Some People's Kids

My son, Havok, is ten years old, and much like any other child who looks up to their parents, he’s taken an interest in the things that I’m interested in. Photography is one of those things. He’s seen me carry cameras through city streets and muddy trails, fumbling with film canisters or cursing a missed shot, and somewhere along the way, he asked if he could try too.

At first, I handed him a spare digital camera. Something simple. Something I wouldn’t cry over if it met a puddle. But the way he held it, carefully, like it mattered. It made me pause. He wasn’t just pressing buttons. He was hunting for something. Framing it. Waiting.

Recently, we went to Hocking Hills, Ohio, a place made of mossy rocks, waterfalls that whisper like secrets, and enough trees to make you feel like you're walking through a storybook. I brought my gear, of course, but more importantly, he brought his.

This trip wasn’t about getting the perfect shot. While I overthink lighting, exposure, and composition, he just photographs. He doesn't know the “rules,” and maybe that's what makes his work feel so honest. He shoots low because he’s 4’9”. He gets close because he’s curious. He asks if the photos are good, and if I’m proud. I’m proud all of the time, regardless of photography.

We wandered through Ash Cave, down to Old Man’s Cave, and up along trails that tested our legs but not our spirits. Well, his spirit wasn’t tested, my spirit couldn’t breathe. At every turn, he found something that stopped him and I let him take the lead.

When we got home, I looked through his shots. Some were blurry. Some were crooked. But many, many were beautiful. Not because they were technically perfect, but because they were real. They were how he experienced that place. And that, more than anything else, is what photography should be.

So here are a few of his photographs. Unfiltered. Undirected. Just a ten-year-old kid with a camera, in a forest, capturing wonder like it’s the most natural thing in the world.

They weren’t perfect, but they were his. And that, more than anything else, is what photography should be.

Cameras used: Canon A3000, Camp Snap Camera, and a cheap amazon digital camera with no brand name.