR photos.

I think you've got some good tips so far. I'd encourage teaching concepts and a bit on how a camera works, but I'd discourage teaching any "rules." I'm always amazed by the incredible shots taken by kids who don't have rules floating around in their head. Teach them how to use a camera, and what it's capable of, but don't teach them to line up family in rows, or to "always" do anything.
Take a shot with the sun in their face, and show them how the background looks. Take a shot INTO the sun and tell them how their exposure compensation works (most camera phones have this). Take a shot with a window as backlight and show how they're similar. Then take a shot in shade and show that effect.
Explain that no one way is right, and to have fun with creating cool images.
I STILL catch myself reverting back to some stupid rules I was taught years ago.
These kids are a blank slate...encourage their creativity and experimentation.

ootsk wrote in post #15126432
Explain that no one way is right, and to have fun with creating cool images.
I STILL catch myself reverting back to some stupid rules I was taught years ago.
These kids are a blank slate...encourage their creativity and experimentation.

IMO this... show them how changing perspective - getting high/low/close can produce different emphasis. Then let them go out (backyard or wherever) and try to get as creative as possible and see what they come up with.

Some of your list (e.g. turn the camera around sometimes, get close) definitely fits into this category.

LV Moose wrote in post #15125865
Get their attention with a picture of Justin Bieber. Tell them that if they pay attention, you'll show it to 'em again at the end.

and possibly this (although I couldn't bring myself do it).

LV Moose wrote in post #15125865
Get their attention with a picture of Justin Bieber. Tell them that if they pay attention, you'll show it to 'em again at the end.

!!

All good advice. I would add: ask your daughter what she wants to learn! She's your target audience - though granted, you may have taught her quite a bit already. Ask her what her fellow scouts have problems with taking photographs, and address those issues.