Give Back To Your Community By Organizing A Kids Photo Walk, Part 2

Our first Kid’s Photo Walk actually happened, and it was a success! Over 35 people showed up to participate in a nonprofit community event for children which encouraged kids to spend time with nature and whatever camera they have access to. 

A Slow Start

I wasn’t exactly sure what I was in for when twenty minutes prior to the start of the walk and my wife and I, along with our two children, were still the only ones at the designated meeting place. To my relief, about ten minutes before the start time people started to trickle in from as far as an hour away. 

After introductions, we took a few minutes to get an idea of the level of experience we were dealing with. Several of the children, who ranged from ages three to thirteen years old, had DSLR’s while others used phones, tablets, and disposable cameras, which were supplied by us. 

Scavenger Hunt

Instead of setting up stations like I had mention in Part 1, we opted to hand out a scavenger hunt list that we had printed at home the day prior. The scavenger hunt idea was key in providing structure to the walk. The list included eight suggestions that the kids could look for and take pictures of, such as two happy people, a different tree, a body of water, a wild flower, a family, a red car, an animal, and a piece of farm equipment. 

Walking

After some brief photo talk, we were headed off on the first trail, which led to a lake where the kids could cross off the body of water from their scavenger hunt list. Along the trail kids spotted bugs, birds, a variety of animal tracks (of course they found the scat too), a nest, and rare plant life. 
. I was happy to see the children showing so much interest in photography and being creative, getting low to capture different perspectives and finding interesting objects to photograph.

Disposable Cameras

The Fuji disposable 35mm cameras with flash worked out great and it was a pleasure watching the kids use them. Once realizing they had a limited number of exposures (unlike digital cameras), they really started to hone in on meaningful and interesting shots, conserving their film for what they wanted to capture most. 
The disposable cameras were also beneficial in leveling the playing field. Unlike their adult counterparts, who are often focused on the latest and greatest gear, the children were perfectly content using the most minimalist photo taking device we could purchase. 

What I Liked

The community showing interest in something like this makes me feel good. The town I live in boasts a modest a population of around 3000 people, so to get 35 of them to participate in our very first event like this was awesome. Hopefully it planted the “photographer seed” in the minds of a few of the youngsters. 

As goofy as it may sound, I think I was personally inspired watching these guys use the disposable cameras. Now I'm thinking about starting a personal photo project using the same Fuji disposable cameras that were supplied. The project I have in mind would consist of taking a photo a day for one year, and the end of the year, having them all developed. There's just something appealing about this to me, and I think it takes me back to a creative place that I haven't visited since I was much younger.

What I’d Have Done Differently

We did very little marketing for this event and actually organized the entire thing a few short weeks before it took place, so we didn’t reach nearly as many people as we could have. Moving forward, we’ll probably produce a flyer to promote next year’s event at local businesses and the schools and do our best to get it out a couple of months before the date of the event. 

While I’d love to provide as much financial support as possible for next year’s event, the fact is I simply can’t afford to fund it at the level that I'd like to see it function at. The kids burned through a dozen one-time use cameras pretty quickly and could have used a lot more. To help with the cost of the cameras, we’ll likely look into some sort of event sponsorship next time. It would be great if every child could take home a spent roll of film or two to be developed (unfortunately, this time around there were kids who didn’t get one).

Closing

My take away from all of this has been that a little bit of effort can go a long way and I shouldn't be afraid to put a lot more into things like this. Upon reflection, I'm happy my wife and I put this together. I genuinely feel good about it and some of the positive comments I overheard after the event was over really helped reinsure the fact that kids need stuff like this. Since the event, people are slowly posting pictures on the Facebook event page's wall, and many others are expressing their interested in attending another photo walk, should we decide to hold one later on down the road - and we will.