Tuesday, January 28, 2014

From the viewpoint of a 6 year old - New World Museum - La Rochelle

The New Kindle Fire, photographs & 
La Rochelle


Raising 3 girls in this technology age presents it challenges at times...screen time, games, Internet.  It seems every year there's a new gadget to acquire or upgrade to and more things to understand about the Internet.  So this year for Christmas, my youngest having been borrowing her sister's i-touches and Kindles - asked for one of her own.  So Santa Claus/Le Pere Noel brought her - her first very one Kindle Fire.  

Of course, she has been enjoying her new toy - playing games and yes, even looking at several books on it too.  But my favorite use that she has found is the front-facing camera. (Her sister's older versions did not have this feature)  Beyond the "selfies" that she is fond of taking (following in her big sister's steps!)- she took the Kindle with us, as we were visiting La Rochelle over the holiday break.  

Another selfie - my cutie!

My favorite selfie - loved how the light caught her hair

All the photos in this post are taken by her - on her new Kindle Fire and what I love most about her photos it they are from the perspective of a 6 year old! She chose to do this totally on her own - I'm so fascinated by her curiousity.  She took pictures of things that interested her - from her height and vantage point.  The camera is only front facing - so she has to hold it a certain way and also press the bottom, without putting her hand in the photo.  She was very proud of these photos and loved that her new Kindle has this capability.  I loved that she was visually interested in the Museum - even spent time speaking with the docent, who was mesmerized by her curiosity. She talked about some of the paintings and statues afterward, so was definitely absorbing information.  At the end, she even spent some time talking with the receptionist and showing her all her photos! 

The Old Port in La Rochelle

A mother & daughter selfie.

The gate into the city of La Rochelle - one of her first photos - yes- my arm holding the Kindle..lol!!

A little bit about the Musee due Nouveau Monde (Museum of the New World).  This museum is housed in a beautiful 18th century private residence and has many collections which tell the story of France's relations with America (both North & South) from the vantage point of La Rochelle, one of the main ports of New World trade and migration.  There of many paintings, engravings, maps, sculptures, furniture which all help the visitor to understand exploration, settlements and trade with Canada, the West Indies and Brazil as well as records of the transatlantic slave trade.  I personally, found this museum very fascinating.

There are even rooms dedicated to Native Americans and some general history of how the colonies of the New World evolved and expanded westward.  Fascinating fact - Many French people actually settled in San Francisco during the Gold Rush and  afterward creating a "Little Paris" on the West Coast. 

On her own now..A Selfie in the Museum



Her older sister 


A wonderful exhibit made out of recycled materials depicting boats sailing West to the New World.




The Docent who was captivated by her curiosity

Her Nana - enjoying the displays

Yes, that would be me in the background - didn't know she was taking this one!



After we left the museum, we wandered back through the town to the Place de La Mairee.  More photos of her Nana enjoying La Rochelle.




If you are new to this blog or are just interested in reading more about La Rochelle - feel free to check out my previous post - La Rochelle - a Vibrant City.  This was our second time to this city and my girls were eager to go back and explore - even show things that they already knew to their Nana (my mother).  

Yes, probably an a camera would work better for her but I was thrilled that she enjoyed photographing her experiences and the Kindle was also great entertainment for the 2 hour ride!  So fun to look at the world from her vantage point!!  I look forward to seeing more of her photos!  I hope you enjoyed reading this post and if you have children - it's always fun to see what they do with a camera!  

6 comments:

  1. This is such a great idea for a post! I love the pictures my children take. It gives me such a great insight into what is important for them, their perspective on things, our daily life but also, like you show here, during our (cultural) outings. Thanks!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It was a fun post to put together. Actually, it was one of those spontaneous posts that as I was going through photos in her Kindle last weekend, it gave me the idea. I knew she was taking photos while we were there, but hadn't had time to look at the results. You are so right, it's great to see what interests them - and since she is just learning to read now - it's all visual or auditory for her. It gives me some ideas for future posts. Thanks for commenting - love hearing from you - I enjoy your blog too.

      Delete
  2. Well, it looks like you have a budding photographer (reporter?) at home, Jennifer. Congratulations. I smiled at your daughter's enthusiasm and photos - thank you for sharing, by the way, as I have never been to that museum - because my 14-year old son never goes out without his favorite film camera. He specializes in landscape photography and cars, especially vintage ones, but I can see the same curiosity and creativity in your daughter. Good for her! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I think photography is in their blood. My father was a semi-profession nature photographer, his mother an artist. On my husband's side, his mother is definitely very creative and artistic. I loved her enthusiasm too and truthfully, it wasn't until later when I was looking through her photos that I really appreciated her perspective and eye. Glad you enjoyed the post - it's always nice to hear from you. Have a good rest of the week.

      Delete
  3. I absolutely love that you posted her pictures. It's so interesting to see how a 6-year-old sees the world. I'm born at the cusp of the technology generation and even this fascinates me! Great post :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you Danielle - she certainly had a good time that day. If you get a chance to get up to La Rochelle it's a great city!

      Delete

Thank you for reading and visiting my blog. Feel free to leave a comment - I love hearing from people!

Popular Posts