At the weekend I was lucky enough to be treated to a photography workshop and lunch hosted by Fat Mum Slim and Olympus. A group of about 15 mums and 15 kids gathered to pass on the passion of photography to the next generation. I took along Miss J and enjoyed a rare “day date” with her. We had so much fun! Having just turned five Miss J is at a highly imaginative and creative age. She loves watching me take photos (and doesn’t mind posing for them, too) and she has shown a genuine interest in the art of photography.

Held at The Stables of Como, the venue could not have been more spectacular. Set against the stunning Como House and Gardens in South Yarra, the grounds were glorious and Spring was in full bloom. As soon as we arrived I knew we were in for a real treat.

Meeting Chantelle in person was the first highlight. She is every bit as lovely in person as she is online. I have long admired her blog for the connection and authenticity she creates with her readers. She is generous, engaging and highly creative. Given these qualities I knew there would be lots of creative and fun elements to the day. And I was right.  Each child received their very own photography party bag and their very own camera lanyard. Miss J has been wearing hers proudly around her neck ever since!

How cute are these Olympus Camera Cookies?? And “Fun” was what the day was all about.

It began with a few tips and tricks on how to master photography. Photoblogger, Rachel Devine, shared some simple but significant ways to take better photos. She talked about how to frame photos, play around with point of view and perspective, and most importantly how to have more fun. Chantelle gave the kids a little animal each and a cardboard viewfinder so they could explore composition before playing around with the cameras.

Olympus provided cameras for the kids and for the grown ups.  The kids were given a tough camera, which had a very nifty “selfie” function that the kids went nuts for! There was no shortage of photo inspiration and Melbourne put on her finest weather for the fun!

Naturally, I took a lot of photos of Miss J taking photos!

This little elephant came along for the fun and gave photos context and definition.

And we were treated to many tasty treats during the afternoon.

Here are some of the photos that Miss J took. We were allowed to take home the memory cards and I was really impressed with Miss J’s framing and focus.

Photography has been something I have been interested in for many years. I love threading stories together using both words and images. Sometimes, a picture can convey an experience or mood far better than words. On this blog post I share my tips on how you can improve your photography with a few very simple adjustments.

Back home we continued to experiment with taking photos. Miss A and Miss H were inspired to create their own hand-made cameras. I was so impressed.

It was so awesome to see Miss J’s enthusiasm and excitement for taking photos. I think I have a budding photographer on my hands and I am delighted to be passing on the passion! Thank you again Fat Mum Slim and Olympus 🙂

Do your kids enjoy taking photos? Do they have their own camera?