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Does anyone else have a camera phobic kid?


Dmmetler
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My DD is identified GT, with sensory issues and a lot of symptoms that seem aspie-ish (but supposedly aren't actually aspergers according to the autism program at the University that screened her). And she cannot handle having her picture taken to save her life. She cannot relax when she knows there's a camera there, grimaces, grits her teeth, looks like she's being tortured, and ultimately bursts into tears. A professional photographer, with a lot of time and a willingness to take a ton of pictures, can eventually get something halfway decent, but it's an endurance test and even then the only good ones will be with her head turned away and no eye contact with the camera.

 

She does the same thing with people when she's nervous-when she's relaxed and comfortable, eye contact is fine, but when she gets nervous, she cannot handle eye contact at all.

 

Most of my friends with children her age, especially girls, are constantly in the "take pictures of me" and pose like models. Mine bursts in to tears when getting dressed for a Daddy-daughter dance she wanted so much to attend because she'll have to have her picture taken.

 

I know it's a little thing, but its one of the things that really, really makes her "different" from other kids her age-and while I've gotten used to a lot of the other quirks, this one bothers me-especially when facebook is full of happy little girls and their daddies, getting ready to go out tonight-and I don't, and won't. I might, if I'm lucky, have a few candid shots taken by various people when the girls are on the floor and dancing, but that will be it.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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I hope that this suggestion doesn't come off as trite, but the first thing that popped into my head was to use the "front" camera that some cellphones have and let your dd take pictures of herself for a while. Or, perhaps a webcam on a computer screen might be easier for her to manage. Anything that lets her be in control of the picture-taking experience.

 

On a Mac and iPad there is an app called PhotoBooth that makes funny distortions, puts the subjects in odd backgrounds, and has some silly animations coming out of their heads. It also does a fun 3-shot photo strip, just like those old-fashioned carnival photo booths. Perhaps the silliness might help ease her into the prospect of taking pictures.

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I hope that this suggestion doesn't come off as trite, but the first thing that popped into my head was to use the "front" camera that some cellphones have and let your dd take pictures of herself for a while. Or, perhaps a webcam on a computer screen might be easier for her to manage. Anything that lets her be in control of the picture-taking experience.

 

On a Mac and iPad there is an app called PhotoBooth that makes funny distortions, puts the subjects in odd backgrounds, and has some silly animations coming out of their heads. It also does a fun 3-shot photo strip, just like those old-fashioned carnival photo booths. Perhaps the silliness might help ease her into the prospect of taking pictures.

 

That sounds like a good idea worth trying :)! The LeapPad from Leapfrog is great for young kids too. It is inexpensive (about $100), has several educational applications (they are still coming up with more) and takes pictures and videos. The child can personalize their own profile on it too and there are plenty of You Tube videos out there to show the child how it's done. Perhaps trying it on her own will help her open up.

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I was at a "special Gals" group a few months ago and there was a little girl with camera phobia. She actually broke down and was crying when the other teen brought her camera out. The older girl started asking her why she was worried and she said she looked so ugly in the photos. So the teen started telling her how beautiful she was and building her confidence and she ended up letting her take her photo. She brought the girl over to show her and complimented her on how nice her photo was and told her if she didnt like it she would delete it. But she was ok with it. That was my first experience with that...but I was surprised how the older girl was so patient in working with her and helping her realize she was a beautiful young lady. Amazing.

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My son has been rather camera phobic since he was an older preschooler. We have some adorable photos from when he was 1 & 2 years old. After that, it was tough to get any good pictures. He didn't cry, he just refused to pose or smile & would make an ugly face if he spied the camera trained on him. It has only been in the last year that he will cooperate for group photos.

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