Start Classes for Kids to Learn Photography

I am a teacher and have been for almost 20 years. I have taught photography to 8-12 year olds before in NJ when I was first starting my love for photography. At the time the kids all used P&S with film and it was very easy, take a roll of 24, 8 during class, 16 at home, I collected the film and sent them out to process. The class cost the parents $50 for 4 classes, 2 rolls of film, all processing.

I'm thinking of doing a class for kids 3-5th grade, P&S digital. Teach kids about composition, exposure, camera language and then some PP. I would charge $100 for 4 classes over 2 weeks, send all pictures to Sam's or Costco to print except one class prints from a printer. I can teach 4 kids at a time. I also have 4 computers in my house in one room. They can all work on their pictures all at once. Does this sound workable?

Perhaps.

Are the kids providing the cameras (I'd assume so). Obviously finding parents willing to pay $100 for photography classes would be important, but if you found a market then I can't see why not. As for the computer situation, you'd need to have the same software on each (Photoshop etc). I would think you'd need 4 copies, unless you want to go the "Other" route...(PM Me)

Anyway...If your confident with teaching the kids, you can find people who will pay and people trust you with their kids, then I don't see why not

Leo

Actually, you'll probably get more adults with point & shoots interested in the class. As yearbook advisor at our school, I try to teach my staff some of the fundamentals of photography so they can use the school camera and take some of the yearbook shots. At the high school level, however, they seem to be more interested in each other than in the cameras.

LOL. Oh no. Those kids have camera phones and are constantly pointing them at each other, very annoying. But I do have a market for it here and I do have 4 copies of PS in the room. It's sick, I know. But I can be at any of my computers and do work. This is what happens when all the kids are computer saavy and can navigate better than me.

I like your advice about teaching adults, though. I have a lot of friends who need help, but that's not the clientele I'm aiming for. I am about 15 miles from Fairfax and can easily get people to pay for after-school classes of any kind. I ran one for 2 years in NJ. I am considering doing it at a daycare locally or at a church. Kids learn so much when they have something to show for it, and the skills I offer really are valuable. I'm not teaching them to basketweave-for instance, although my son learned how to fix chairs and I paid him $100 to do all six of our dining room chairs about 5 years ago and they are still in great condition.

You should really consider an adult class. People with electronic gadgets usually have pretty deep pockets.

Don't they offer photography classes in public schools anymore??? I took photography in high school in the '80's. Also in NJ, BTW. We used 35mm SLR or PS and developed our own film in class, B/W of course.

Little kids aren't allowed to use the chemicals. Even labs like Costco can't have anyone under 18 to handle the photo lab machines. I did take a course in HS, but this was for wealthy kids who wasted their parents' money by not being very good at it and I taught them to center their subjects and to think about the shots before pressing the button. A mom said at the end of the class that she was just glad 8 out of 24 came out good enough to keep. I thought, thank heavens for digital.

Good luck, Suzie. I like Liza's idea about teaching adults. Perhaps be open to children and their parents.

That actually won't work as parents will get mad to see their kids doing better than they do. Today my 9 year old took great pictures with my little 510A. My 20D pictures with the 17-40L at RAW blew it away, but still, he's 9, I'm, well, ancient. I don't get mad, I just take out the big guns. Adults who are clueless about settings tend to be impatient. Kids just play with settings as a natural thing to do with electronics. Weird.

Although, here is a confession, I was at the museum with Jon from here and he was pushing his buttons like crazy to get the right settings. I am not so brave, but he just does it and learns. I am always nervous I can't set it back or can't remember what I did right or wrong. Kids don't care. They just play and hopefully, they get it after a while.

My 8 year old would LOVE to take a class! He doesn't slow down enough to learn composition and the technical details from me. He just wants to shoot, shoot, shoot! I bought him a Canon A300 several years ago because the cost of disposables and processing was killing me. I rarely print any of his pictures; he is content to see them on screen so maybe a cheaper way to go is give them a CD rather than send all pics out for processing?

I love looking at pictures taken by children! Their perspectives are interesting!

wrong, somewhat. I worked at a lab when I was 15. No fed regulations, thats just a rule they have. OSHA regulations did require my parents and I to sign off on everything after being trained however.

great idea Suzy and I can tell you with what i'm going through with Abby they love it. If she was in your area i'd sign her up in a heartbeat.. she'd be able to interact with somebody other than her boring auntie.. there'd be other kids who like to take photos as well and she'd get to learn something new.. too bad were so far apart from eachother. good luck with the idea it sounds wonderful let me know how it turns out..