Digital Cameras Promote Technological Literacy in Black Teenagers

One of the main reasons that I bought a digital camera for my daughters (12 and 14 years old) was to encourage them to experiment with photography, layout, and explore natural science as Leonardo Da Vinci did with his anatomical drawings.



So, I am pleased to discover that my 14 year daughter has an entire folder of photographs of our cats and dog, using various types of lighting, in various poses and natural states. I don't know if she will ultimately be a photographer or receive a color scholarship based on her work, but I know that neither of those things can happen if she doesn't know how to use a digital camera.


My daughter NEEDS a digital camera to explore and develop her creativity, and this exploration, in turn, is part of her intellectual, academic and professional preparation for life in a complex and technological society. Because of her interest in photography, she has learned how to use PhotoShop, which is the professional program used in the layout of print advertisements and commercial business signs. (Notice how my "Free The Jena Six" placard appears to be resting in my and my wife's arms, but was actually pasted in by my daughter, using PhotoShop.)

I bought my daughters a used Sony DSC-S40 camera from Amazon.Com that is so old that they don't sell them anymore. Other similar but updated models that take excellent photographs include the Sony Cybershot S650 and S700, available by next-fews-days mail from Amazon.Com for between $110.00 and $140.00, new and used. (Although the used ones work, you might as well get a new one, since the difference in price is so small.)


Also, get a memory stick, because a digital camera's internal memory tends to be frustratingly small, but a memory stick allows you to take hundreds or thousands of photographs.