Let's hear it for digital cameras

With a digital camera on hand, there's no need to stifle the children's creativity just because of the high price of film and developing.

I remember my mom being a little annoyed when my brother and I used up a roll of 12 taking pictures of ourselves pretending to have a birthday party. We blew out candles on some leftover cake, wrapped up household items in newspaper and took photos of each other opening them. And this was when I was in college. I'm sure I was not allowed to so much as touch the camera during my elementary years.

My kids, on the other hand, can take 147 pictures of their play-doh creations and I never have to develop a single one:


My oldest son likes to take pictures of everything he builds with Legos, which makes it not so traumatizing when his creation gets crushed by a younger sibling:


I think I am going to open a gallery with the kids' photos. Think of the discussion that could be stirred by a piece like "Overturned Teapot":


This artsy shot I like to call, "The Floor." (I have several similar photos, so it apparently took many, many tries to get it just right):

This piece, entitled "Percy Goes Around the Corner" is one of dozens of pictures detailing the adventures of Thomas and his friends:

My kids also like to take photographs of images on the television or computer screen, undeterred by the fact that these never, ever turn out. This is why I have a blurry shot of every nation marching in the Olympics opening ceremony:

Until my computer's memory is full or I have a large block of free time (retirement?) I can just leave these images in my collection alongside the family pictures and all the goofy photos I take for my blog.

Ah, it's the perfect melding of technology and art.