A couple of weeks ago, I found an old Sony RX100 compact camera in a drawer. It lacks most modern features, but the Carl Zeiss lens is still a very good lens. Thus, with the right person operating it, it can still produce some seriously beautiful pictures, even if it has limited monetary value today. My son has been showing interest in photography for a long time. On our forest walks, he stops me all the time and tells me “Dad, you must photo that” on just about every flower we pass. I think I have most of the Swedish flora in my iPhone by now. So, I thought to myself; Three-year-old Elis will probably have a ton of fun with it. Why not give this old high quality compact camera to him and see what he comes up with? I couldn’t stop smiling when I was glancing through the SD card when he was done with it.

The most notable difference with Elis behind the camera, is that he sees things that are invisible to me. When you get kids, you will rediscover the world through their eyes. Never have I witnessed a better example of that, than through the lens of the camera. Things that would never catch my attention in a million years showed up on the SD card, over and over. And I was gripped because some of the pictures were indeed very interesting. I have chosen some of my favorites and will present them at the end of this post. With photography, it’s not just about the choice of motives. It is also a lot about the angle. And that is the other striking thing with Elis photo series. ALL of the pictures are taken from a very low height – because he is short! And the world looks very different when you watch it from below.

Of course, there is always a risk that he will break the camera. He is a bit impulsive and does not yet understand that it is a bad idea to photograph a Labrador tongue while the lens is being licked. Or that the optics will get scratched by sharp objects if you come too close. The latter one hasn’t happened yet, thankfully. But I think it is worth it. The camera has a little waistband that secures it in case you drop it. This is a lifesaver for the poor camera. Protective glass on the lens would probably be a very good idea. Come to think of it now while writing, that such stuff can probably be ordered online. I must investigate it. Anyway, the fact that it is an old camera helps a lot because we won’t break the bank if he breaks the camera. And at least we’ll have a lot of lovely pictures to show afterwards.

All in all, this was one of the best ideas I have had in a very long time. I think that is probably one of the more important duties I have as a dad. Notice his interest, and help it come forth in any way I can. It also feels very good to put old equipment back to good use. And I cannot think of a way to better understand how he sees the world.

Through the eyes of a three-year-old