Archives For kids

Challenges

Varina Patel —  May 10, 2013

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People ask me all the time about the challenges of my career choice… and there are many. From difficult terrain with a heavy pack on your back to ridiculous weather conditions… and so much more. But all those challenges pale in comparison to being a parent. Don’t get me wrong – I love every part of it… even the stuff that drives me nuts.

When I’m on location, I’m always ready to drop everything and head back home in case of an emergency. Scheduling an upcoming trip feels like a bad comedy… trying to work around soccer games, theater productions, doctors appointments, and parent-teacher conferences isn’t easy. Of course, getting a break from the kids – a few days in the wilderness somewhere – is a treat. But coming home is even better. Every single time.

So, I don’t talk about my kids on my blog very often (I know this isn’t what you’re here for), but today I just want to take a moment to let you know that my kids are amazing. Each and every one of them.

I love you guys! Don’t forget to brush your teeth, and watch out for falling rocks! ;)

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Sisters

Varina Patel —  March 26, 2013

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

These two little beauties don’t have much – they live in the slums of Nicaragua – but they have each other. We photographed so many children on this day – but these two really stood out to me. They were quieter than the other children. They posed for us… but they didn’t hop around giggling and screeching as so many of the others did. They smiled – but not with big toothy grins and shouts of laughter. A second before I took this shot, both girls were smiling for the camera… but when they heard the click, they settled into this more natural pose. Just long enough for me to get a second shot.  This moment was fleeting, but it captured the quiet connection between these two little girls.

Empowerment International: http://empowermentinternational.org
The Giving Lens: http://www.thegivinglens.com

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The Boy in the Cart

Varina Patel —  March 22, 2013

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

When we arrived at this family’s home, I noticed the colorful cart near the doorway. And suddenly, a little head appeared in the shadows inside the box. In fact, there were two little boys in the cart. They were playing quietly in the shade. Of course, we couldn’t help ourselves. What a perfect photo op! :)

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

Empowerment International: http://empowermentinternational.org
The Giving Lens: http://www.thegivinglens.com

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The Dog

Varina Patel —  March 5, 2013

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This is one of the many dogs living in Granada’s barrios. I loved her plaintive look and the stillness of her pose. She looks hungry and tired… and I’m sure she is. The barrios are a pretty unforgiving place to live.

Empowerment International: www.empowermentinternational.org
The Giving Lens: www.thegivinglens.com

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Do You Have Everything You Need?

Varina Patel —  February 26, 2013

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

Do you have everything you need? A safe place to raise your children? Good schools that provide your kids with an pretty darn good education? A job – even if it isn’t exactly what you want to be doing – that pays more than a dollar a day?

Do you have a roof that doesn’t leak?

Do you get enough to eat every day… or do you eat a little less so that your children can have enough?

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

I bet most of you turn on your air conditioner when it gets hot and humid outside. I bet you have a refrigerator, and a microwave, and a stove, and a toaster too… maybe you even have a washer and dryer. I’ll bet your kids have their own bed – with a nice fluffy comforter – and a closet full of toys.

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

I bet they have a library at their school – and a computer lab. And a really nice playground with a yellow plastic slide and a jungle gym.

I have all those things. My children have everything they need – and more. And sometimes, I take all that stuff for granted. I shouldn’t.

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

The kids in Granada’s barrios live without any of those things.

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

Empowerment International: www.empowermentinternational.org
The Giving Lens: www.thegivinglens.com

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Nicaragua with Empowerment International

Varina Patel —  February 21, 2013

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

Over the next few weeks, I’ll be sharing some of the photographs I took during our visit to Nicaragua. We traveled to Granada to lead a workshop for The Giving Lens – and partnered with Empowerment International to work with kids from the Barrios. During our stay, we were invited to visit the homes of some of the children in the program – and it was a real pleasure to meet their families and play with the little ones.

This is the amazing Wes Lum with a few of the kids from the Barrios. The kids absolutely loved him. Look at all those smiles!

