Most children have never thought about how a photograph is actually built. My creative photography workshop for kids in Porto changes that, giving children aged 6 to 12 a hands-on introduction to image making through shapes, textures, objects and elements drawn from Portuguese visual culture. Instead of simply pointing a camera at something, they learn how artists use light, pattern and composition to construct images that tell a story. Families are welcome to join and participate together.
The session takes place at Túnel, a working artistic hub in Porto where more than 15 artists create every day, giving children a chance to experience what a real creative environment feels like from the inside. Inspired by images from the archives of important photographers, each child uses materials connected to local visual culture, including stones, geometric solids, azulejo tiles, fabrics and textures, to build their own abstract photographic compositions. I guide the process throughout, encouraging children to observe details, patterns and textures that usually go unnoticed and to trust their own visual instincts.
What your child will learn
📸 How photographers use light, shape, pattern and composition to build images
📸 How to construct abstract photographic compositions from everyday objects
📸 How to observe texture, detail and pattern as creative raw material
📸 How Portuguese visual culture and azulejo tile patterns inspire contemporary image making
📸 How to look at the world around them differently through a creative lens
What’s included
🧩 All materials and creative objects including tiles, fabrics, stones and geometric shapes
🧩 Full guidance from Ivan da Silva, photographer and visual literacy researcher
🧩 An introduction to image making through play and creative experimentation
🧩 Each child’s finished visual compositions to take home
What your child leaves with
A set of original image compositions they built themselves, plus a new way of looking at the everyday objects and patterns around them that stays long after the session ends.
I am Ivan da Silva, a photographer and researcher in visual literacy. I designed this workshop around a simple belief: that children are naturally curious about the world and just need the right tools and space to start making sense of it visually. The creative environment at Túnel, surrounded by working artists and real studio energy, is part of what makes this experience different from a classroom activity.
Open to children aged 6 to 12. Families are welcome to participate together throughout the session. No prior experience with photography or art needed.
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