Understanding Exposure -:- Alternatives??

My 12 y.o. daughter "says" she wants to learn how to take photos with a dSLR. I have no objection with her using my 300D that I do not use anymore. When at all possible, I try and find reasons to make my kids read. None of them really like reading, so if there is anyway to take advantage of the situation to get them to read something, I hop on the chance.

Well, since she REALLY wants to use the dRebel. I REALLY want her to read. So, I told her that if she reads Understanding Exposure, then I'd let her have at it with the dRebel. I don't really want to buy the book, since the attention span for most of the things she is interested in last for about 12 minutes. So, I thought I'd check it out from the library. WRONG! Our library system has 4 copies of it with 15 people in wait for it.

So, does anyone else have a 12 y.o. friendly book that they can recommend that is similar to Understanding Exposure?

Can you make some Over/Normal/Under examples to show her on your computer?

It would be a good show and tell if you point out how each creates a unique histogram.

Heck, using Lightroom or Photoshop, you could easily show her what happens when you over expose or under expose a scene and why. With some creative Gaussian Blur, you could even make DOF examples.

Just tossin' it out there...if nothing else, just let her play (with a lesson on proper respect for the gear...) since digital doesn't cost anything!

There is no doubt that I could teach her, and I will at some point, or help her out along the way. But teaching her from the get-go kind of defeats my whole reasoning of getting her to read. It is something she is interested in, so I think she'd be motivated to read to learn. That is a win, win.

And trust me, if I just gave her the camera and let her have at it, she wouldn't put it down. But she'd stick it on auto and not learn a thing.

I've never read this, or have kids for that matter, but I absolutely love the National Geographic Field Guide series. They have one for kids:
http://www.amazon.com …oks&qid=1210048​954&sr=8-4

Its an older book (2001), so it won't have much on digital though. But the concepts are all the same.

This one is highly rated, and sounds like a fun book that will keep her attention:
http://www.amazon.com …rd_r=1TY0K1FKQK​YXYQ48XVZC

The Digital Rebel XTi Field guide may be a more practical, hands-on approach to getting started into photography. More examples and using the exact buttons etc of the camera.

There are some online lessons that are very good. And besides "reading" on the internet does not count. She may not have a problem with it. Same as calories on vacation dont count!

try this one to start.... http://www.morguefile.​com/archive/classroom.​php

You may be able to find used books. There is a huge used book store about 3 blocks from me. They are in the internet. http://www.wonderbk.co​m/ Im sure there are several others. Good books. great prices.

Why not just buy it? Excellent book and you might even find it a useful read too.

It's not an expensive book.

I still refer to it on ocassion.

Can't you spare $20! I mean your daughter is interested in photography! That's awesome! Spend the twenty clams

EOS_JD wrote in post #5470118
Why not just buy it? Excellent book and you might even find it a useful read too.

It's not an expensive book.

I still refer to it on ocassion.

Thats exactly what I was thinking (Besides the fact that its a good read...even for a kid !).. I just found my copy that had become lost in the shuffle and I am sifting through it again.

egordon99 wrote in post #5470173
Can't you spare $20! I mean your daughter is interested in photography! That's awesome! Spend the twenty clams

I can hear the flushing sound! I gave my youngest daughter a book for Xmas on photography, because she said she wanted to learn about it. I gave her a P&S with full manual exposure control, so that she would have a camera which would allow her to fully utilize what she had read. That was in her senior year in high school. Later this month, she graduates with a BA in Journalism, so I know she knows how to read. But earlier this year she made a statement which made it obvious that she had never A) opened the book nor B) employed anything in the book in using the camera controls she did not realize existed on her camera!!!

12 minute attention spans

A book from the library, which has a due date that forces them to read within a finite period of time is a good idea, vs. a book which can sit on the shelf forever without being opened!

safehaven,
have you simply tried going to the library, into the stacks, to find a suitable book on the shelves? There are countless books on photography over the years, that deal with exposure concept. I know, because I taught photography at the Parks & Rec level in my adult years (in addition to being a teaching assistant in college level photography). There are books that colleges use at the intro level, which can sometimes be found in libraries. Or go to used book stores.

Does her school offer a photography course as an elective? If so it may be a good thing for Sept. BTW , The book is under $20 at Amazon. I think his style of writing would keep a 12 y.o. interested.

Wilt wrote in post #5471550
I can hear the flushing sound! I gave my youngest daughter a book for Xmas on photography, because she said she wanted to learn about it. I gave her a P&S with full manual exposure control, so that she would have a camera which would allow her to fully utilize what she had read. That was in her senior year in high school. Later this month, she graduates with a BA in Journalism, so I know she knows how to read. But earlier this year she made a statement which made it obvious that she had never A) opened the book nor B) employed anything in the book in using the camera controls she did not realize existed on her camera!!!

12 minute attention spans

A book from the library, which has a due date that forces them to read within a finite period of time is a good idea, vs. a book which can sit on the shelf forever without being opened!

Haha!! Thank you! FINALLY somebody else who sees it from my point of view.

Wilt wrote in post #5471603
safehaven,
have you simply tried going to the library, into the stacks, to find a suitable book on the shelves? There are countless books on photography over the years, that deal with exposure concept. I know, because I taught photography at the Parks & Rec level in my adult years (in addition to being a teaching assistant in college level photography). There are books that colleges use at the intro level, which can sometimes be found in libraries. Or go to used book stores.

No, I have not actually been into the library. Everyone here recommends Understanding Exposure to anyone who is new to these forums. I just wanted to check here to see if anyone had some alternate suggestions before heading off to the library. Apparently there aren't any other definitive suggestions. So, I think I will take your suggestioin and wander my cheap bottom down to the library and take a gander for myself

I understand wanting her to read, but what's wrong with reading from the i-net, which is something she can research better than we can?
My choice for most situations in everyday use: Need an exposure crutch?

How the subject affects the exposure & why manual keeps me worry free: Post #47