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We had an amazing time – and I’m pretty sure they had a good time, too. What do you think? ;)

Barrios - Granada, Nicaragua

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Pearl in the Storm

Varina Patel —  November 20, 2012


Crazy weather makes the best photos. And fun memories too! ;)

This storm came up on us so fast that we ended up having to run from it. It was a beautiful, sunny day, and we were visiting Norris Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park (Wyoming). We were out hiking with the kids, and we took a wrong turn on the trail. So, instead of the shorter loop, we ended up on the longer one. And to make matters worse, we mistook the distinctive sound of distant thunder for the rumbling of geysers! We did see clouds moving in, but they didn’t look too threatening – until this one appeared. And it was moving FAST! We knew we’d be in trouble if we didn’t get moving. We were on a wide-flat plain, and we were carrying our tripods – which start to look a lot like lightening rods when you are surprised by weather like this. :)

So, as the rain started to fall, we told the kids to run for it. We headed for the shelter near the trail head. Jay ran ahead with the kids – and I stopped with my tripod to grab one quick shot before catching up with them. The kids were excited – and the younger ones were a little scared – but we arrived at the shelter just moments before the storm unleashed its fury. They watched wide-eyed as pea-sized hail fell in torrents all around us.

The storm didn’t last long, and we were never in great danger – but it was a fun adventure for the kids. At the end of the trip, they all agreed that it was the best part of the whole vacation. :)

That said – please stay safe when you are traveling. Beautiful weather can turn bad fast – and it’s important to be prepared. Check expected weather conditions before you go out, read your trail maps carefully, know where the nearest shelters are, and watch the skies. Bad weather can be incredibly dangerous.

So, what about you? Have you ever been caught in a storm like this?

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Empowering Kids through Photography

Varina Patel —  July 20, 2012

We had the incredible privilege of traveling to Nicaragua with Empowerment International and The Giving Lens this summer. We spent our days working with the kids as part of the educational photography program. We toured Granada and the surrounding area with the kids, helping them with their cameras and teaching them the basics of composition and exposure. But when all is said and done, I think we learned far more from them than they did from us. What an incredible bunch of kids!

Most of the children live in the Barrios, where their families are struggling to  meet their most basic needs on a daily basis. Their homes are made of corrugated metal, scraps of wood and wire, and whatever other materials they can find. The floors are packed dirt – swept clean daily. Sheets hang from the ceilings, dividing their small spaces into rooms for sleeping or cooking. They use matches and plastic bags to start their cooking fires. Some of the homes have a tap for running water, and the children use a bowl to pour water over their heads to clean themselves – the little ones help one another wash their hair with bars of soap each morning before school.

The children have so little compared to kids in developed countries, but they don’t lack talent! Take a look at the work of three of the kids we worked with in the photography program. We think you’ll be impressed! The kids shot RAW photographs in manual mode, and processed each image using Lightroom 4. Within the digital darkroom, they adjusted color balance and exposure where necessary, cropped their images for impact, and made other minor adjustments.

Armando

 

Melki

 

Yanet

We’re really proud of these kids, and we can’t wait to get back to Nicaragua to see them again!

For more information on Empowerment International, please visit their website at www.empowermentinternational.org. Consider donating money or sponsoring a child. Even a small donation can make an enormous difference for these kids.

For information on workshops with The Giving Lens, visit their website at www.thegivinglens.com.

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Summer Photography with the Kids

Varina Patel —  July 5, 2012

Need a fun, summer activity for your kids? Put a camera in their hands and see what they do with it!

Each of our kids has their own small camera. Six kids, six cameras… and six Gorillapods from Joby. We spent a few hours in the park seeing what they’d do with them. Their instructions? Get creative, and have fun. :)

And boy did they come through! Anna and Ellena used their Gorillapods to steady their cameras on a small tree for a portrait session. They set their automatic timers, put their arms around each other, and grinned like the imps they are.

Nick climbed high to take a few shots, and then used the flexible legs on this gorilla pod to prop the camera – nice and steady – between two saplings.

