Camping takes on many forms to different people but we all have a few things in common. Take for instance the ability to breathe in the wide-open spaces or that connection we get with nature, by disconnecting with civilization.
Another important commonality we all share is the desire to remember these trips. Reconnecting with that event at a later date is nearly as special as the trip itself. Cameras’ should be your right-hand man/women when camping, through the triumphs and failures alike, photographed memories live on.
Our minds have an unrivaled ability to forget what we think at the time is meaningless. It rarely fails when looking back at family photos you don’t say . . . “boy, I’d forgotten all about that.” Most of our camping “scenes” are never photographed and all those little things that make up the “mood” of that trip, are gone.
Something to consider is buying a cheap disposable camera for each of the kids. Let them take pictures of whatever they want, just remind them, “when there gone there gone.” This provides photo’s from their perspective and includes those who are normally taking the pictures, in the pictures themselves. If you think the kids can grasp “framing”(centering important objects) then give them an easy example by squaring up your fingers. A digital camera serves well here too, by showing them a bad framed and a good framed picture.
Digital is the greatest thing to happen for cameras, like light bulbs were to illumination. You can take endless pictures of varying qualities with these cameras. A one gigabyte SD card can hold hundreds of pictures so you don’t have to be so frugal like we did with the film. In between pictures you can go through and delete all the extra blurry, to dark or to light pictures and try to capture it again.
Phones are the most available cameras, as most everyone these days has one. They are not of any quality of course but that doesn’t stop them from capturing moments. Something to remember is the phone cameras do not adjust to darker conditions very well. So if you plan on night fishing you will want a flash camera. If you just landed the best catfish of your life and all you have is phone, then shine your flash light on the subject for more “exposed” phone pictures.
Camcorders serve a great purpose also. You can set the camera on a tripod or a table, like while your playing a game of water tag or dad is telling a not so scary story. Later, at home on the computer you can pick out the perfect pictures from the video while still saving the entire clip.
To sum the whole thought of cameras’ and camping, multiple cameras’ = multiple perspectives.
And think about framing and back ground distractions like trash and clutter.
Once you are home with the computer pick out the top 20-30 or all, and group the photo’s into trip names. You can make collages or a single wall frame with multiple pictures or best yet, start a camping album. This make for a great winter project.
Try to include variety in your pictures so its not just family or not just views. Take photos’ of scenes, incorporating views and family or maybe the campsite itself. More variety would be wildlife, special moments, panoramas, fish caught, cooking marshmallows and never miss a good screw up shot, they are priceless in the future.
Till next time, happy camp’n Kansas. Camp In Kansas .com
