Through the Viewing Glass: Reflections on Photographing Children

A child's story told through photographs, a parent's perspective as photographer, and, in the middle, the camera. With its whimsical images and illuminating text, Through the Viewing Glass is a delightful and thoughtful look at life on both sides of the lens.

More than a collection of photographs, Through the Viewing Glass raises questions of reality and perception, exploration and discovery, relationships and recollections. Punctuated with quotes from Lewis Carroll's characters and inventive design elements to fit the irreverent dialogue, it is a boy's tale of being pursued by a camera. But it doesn't end there: In Through the Viewing Glass, the authors take the reader beneath the surface, putting the interactions between ardent picture-taker and witty subject in focus.

The pictures in the book visually represent a mother's wishful thinking — idyllic scenes of childhood; the words give voice to her

subversive offspring, exposing the true, tedious circumstances. In the contradiction lies humor and insight into the dynamics of children

and photography.

The perfect gift for the family photographer, the scrapbook creator, and those fascinated with the "viewing glass," this book examines why and how we photograph children. It will inspire readers to take a different approach when photographing daily life — one that is more real and therefore more meaningful and memorable.

This collection of warm, playful images taken from a parent's perspective depict scenes from a child's life; meanwhile, the text reveals the hilarious realities of this irreverent, youthful subject. The pictures: visual representations of a parent's wishful thinking. The words: a child giving voice to the actual circumstances. In this contradiction lies humor and insight into the dynamics of children and photography. Divided into three sections--Jesse's Story, The Camera, and The Photographer--"Through the Viewing Glass is much more than a book of photographs. Jesse's Story consists of the photographs, accompanied by brief comments by the young protagonist ("It isn't right for people to photograph you doing things they'd never in a million years be caught doing") that expose what the child is thinking. In The Camera, 3D share their thoughts on photographing family life in an insightful expository essay. The Photographer presents the who, what, where, and how of each image. Together, these sections delightfully convey a child's aversion to being pursued by a parent with a camera and inspire readers to take a different approach to photographing a child's life--one that is more "real," and consequently more meaningful and memorable.

3D are Carol Olsen Day, Hadas Dembo, and Sandra Di Pasqua. They have often collaborated on projects involving writing, design, and photography. This is their first book together. They each live in New York City with their families.