Anna hung her camera upside down from a branch, and then went low for some detail shots.

The lightweight flexibility of the Gorillapods makes them perfect companions for kids. They attach easily to the camera, and they are easy to remove. We like to leave the small locking-clip screwed into the bottom of the camera, rather than unscrewing it completely. That way, the kids can snap their miniature tripods on and off easily. There’s even a tiny lock mechanism that keeps the Gorillapod securely in place, so it doesn’t fall off in the woods somewhere.

The gorillapods are sturdy too. The kids aren’t always gentle with their gear, so that’s essential. Nobody has managed to break one yet – but not for lack of trying. ;) They’ve been twisted and contorted every which way… but that’s exactly what they are made to do.

I should point out that this little tripods aren’t just for kids. My grandmother has one. She travels extensively, and she carries the little Gorillapod with her. She uses it when she wants a photo of herself with her travel-buddies. It’s easy to set up on a table or a railing, and she can set the timer and then jump into the photograph. And when low light or shaky hands leave her photos blurry, she wraps the legs of the Gorillapod around a railing or a lamp post, and gets the shot she wants – no blur, no problem. I use a little one to hold a flash unit when I need a little extra light… and I have a larger one too… more on that next week! ;)

They’re small enough to fit in your pocket or your carry-on bag. They’re welcome in places that shun bulky tripods. They’re flexible enough to use just about anywhere. And best of all… they’re fun! In the end, that’s what it’s all about, right?

To learn more about photography check out our eBooks below:

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Teaching our Kids to Shoot

Varina Patel —  May 31, 2012

Teaching photography to kids is tons of fun. They pick up on concepts very quickly, and have no preconceived ideas about photography to hinder their learning! Here are some photographs that our kids took. There are some really good tips here – you can learn a lot from a kid!

Nick was 14 when he took this shot of the Washington Monument on a class trip to Washington DC. Notice that he didn’t center the composition, which makes it more appealing. He also took the shot with some pretty dramatic storm clouds – which adds interest. Those clouds also filter the light, so there are no harsh shadows or blown highlights. It’s a beautiful view of the area, and the exposure and colors are really nice.

For this shot of the Air Force Memorial, he pointed the camera straight up. The view is unique and interesting – and the blue sky makes a beautiful backdrop. Notice that his composition isn’t quite symmetrical, which adds to the appeal.

Nora is 13. She took this shot in Everglades National Park in Florida. When we saw the bird grab the fish, she started shooting right away. I told her to check her histogram – and she did. She saw that her first shot was underexposed, made a very quick manual adjustment, and took several more shots as the bird swallowed the fish whole. Quick thinking and an understanding of her histogram made for a beautiful action shot! The image is beautifully sharp, and she zoomed in to fill the frame as much as possible.

Here’s another shot she took during the trip. This time, she waited for the bird to turn his head toward the camera as he soaked up the sun. She captured the details on the birds wings, and his wonderful pose as well. Once again, she zoomed in to fill the frame with the bird and eliminate as much distraction as she could.

Eian took this shot at Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada when he was 13. He worked to get his exposure right in camera – capturing the brilliant light on the distant sandstone cliffs as the sun went down. We teach the kids to shoot in manual mode and keep an eye on their histogram for every shot.

This abstract shot shows some of the incredible detail in the sandstone. Notice that Eian placed the lines at an angle for a more dynamic composition. He also chose a single deep crack as a counterpoint to the lines running at right angles to it. This provides a clear point of interest, and lets your eye rest within the frame.

Teaching kids photography isn’t difficult. Choose a few simple ideas to get started. Don’t provide too much information all at once, and let them get creative. Then, have them tell you about their image – and why they made the choices they did. Ask how they can improve their photograph, and make some gentle suggestions of your own. Ask them to critique your photos as well – and share your own ideas for improving your work. Challenge them to improve upon their own shot, while you work to improve yours. Above all – make sure learning about photography is fun!

To learn more about how to capture creative images and brilliant colors check our the ebooks below:

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