Craft for Kids: Photography

Explore the photography of Cara Romero and tell the story of a person in just one picture.

You can bring the joy of craft and the handmade right into your home with these activities designed for all ages! Inspired by the amazing art featured in Craft in America’s episodes and exhibitions, these activities aim to encourage exploration and creativity for the whole family to enjoy.

Watch the videos for each activity, keeping an eye out for answers to the clues in our visual treasure hunts, or just jump right into the hands-on craft activities that go with them.

There are no rules! Simply have fun and be inspired by the marvelous makers of craft in America.

Treasure Hunt: Watch closely! Check off these visual clues as you find them in the video.

• A tree branch underwater
  
  
• 3 pine cones on a pedestal
  
  
• A boy sitting on a rock on a billboard
  
  
• The wings of a bird
  
  
• A cross on a hill

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Hands-on Activity: Tell the story of a person or persons in just one picture!

Materials:

• A camera
  
  
• Anything you have around! You can use clothing, costumes, toys, objects from nature, or whatever you can find to stage your photograph.
  
  
  

How to: 

1. Ask yourself: Why do we take photographs of people? How can photographs tell us a story? If you watched the video segment about photographer Cara Romero, think about how she used her photographs (see below for examples of Naomi and 17 Mile Road) to tell stories about her people.
   
   
2. Think about and decide who you would like to represent in your photograph. Will it be a portrait telling the story of you or a family member? Will it be a character from your favorite book, movie, or your imagination?
   
   
3. Think about how you will tell a story about that person by what you include in the photograph. Where will you take the photo? Consider different settings, inside or outside. What objects or clothing can you use to tell the story?
   
   
4. Gather everything you need to stage your photograph, and pose your model in the frame. Your model can be yourself or a friend! Set up your shot, and take the photograph with a camera.
   
   
5. Show your photographs to others, and see how they react to the story or describe the person in the image. It’s always fun to hear other people’s perspectives! Set up and stage different photographs for different people you would like to tell a story about. You can take as many different pictures with as many different environments as you want!