Love this story: Forest Grove boy's eye for photos speaks thousands of words for him/The Oregonian

His talent of recognizing color, composition and light are amazing. He seems unbounded by 90 degree angles, which is something people can get so focused on to make "the perfect shot." This is something I want to practice with more - allowing myself to be a kid and be more random with settings and angles and content.

I had no where near the skill he has at that age, but this reminds me of how much I appreciate now that my dad bought me a point and shoot around 5th grade. I was able to take some fun photos as a kid that definitely jog my memory in retrospect and that are of things an adult may not have been around to experience (playing with stuffed animals, slumber parties, cousins at family gatherings). With everything digital now, it makes it that much easier and cheaper to allow a child to shoot as much as they want (memory card permitting). It makes them feel like they have ownership of something, that they're creative and for the shy ones (like me), that they can hide behind something while being productive. It gives them an excuse to connect with people through the lens. Keeps them busy in the same way a Gameboy does, but with more interaction. To belabor the point: buy your child a camera!