Saturday, November 6, 2010

A Different Perspective

kes and mommy in lawrence
During the weeks before Ashton was born I made sure to spend tons of quality time with Kestan.  I knew we were all in for some big changes and I was kind of emotional about it.  I let go of work and made sure to be less distracted and more present so that he was getting my fullest attention.

We went on lots of "adventures" and took time for creative play.  Here's a fun activity we did that I think many of you will enjoy doing, too.

After reading this post on Aimee's Artsyville site I got the bug to drive to Lawrence. She lives in my college hometown, which happens to be about 45 minutes from where I live.  It's a really cool, creative, indie place and anytime I find myself craving inspiration I gotta make the drive there.  

kes photo coffee
So Kestan and I went on a short road trip for some spontaneous fun.  The only goal - to let Kestan lead the way with coffee and camera in hand.

I bought him a disposable camera, which for a two-year-old who can already operate an IPhone this was a lot like buying him something as archaic as a VHS tape.  He didn't get why you couldn't see the photos instantly and he really didn't get why he couldn't record video.

But once he got past the novelty of this old-fashioned thing he had a fabulous time getting to express himself through the lens.

kes shooting pics
And I just smiled as I waddled slowly behind him.  It was so adorable seeing what caught his eye.

kes walking lawrence
He made sure to have his "hot coffee" (aka: water) with him, too, and stopped about every 20 feet to take a photo and grab a swig.

kes photo tree
And here are just a few of his unedited, super-fab shots...

kes photo 6

kes photo 5

kes photo trees

kes photo 7

kes photo 4

kes photo 3

kes photo 1

kes photo 2
Isn't it cool to see from the perspective of a child?    

Another thing he didn't understand was - what happened to his camera?  Why in the world did we give it to the lady at the grocery store and instead of giving his camera back, he got an envelope of photos instead?

kes paying for photos
But he sure loved sharing his photos with us - and each one had their own special story.  I gave him an old photo album that I found from decluttering my art closet and now he has his own special book.  

This was such a fun experience and I can't wait to get him another camera!

kes showing his photos

Your Personal Reflection:  Get out and play with your camera today (and if you have kids - let them join in on the fun!)   Enjoy moving slower, being spontaneous and seeing things in a new way.

14 comments:

  1. Shannon, this gave me a huge smile. I have such fond memories of going on no-agenda outings like that with my son when he was a similar age.

    We still do it occasionally now that he's 7, but because he's so self-sufficient now, I've lost the freedom of knowing there's nothing more important I can be doing than having life experiences with my child. And he now finds his time playing with his friends more important than going on a serendipity outing with me. This was such a great reminder about how important those times are.

    I've also let my son use my camera, and it's so fascinating to see what he chooses to photograph. Really gives you insight into their world.

    Thanks so much for sharing this! Our time with our kids is so brief...will definitely be taking my son on an outing like this soon.

    ReplyDelete
  2. What a special day. I do love seeing the world through the eyes of my children.

    ReplyDelete
  3. i LOVE that you got in the car and just drove here. I don't love that you didn't call me. Totally kidding. But you'd better call me next time! xo

    ReplyDelete
  4. What a fantastic idea to let him have a camera and capture what HE thought was valuable. ;)

    ReplyDelete
  5. this is awesome!! he's got a real eye, too :) like magic, you see what he sees when he looks around - what a great idea!!

    *& how sort of silly, that something like this wouldn't enter my mind while I've got my own eye stuck to a camera very, very often indeed ;) thanks! :)*

    ReplyDelete
  6. this is such a sweet post. i have given ezra my old camera and he loves shooting pictures, but to do this whole outing with the disposable camera that ends with getting a pack of hand held photos along with the mystery of giving the camera away is just a great experience for our little boys (and us too to observe and lead the way). i love it! when we move back to america where such a thing as a one hour photo lab exists, we are definitely going to do this. aah - america - the land of conveniences! wishing you a lovely sunday with your family!

    ReplyDelete
  7. What a nice day you two had! I think it's great to get a change in perspective. My 7 yo got a camera for her birthday and takes photos all the time. I enjoy looking through her shots to see things from her eyes.

    Thanks for sharing this...we may need another planned unplanned day! (smile!)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Glad you all like this idea. So simple and yet so fun! We just found a fisher price digital camera that we are going to get Kes for Christmas. Then I'll have to teach him how to download and print his own photos. :) Happy day!

    ReplyDelete
  9. This is the most precious adventure ever. Saving this in my "when I have kids" file. I love the image of him with his "hot coffee." My nephew used to carry his sippy full of milk and made sure to have it handy when "hanging out with the fellas." He used to say, "oh I gotta get my drink," and then place it onto the tailgate of the truck with my dad and brother's sodas. Kestan will never forget his time using the "old timey" camera!

    Congrats on the birth of your second child!

    ReplyDelete
  10. I love this Shannon. I sometimes give my son my 'cheap' digital camera and he has sooo much fun and you're right, it's so cool seeing the world from the perspective of a child.

    He started taking pictures of the inside of his mouth and then catching people in the most hilarious poses (as they didn't know he was shooting!) and then he took my artists little wooden person model and putting him in wild poses (think I put some on flickr).

    I too bought a disposable camera when I went to Barcelona this Summer but not sure they came out as well as Kestan's pics - he he :)

    hope you're well.

    Amelia.x

    ReplyDelete
  11. So cool. He got some cute shots done.
    My daughter got a kid digital camera for her birthday - and she was also annoyed that you couldn't see the image on the back ;)
    And it's great to see them stop and photograph the random objects ;)
    Cute!

    ReplyDelete
  12. What a cutie! I love his eye! This is a great project. I bought my kids the "kiddie" digital cameras-which were hard to maintain for some reason. They could see what the photographs were on back but the cameras themselves were pretty bad. I didn't want to get them, but I thought they would be cost efficient; they were not. I like the disposable idea too until I can afford semi-decent cameras for my kiddos. They have the dropsies like mad so they won't be using my camera. If you get a chance let me know how the Fisher Price camera works out.
    That looks a like a beautiful day with your firstborn! Peace, Angela

    ReplyDelete
  13. shan, I love this post and the images of you and Kestan in Lawrence. Those are the moments that count. You are so in touch w/expectations, and to understand they just don't matter. The time w/your babies is the most important time. Lucky is the grateful heart who can be in the moment. I think you do this well. I also love Ashton's contentment in the other post.

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for sharing!