New Camera Lets Kids Watch TV While Being Snapped. Everyone Say Cheesy

One of my life’s goals is to get a decent photo of my two kids together one in which they’re both looking at the camera and, if I really want to be ambitious, maybe even smiling. So far that’s been impossible. (And I’m actually a pretty decent photographer.)

So you’d think I’d be thrilled to hear about Samsung’s latest 2View compact camera, which boasts children’s animations on the front screen. The premise? You can mesmerize your kids with cartoons to ensure they’re actually looking at the camera.

But, I have to say, I’m not impressed.

For starters, it feels like we’re just feeding our kids’ collective ADHD by encouraging them to watch a 30-second “movie” downloaded off the Samsung website while having their photo taken (what ever happened to a simple: “Say cheese?”). Second, it’s all so forced. I mean, would you feel good knowing you snapped an awesome shot that was essentially staged? I wouldn’t. The best pics are the ones in which a true moment is captured a feeling or emotion or milestone that comes from real life as opposed to an animated clip.

In theory, it’s a smart concept. In actuality, it’s a bit too Anne Geddes for my liking. I’ll stick to my imperfect, arty snapshots.

(Photo: Samsung.com)