Photo Philosophy

AN OPEN LETTER ON CAMP PHOTOS & LIVING IN THE MOMENT

Dear Chingachgook Community:

Chingachgook began using CampMinder as a photo sharing platform in 2011 as a way to give parents a glimpse of the camp experience their child is having. We are happy to be able to share a preview into the daily life of our campers and know that many parents are regular, often daily visitors to the site during the summer.

This letter is meant to express our philosophy on photos provided for parents and break down the process. While we want to give parents the instant joy of seeing their camper having the time of their lives at Camp, we also want to encourage campers to lead the conversations on pick up days or in letters home about what their camp experience was like…from their point of view and not our photographer’s.

First, there are the logistical questions. Here at Chingachgook we have 280+ campers per session and over 200 acres of property, which presents a challenge for our photographer to interact with every camper daily and take the time to organize and upload hundreds of photos a session. We will take a cabin photo on the first full day of camp so parents can see their camper right off the bat and we will strive to upload at least 50 photos each day that show a variety of campers and activities happening at camp.

Next, there is the importance of sharing “decent” photos. When time allows, we will strive to edit photos, sort through any not so great snapshots and share the best images with you that most accurately reflect our days at Camp.

Finally, there is the cost to the campers of an adult being behind a camera instead of in front of them. We keep Camp an electronics free zone for many reasons and know the value and importance of offering an unplugged experience for today’s youth. We teach our staff to be present in each moment and engaged with the campers. We want to make sure to protect this type of community and environment by not constantly having cameras and electronics all over camp.

We will post photos every day of the session (approx. 50 per day), will post once or twice a day to our camp Facebook and Instagram pages and share the session and trip slideshows throughout the year. You will also receive a copy of the Yearbook each winter, which we believe is a great opportunity for creating conversations with your child – seeing photos of events from camp may prompt stories that you wouldn’t have heard about otherwise!

Our dedication to simple living during the summer is essential to continue to provide intentional and uninterrupted care for campers. Thanks for letting go of the momentary gratification of instant photo updates to allow your child to experience personal connection in an unplugged environment!

In the Spirit of Chingachgook,

Camp Chingachgook’s Directors