Wildcard Quilts

On Polaroid: pictures #3 and #4

I haven't kept up with posting about Jack's photo-taking adventures like I had hoped, but I have kept my promise to him to find a special something to take a picture of once a week. Time to catch up here.

Photo #3: Around the House

Jack decided on this particular day that it was picture-taking time. But it was evening, and baby Charlie was fussing, so we couldn't go far. No matter. "Let's find something to take a picture of in our yard!" Jack said. So we went searching.

We looked at rocks, we looked at plants and trees and bushes. We looked on the deck, on the patio. Front stoop. Back hollow. Nope. Then, in the backyard, Jack's eyebrows rose. "I know!" He dashed into the front yard and stood in front of our entryway door. "That," he said, pointing.

"That" is a wired and jeweled star that hangs to the left of our front door. I found it at our local thrift store for seventy-five cents. It's kind of weird. I love it. The hook on the house holds holiday items from time to time, but during most of the year the star is the star. I love that Jack thought to take a picture of it even when it was nowhere near his view. That means--for better or worse--it's memorable.

Photo #4: In the House

In our living room we have a large cabinet that holds my husband's strange little musical instruments--a tabla drum, small bongos, rain sticks, and two American Indian flutes. When inspired, Brett goes to the cabinet, picks up an instrument, and treats us to some beautiful, new-agey music. On this day, Brett was at work. "Can I see Daddy's flute?" asked Jack. I took it out of its handmade carrying case (which Brett made just for this flute) and told Jack to be very careful. He held it cautiously for a moment, and then took it into his room and announced that he wanted to take a picture of it on his throw rug.

 

And so he did.

Each time Jack takes a picture, it's the same technique--he finds the subject in the viewer, then holds the entire camera a good six inches from his face. Snap. Seems to be working pretty well so far.

Jack recently wanted to take a picture of two women jogging by our house in tight spandex tops. I waited just long enough for them to jog past the neighbor's house before I answered. "Oops, too fast for us," I shrugged. Jack bought it. For now.

Time for another photo-taking adventure soon, maybe this afternoon. Let's hope for pretty flowers, a bird's nest, a butterfly resting. Or perhaps a pair of old and portly man joggers.

A boy's life. In pictures.

Yet again, I'm lifting ideas from the book The Creative Family by Amanda Soule. For me, the book is like flipping through pages made entirely of gold--there are so many unusual, inventive activities to try with children. LOVE IT. The activity in the following story came from the book...

Anyhoo, this weekend Jack and Charlie and I made an unexpected stop on the way home from the grocery store after a huge yard sale came into view. Oh, good heavens. I'm so glad we stopped. Not only did I get my dream rotary-cutting table for 15 bucks:

And these fancy shoes (that cost more than the table):

I also picked up an old Polaroid One Step camera for $1. During my next trip to the grocery store, I picked up Polaroid film. For $16. For 10 pictures. Eeek. But wait, I'm straying from the story...

After loading up the camera and making sure it worked:

  It does...

Jack and I set out on a neighborhood walk to search for ONE SPECIAL THING Jack could take a picture of. We walked and walked. And then we walked. And then we, well, you know. Finally, Jack stopped. He pointed toward some coneflowers in full bloom in someone's yard, just along the sidewalk. "I want to take a picture of these," he said. He plopped the cowboy hat he was wearing down on the sidewalk. He was ready.

I gave Jack the camera and told him to look through the hole until he saw what he wanted to take a picture of, then to push the button. Big bulky camera in a boy's tiny hands. Jack squinted one eye, then the other, moved the camera this way and that. Then he pushed the button. The photo shot out of the front of the camera. "Let's look!" Jack said.

We set the photo on the sidewalk and sat down in front of it to watch the image emerge. First textures, then hues. This is what Jack captured:

Jack looked at his photo for a few moments. "I like it," he said.

"It's beautiful," I told him. "You know what you are now?"

"What?"

"A photographer."

"I am?"

"Yep."

"That is so cool. It's just awesome! You know, Peter Parker is a photographer too, mom."

"Yes, I know."

(For those of you who aren't familiar with the superhero world, Peter Parker is also known as the amazing Spiderman.)

So, a life in pictures begins. I've started an "On Polaroid" blog category to share more photos as Jack takes them. We'll keep the originals, numbered, in an album. My plans are to make time for one special Jack-and-mom walk each week to let him take more pictures. My plan is also to have him continue to take them until he turns 18. Although I'm terrified to think how much the film will cost then . . .

I'm the mom--my view is certainly subjective. But heck, I think this kid's a natural.