'Real' Camera

[Berliner]

I am sure I am not the only one to come across this...but my niece and nephew (almost 4 and almost 3) always want to look at the back of my camera after I snap a photo of them. You know, to see the displayed photo.

I have one or two cameras with me at all times. Usually two RF's - one color, one b&w, one 35mm one 75mm.

The thing that bugs me (and I need to get over this.. they're still in nappies, for God sake) is they think that only camera's with a display on the back are 'real'.

No, sweetie, this camera isn’t like that. "Why?" It doesn’t have a picture on the back. "Why?" It's not digital. "Why?" It's a film camera "What's film?" and on and on and on...

I don't have a good answer that I think they could understand, so I just keep promising to bring a 'real' camera next visit (and usually forget).


I think it's funny, all the aunts, uncles, parents, grand parents, etc., all have 'real' cameras with 'pictures on the back'. And they take lovely photos with the children saying 'cheese' --They won't stand still for me, because they know they will not be able to immediately see the picture as soon as they run over to grampy yelling 'let me see,..! let me see'...!.

That's fine; I don't like taking the "Say 'cheese'" photos, and prefer to snap away candidly.


One of the RF's is my father's and will be passed on to them (niece & nephew) one day. Since I wanted to expose (npi) them to photography early on,(somewhat selfishly), a few months ago I gave them a Fisher Price digicam."Oh WOW!!!, a REAL camera!!!!!!!!" They love it, and I can see the older one will be ready for a simple p/s digicam sooner than I thought. Have I created a monster?

What do you tell the children you photo?

 

[varjag]

As far as my son aware (he's almost 3), mechanical film RFs are the only real cameras out there. He can compose with Voigltander Kontur and wind/fire my M4.

 

[sepiareverb]

My kids now know not to ask anymore if I make a picture- my wife usually uses a coolpix, they cluster around and 'see the picture' over there instead.

I don't have an answer either, but don't feel compelled to give one- try shooting slides for a while and give them a slide show- that usually makes up for the chimpless shooting.

 

[RML]

It's lack of exposure that makes these kids think a "real" camera must be digital. More exposure to film cameras, negs, the dev'ing process, etc will eventually make them realise that there are other ways too. They may still think a digital is a "real" camera but at least they know it's not the only option.

 

[Kent]

I say, "Here's the picture! You can watch it appear!"

Buy a Polaroid.

Then they'll ask people with digital cameras how come it doesn't spit the picture out.

😀😀😀

Yes, this is the present day development.
But I guess, as soon as those kids grow up and some of them start to deal with photography seriously (I do not mean "professionally") they will try to shoot on film again... (Maybe wishful thinking, but I find some comfort there...)

 

[Pherdinand]

Suggestion:
Tape a super funny paper picture on the back of a film camera. With a staring monkey or something. Take a picture of the little fellow(s) and show them the backside.
Maybe they'll stop asking. 😀

 

[lushd]

I say, "Here's the picture! You can watch it appear!"

Buy a Polaroid.

Then they'll ask people with digital cameras how come it doesn't spit the picture out.

Brian - totally true. My nephew and niece in the early 1980's used to ask exactly that about my Olympus OM1 and thought it was a pretty useless device, because they had seen a Polaroid in operation.

 

[pvdhaar]

I say, "Here's the picture! You can watch it appear!"

Buy a Polaroid.

Then they'll ask people with digital cameras how come it doesn't spit the picture out.

LOL..

And I really think you're on to something. But you should have patented that idea first.. that is, the digital thingy that does such a thing..

 

[shutterfiend]

I have the same problem with my kids. Worse! My wife has a 20D, L lenses and what not and the pictures come out looking just as good. So I can't even claim that it's the image quality I'm after. I have no other option but to join the dark side. I'm just looking for a bigger sensor and good B&W capabilities in a P&S. As they say... There's nothing like the real thing!

 

[danwilly]

Kids are not used to seeing prints either. Digital has made it possible for instant gratification and ultimately the photos get deleted somewhere along the line and are lost to history. Maybe us film enthusiasts should keep a couple of prints in our bag to show the relationship between photography and the tactile experience of holding a real print.

 

[shadowfox]

That's fine; I don't like taking the "Say 'cheese'" photos, and prefer to snap away candidly.

What do you tell the children you photo?

Keep snapping candids, but don't fail to print a couple of good ones off the roll and give it to the children (or better yet, give it to their parents). I did that a couple of times and their teasing of me using old film cameras curiously stopped 🙄

 

[like2fiddle]

Keep snapping candids, but don't fail to print a couple of good ones off the roll and give it to the children (or better yet, give it to their parents). I did that a couple of times and their teasing of me using old film cameras curiously stopped 🙄

We've found that the photos that are actually printed and displayed (framed) in our house are the film photos, not the digital photos. Give their parents a couple of candids framed and ready to display....

 

[Welsh_Italian]

Keep snapping candids, but don't fail to print a couple of good ones off the roll and give it to the children (or better yet, give it to their parents). I did that a couple of times and their teasing of me using old film cameras curiously stopped 🙄

Though she's not a child, my fiancee laughed when I last visited and pulled out my old Fed 4 in its smelly old case. Let's face it, it's not a pretty camera, is it?

But when she saw the results with a nice depth of field and lovely bokeh and "professional" shots that "made me look like a model", she wanted me to bring it next time I visit.

 

[goo0h]

But when she saw the results with a nice depth of field and lovely bokeh and "professional" shots that "made me look like a model", she wanted me to bring it next time I visit.

Sweet. Don't ya love when that happens.

 

[kshapero]

Just give the kids an etch a sketch. that will keep them busy.

 

[Welsh_Italian]

Sweet. Don't ya love when that happens.

Yeah - and now she wants me to teach her about depth-of-field. She's already good at composition so she'll soon be rattling off better pictures than me!😱

 

[Pherdinand]

A friend of mine has seen some images of my fresh niece and he does not want to believe me that i didn't use special photoshop tricks to achieve shallow DOF and nice fine grains and deep soft shadows.
I shot TMZ in a leica M2 and a 50mm lens at f/2. No flash of course.

 

[Pherdinand]

i told him the same thing but he smiled and said"Riiight...you don't wanna share your secrets, i see"
[He's not a photographer. I think he didn't make a photo since he sold his camera for water and food in Nepal (don't ask) some six years ago, and he owns no camera at all.]

 

[RML]

[He's not a photographer. I think he didn't make a photo since he sold his camera for water and food in Nepal (don't ask) some six years ago, and he owns no camera at all.]

Whadaya mean "don't ask"?! Teasing us with a good story and then backing out? I don't think so! Spill the beans, Csaba! 😀

 

[Pherdinand]

well nothing much,really.
Two east europeans with a japanese governmental student grant went from Japan to Nepal to hike the mountains, and ended up with no money to go home (or to sleep and eat in a decent way).
Sold quite everything to be able to get back to Japan 😀