Every year, I attend a classic racing event, often dragging my family along. We’ve been to HSR (Historic Racing Series) and SVRA (Sportscar Vintage Racing Association) events at Watkins Glen, which are family- and kid-friendly. You can drive your vehicle around the spectator areas to view the race. It’s a lot less walking than typical motorsport events, and with kids, it’s a lot less complaining. Bring a cooler and snacks, and you’re set.
The first time I brought my kids to the garage area, I repeatedly warned them, “Do not touch anything!” I’m used to racing series like IMSA, where access is greater than in other series, so I understand the privilege of entering the garage area. I must have sounded like a complete idiot because the first car owner we approached invited my kids to sit in the car. They ended up sitting in about 20 race cars that weekend, proving these events are very welcoming to families.
This year, I wanted to expose my kids to something new. I gave them a couple of my spare cameras for the weekend, set them to auto, and let them explore.
My initial thought when I started was that I’d have to sift through 1,000 pictures of grass, and trust me, there were plenty. To my surprise, though, some photos looked like they were taken by someone older.
I noticed they were learning from me. When I knelt for a lower shot, my son would mimic me, even though he’s the same height standing as I am kneeling. When I took three snaps, they would too. My daughter started thinking about how to get better shots, like finding open spots in the fence and waiting for cars. It was rewarding to see them improve in real time.
At one point, I glanced over to see my daughter pointing her camera at the ground, taking endless photos, and thought, there’s the 1,000 shots of grass. But she was actually trying to photograph a butterfly, though unfortunately without success.
Surprising was the positivity from others toward kids with cameras. One woman, with two cameras slung over her shoulders, said it made her happy to see a young girl carrying a camera – something she hadn’t seen growing up.
The weekend went well, with decent weather apart from a couple of storms. Once we returned home, I walked them through the editing process using Adobe Lightroom. I explained color, exposure, cropping, and the rule of thirds, though it was a bit over their heads. I let them make creative decisions while I was the machine operator. My son liked making pictures look “old timey,” while my daughter preferred desaturated colors. The frustrating part was naming photos. Without ideas, I’d list 20 names, but they’d shoot them all down. After 20 minutes, we’d end up with “Old.”
Overall, it was a cool experience to share my passion with them. Giving kids expensive cameras might not be for everyone, but I thought it was important for them to experience it as I do. They said “yes” to doing it again; though kids will be kids, so we’ll see next time.
Such a fun story. Who knows, you might have already passed down your photography addiction that weekend and now have little photographers to teach!