I believe that encouraging our children to express themselves artistically is a creative and fun part of parenting. Being a photographer, I find that a camera is an easy and accessible tool to share with them. Both my girls are comfortable and confident shooting pictures and some of the images they capture are awesome. The beauty of digital cameras is you don’t have to pay for prints unless you want them so those that aren’t print-worthy can just be deleted. If your kids show an interest in shooting pictures, I encourage you to let them have a go.   If you’re going to allow your child to use your camera be sure to put the neck or wrist strap on them. Request that young children, who are more prone to dropping the camera, stand over the carpet or grass. Show them what to push and also tell them what’s off-limits. Even my youngest (2 years) knows that if she starts pushing the “no”buttons, her turn is over.   As they begin to shoot more and more collect their images and put them in a book or photo album. This is a sure way to show them how valuable their vision is. It’s very empowering for a child to see work they‘ve created. Who knows, you may be nurturing your very own Ansel Adams.