Seeing Summer Through Their Eyes

This summer, nine children from the Algarve, aged between 4 and 10, took part in the Algarve Photo Kids Summer Photography Adventure 2026.

Most of them were from Portimão, and over five days they were invited to discover summer through photography — one theme, one photograph and one little adventure at a time.

But what happened during those five days was much more than I expected.

When an idea becomes real

Before the adventure started, there was a lot of excitement behind the scenes — and also a lot of work.

I wanted every morning's message to feel thoughtful and every inspiration board to show children that there isn't just one way to photograph a theme.

My hope was simple:

If the idea comes from you, your way of seeing it is a good way.

I spent time preparing the challenges, choosing photographs for the inspiration boards and thinking about how to encourage children to look at familiar things differently.

But I don't think I fully understood what would happen until I received the first photograph.

That first image changed everything.

Suddenly, I knew:

The children were actually out there taking photographs.

The project was happening.

All the preparation, all the hours spent thinking about the details — it suddenly had a purpose.

The first surprise came on Day 1

The first theme was “My Summer.”

When I prepared the inspiration board, I didn't include any self-portraits.

I wasn't expecting them.

And then the photographs started arriving.

Several children photographed themselves.

Beautiful little self-portraits appeared — children showing their summer, but also showing themselves.

It was one of my favourite surprises of the whole adventure.

And it taught me something immediately:

Children see the same theme differently from the way we do.

That is exactly why I created Algarve Photo Kids.

I don't want to tell children what their photographs should look like.

I want to give them an idea and then step back and see what they discover.

The inspiration is there to open a door — not to tell them which way to walk through it.

Five days, five ways of seeing

Each day brought a different kind of observation.

🌈 Day 1 — My Summer

The children showed me their own version of summer.

And some of them showed me themselves.

There were photographs that I expected, and photographs I never could have imagined when I was preparing the challenge.

It was the perfect beginning.

🎨 Day 2 — Colours of Summer

This day was full of colour.

Some photographs focused on one strong colour.

Others were full of many colours at once.

And once again, it became clear that summer doesn't have one colour.

For every child, it can look completely different.

🐚 Day 3 — Summer Treasures

There were shells and little stones, tiny discoveries and unexpected treasures.

But there were also ice creams with beautiful views in the background — because apparently an ice cream can absolutely be a summer treasure. 😂

And why not?

A treasure doesn't have to be rare or valuable.

It simply has to be something that makes you stop, notice and think:

“I want to remember this.”

🍓 Day 4 — Flavours of Summer

This one was delicious.

Ice creams and fruit definitely ruled the day. 😂

There were also refreshing drinks and lemonade, as well as other interpretations of what summer tastes like.

Looking through the photographs, it seemed very clear:

ice cream really is one of the flavours of summer. 🍦

💚 Day 5 — A Moment I Want to Remember

This was the theme that meant the most to me personally.

Photography, for me, has always been connected to memory.

When I take a photograph, I don't only want to remember what I saw.

I want to remember how I felt, who I was with, what was happening around me and what that moment felt like to live.

A photograph can become a little machine for travelling through time.

Years later, we can look at it and suddenly find ourselves back there.

That is why the final theme was about choosing a moment worth remembering.

The photographs children sent were wonderfully different.

There were animals, a brother wearing a funny filter, photographs taken during play, places where they loved spending time and other small moments that were important to them.

And that was exactly the point.

There was no right answer.

There was only their moment.

Not every adventure has to be completed

Not every child completed every single day.

And that is completely okay.

Of course, as an organiser, I am happy whenever I receive all five photographs.

But Algarve Photo Kids is an adventure, not a competition and not a test.

The worst thing I could do would be to pressure a child into taking a photograph just because they have to complete a challenge.

I never want a child to associate photography with pressure or obligation.

Every child is different.

Every child participates differently.

And every photograph matters to me.

Even if a child sends only one photograph, they are still part of Algarve Photo Kids.

Every child who took part helped create this project.

And I am grateful for every single image I received. 💚

The youngest photographers

The youngest participants in this adventure were just four years old.

And they did it.

They explored the themes, looked around them, took photographs and showed us their way of seeing.

A huge round of applause for them! 👏📸

Seeing children so young engage with photography was one of the most encouraging parts of this experience.

It reminded me that photography doesn't have to begin with technical knowledge.

It can begin with curiosity.

Behind the scenes

There wasn't a huge amount of behind-the-scenes material, but every photograph I received made me smile.

Seeing children interested in photography and photographing the themes I had prepared for them was an incredible reward.

For me, those moments were especially emotional because Algarve Photo Kids is something very personal.

I created it, organised it and prepared every morning's adventure.

But in a way, I also feel like I am the mother of this little project.

And watching it come alive through children's eyes was something very special.

Of course, there were also some funny moments behind the scenes.

I had to prepare my own photographs for the inspiration boards too. 😂

Sometimes I was photographing the next day's theme just before preparing everything for the morning.

It wasn't always easy — especially during the summer, when my photography work is particularly busy and my own children are at home.

So while the children were having their adventures, I was having mine too.

Just a little earlier. 😅📸

What Algarve Photo Kids means to me

Algarve Photo Kids was created because I want every child to have the opportunity to express themselves creatively, try photography and discover that there isn't always one correct way of seeing something.

I believe that every child sees the world differently.

And I believe that we don't always have to strive for perfection.

Sometimes the most valuable thing is simply to look, notice, create and enjoy the moment.

Photography can also be a beautiful way for families to spend time together creatively.

A walk can become a photography adventure.

A trip to the beach can become a search for colours.

A simple ice cream can become a photograph.

And an ordinary moment can become a memory.

That is the kind of photography I want Algarve Photo Kids to encourage.

My little artistic child

Every edition teaches me something new.

There are already things I know I would do differently next time, and I look forward to hearing feedback from parents and families too.

Because a project grows when we listen, learn and make room for new ideas.

For me, Algarve Photo Kids is a little artistic child.

I created it, I watch it grow, I learn from it and I hope it will continue to discover its own personality.

And my dream is that one day we can take it even further.

I would love to create projects where we can meet in person, learn photography together, spend creative time together and simply enjoy making photographs.

And I hope Algarve Photo Kids will continue to welcome new young photographers — children who will have fun, explore the world and discover their own way of seeing it.

Thank you

To every child who took part:

Thank you for showing me the world through your eyes.

Thank you for every photograph.

Thank you for every unexpected interpretation.

Thank you for every little discovery.

And thank you for reminding me why photography matters.

Because we take a photograph in one moment…

but sometimes, years later, that photograph gives us a way to return there.

To remember.

To feel.

To be there again.

And perhaps that is one of the most beautiful things a photograph can do.

Meet the young photographers

Below you can explore the photographs created during the five-day adventure.

Each child has their own little collection — a different perspective, a different story and a different way of seeing summer.

Every photograph is part of the story.

Welcome to the Algarve Photo Kids Summer Photography Adventure 2026 Gallery.