When Squirrels Become Supermodels

Being a guest wildlife photography teacher for a day at Bangkok Patana was a wild ride in the best way. The foundation stage students, all of four to six years old, came in buzzing with excitement and ready to capture the animal kingdom… or at least the playground version of it.

Before unleashing them into the great outdoors (also known as the school garden), I gave them a crash course in photography basics, as much as you can give to someone whose feet barely touch the floor when they sit down. We talked about why good photos matter, how to notice what is around us, and even touched on the mysterious world of cameras, lenses, and settings, which I simplified to “the buttons that make your picture look cool.”

Armed with iPads and digital cameras, the kids got right to work. We roamed outside, snapping shots of birds, squirrels, and even a few turtles hanging out near the playground. Along the way, I got some very important questions, mostly about how to zoom on their iPads without accidentally turning the camera to selfie mode.

One of my favorite moments was teaching them the art of being quiet while photographing animals. Watching a group of five-year-olds trying to “sneak” up on a squirrel without giggling was comedy gold.

Somewhere in between showing them how to focus and watching them light up at their first successful photo, I realised that I started just like this — curious, unsure, and figuring out which button did what. Seeing their excitement reminded me that even the best photographers begin with the basics.

By the end, we had a collection of adorable animal photos, a group of budding wildlife photographers, and one very happy guest teacher. There is so much joy in noticing the little things, especially if those little things have fur, feathers, or shells.