Musings of a Creative Mind

Seeing Through A Child’s Eyes in Practice

Filed Under Children, Fred Rogers, Photography

Jonathan Fields demonstrates what I call the Fred Rogers Principal on his blog awake @ the wheel.  He writes that after shooting for a client, he gave his 8 year old daughter his camera and turned her loose on the world.  He says the only directions he gave her were ” I trust you, show me what you see.”   The pictures she produced are very good.  Jonathan’s posting of those pictures and his comments show he has learned the principal of seeing from a different viewpoint.

When your shooting has become stale, try seeing the world around you anew by looking at what you see as if for the first time, with wonder rather than the cynical eye of experience.

Imagine if someone said to you today those words, “I trust you, show me what you see.”  What worlds would you show them?

Comments (0)

Thank You Mr. Rogers

Filed Under Children, Fred Rogers, Photography

I once read a quote from Fred Rogers ( yes that Mr. Rogers ) about a song he was working on. It was called “There is a child in me still….and not so still.” As photographers we constantly attempt to show the world around us as we see it. How much of what we see is seen with a prejudiced eye? When we attempt to photograph a person, scene or object, we interpret it and attempt to match the preconceived notion in our head. Most of us are adults and see the world as an adult would see it. My challenge is to see the world as a four year old might see it. I learned this idea from Mr. Rogers.

You look but do not see, you listen but do not hear.

Listen to the child within, see as a four year old would see.  You might just see a different world.

Thank You Mr. Rogers.

Comments (0)