Photography as Art
To develop aesthetic awareness and creative composition through child-directed photography.
- Framework: EYFS
- Unit: EYFS Expressive Arts & Design
- Learning area: Expressive Arts and Design
- Level: EYFS Reception
Objectives
- Makes deliberate compositional choices
- Explains photographic intentions
- Responds aesthetically to photographs
- Creates personally meaningful images
Materials
- Child-safe cameras or tablets
- Photography frame (card viewfinder)
- Printed photos for display
- Photography journals
Instructions
Introduce photography as an art form: 'Photographers are artists. They look at the world and decide: 'That's worth capturing.' Today you're the photographers. What will you choose to photograph?'
Teach the basics: 'Look through the viewfinder — or at the screen. Move until what you want to photograph fills the frame. Then click! It's captured.' Keep technical instruction minimal; focus on creative choice.
Challenge children to photograph with an intention: 'Today photograph only things you find BEAUTIFUL.' Or 'photograph only small things.' Or 'photograph colours.' These constraints develop purposeful composition.
Print photographs and discuss: 'What were you trying to capture here? Where did you choose to stand to take this picture? Why? What does this photograph make you feel?' Discussion deepens visual thinking.
Create a class gallery: mount photos and write children's own explanations as labels. 'Freya photographed this puddle because she loved how the sky was reflected in it.' Treat children's photographs with curatorial respect.
Compare to the work of real photographers/artists: show examples of macro photography, landscape photography, portrait photography. 'Your photo of the beetle's eye is a bit like this macro photographer's work!' This places children in an artistic lineage.