It's the lazy days of summer.... at least that's what it feels like when my 4-year old daughter and I head out for a walk around the neighborhood. It's the "smiles vs miles" approach. She could care less about calories burned and distance traveled. I've realized this is a great opportunity for me to bring along my camera and observe the world at this slower pace. My interest in photography 'blossomed' when my first child was just a toddler. Every time I bent down to his level I realized what an incredibly different vantage point he had. We all know we should take cues from children in many ways, this can extend to photography as well. Get down low-- look up, look down, look at eye level. What do you see? And most importantly-- slow down. You can't stop and smell the... thistles..... at the current pace of modern day society. Don't worry, you won't miss anything and you might even find some surprises that make it all worth the while. And if you are sharing this experience with a child, you know you are setting a positive example for them. My heart beats in delight when my little girl insists on bringing along her old school Fisher Price camera and taking her own 'pictures'. Even when we went to Golden Gate Canyon last weekend, my son was telling me I should "crouch down like this and get a picture of the flowers in the meadow." Let's teach our children that everything doesn't have to be rushed. I do believe that was what my grandmother was trying to tell me all those years ago in the things she would say and do. If we keep practicing this concept, eventually it will stick!
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