Ask an adult for a camera. Make sure to look after the camera or smartphone carefully.

Think about the camera you are going to use. How do you take a photograph? Do you have to look through a viewfinder to frame your photo? Do you have to look at a screen? What do you press when you are ready to take your photo? How can you look at your photo once you have taken it? Can you see it on a phone or computer? Do you need to have camera film developed?

What things do you think make a good photograph? Can you see any of your ideas in the photo taking tips below?

Tell your Beaver Leader about how to use a camera to take a good photograph.

The basics

• Choose what you’re going to photograph (this is called your ‘subject’) and decide if you want to take a picture of all or part of it (for example, if it’s a person, do you want to include their whole body?)
• Move the frame around until you’re happy with how it looks.
• Hold the camera steady, and press the button gently. Make sure the camera doesn’t move as you press.
• Check the picture—it’s often a good idea to take another one so you can choose which one is best.

Getting the right light

• Look at where the light is coming from and move the frame around until you’re happy with how it looks. Try to keep the light source to the side or behind you.
• Get the right distance away from the subject. Are you close enough?You may need to stand, sit, or lie to find the best angle.
• Keep an eye out for interesting shapes, colours, and textures to photograph.
• You may want to use something on the foreground (at the front of the picture) to ‘frame’ it, for example, the branch of a tree, a window, or a doorway.

Taking pictures of people

• Take the picture outside if you can.
• Decide if you want to take a picture of their face (this is a portrait) or their whole body.
• Find a good background for them to stand in front of—do you want it to be busy and colourful, or would that be too distracting?
• Ask them to strike a pose and stay still while you take the photo.
• Always take another picture, just in case they closed their eyes!

Taking pictures of groups

• Ask the people to stand or sit in different positions—think about how you can fit them all in to the frame.
• Try different backgrounds. What looks best?
• People don’t always have to look straight at the camera, and they don’t need to smile. Try different poses, angles, and expressions.
• Experiment with your own ideas — if it doesn’t quite work, it’s OK. Just try again!

Ask an adult for a camera. Make sure to look after the camera or smartphone carefully.

You can choose what to take photos of. You could choose a theme for your photos, such as the colour yellow, my holiday, or where I live.  Try to take a mix of different photos, including people, places, and things. Try to use the photo taking tips from the previous step. Remember to ask before you take a photo of someone.

Show your Beaver Leader your photographs and tell them about why you chose your subjects. 

The possiiblities are practically endless. Use one or more of the photographs you took to make something else. You could print your photos or create something digitally.

You could make:

• collage
• scrapbook
• wall art
• greetings card
• t-shirt
• postcard
• magnet
• Christmas decoration
• an idea of your own

Show your Beaver Leader what you have made and explain your choice of photos.