When 11 Girl Scouts Became Photographers for the Day

Recently, I had the joy of hosting a local Girl Scout troop in my Bucks County photography studio as they worked toward their Digital Photographer badge. For two hours, my studio was filled with curiosity, creativity, and the kind of energy that only happens when kids are learning something new.

By the end of the afternoon, ten girls had officially become photographers. And they took the job very seriously. We started with a short introduction to photography. I shared a few simple ideas that I use every time I pick up my camera. Look for the light. Think about the story you want to tell. Move your feet and try different angles.

One of the biggest highlights for the troop was using real professional cameras. There is something special about watching a child carefully place the camera strap around their neck, lift the camera to their eye, and take that first photo.

The room quickly filled with excited voices. “Wait, let me try one more!”, “I think that one was really good.” “Can I move closer?”

It was amazing to see how focused and thoughtful they were with every photo they captured. They took turns photographing each other and experimenting with different expressions. At one point, the portrait station turned into a round of jump shots, which led to a lot of laughter and some pretty impressive mid-air photos.

Without question, though, the biggest hit of the day was the make-your-own still life station. The girls had a table full of colorful props and were challenged to design their own scene, then photograph it with a Polaroid camera. Each girl approached it a little differently. Some carefully arranged every detail. Others experimented with colors and shapes until something interesting appeared.

What I loved most was watching them pause before taking the picture. They would look through the camera, adjust something in their scene, move a little closer, and then press the shutter. That moment of thought before capturing the image is exactly what photographers do.

After a quick snack break, we gathered around the computer so I could show them how photographers finish their images. We looked at one of the earlier photos and discussed how small adjustments to brightness, color, and cropping can make a photo feel stronger. One by one, the girls helped edit their own images before we printed them.

Those prints became part of their final project. Each girl created a small accordion photo book filled with their photographs. They decorated the covers, colored borders around their pictures, and carefully glued each image into place. Watching them proudly hold their work and talk about their photos was one of my favorite moments of the entire afternoon.

The girls were attentive, polite, curious, and incredibly thoughtful with the cameras. My heart was so full by the end of the event. As a photographer, I spend a lot of time capturing memories for families, but helping these girls learn to create their own photographs and tell their own stories was truly special.

Thank you to this wonderful troop for trusting me with your photography adventure. I loved every minute of it, and who knows, we may have discovered a few future photographers along the way.

xoxo, Tiff