Why I'm Photographing Summer Camp

Sun-kissed, with bathing suits as our second skin, we worked and played all summer long. Camp was a safe place to grow up: no technology, just us, our laughter, the water, and the sun. My youth, and the best memories of it.

This was the world my parents sent me off to every summer for eight years in a row.

On the shores of a lake in Maine, nestled in a private cove, my summer camp still lives. As a young girl, I was convinced that when I died and went to heaven, it would be to my camp. There was something so comforting about that place — the smell of the woods, the sound of pine needles under my Tevas, the coolness of the water, the loons calling at night. When I wasn’t at camp, I dreamt of it. The property only stretches a few miles, yet it felt like a whole world.

Last summer, I returned after years of being away and saw it all through the eyes of an observer. The memories I have there are only ghosts now but I spent a week chasing them with my camera. Wandering through camp, retracing old steps, and photographing the echoes of my own childhood was one of the most fulfilling things I’ve ever done as an artist. I wanted to capture these moments not just for myself, but for the girls I spent my summers with and for every woman who still carries that same fondness for camp. This project is also a tribute to girlhood. To those in-between years, just before the real weight of life begins to settle in.

As it tends to go with personal projects, they are ever-changing and have room to grow. The original concept behind this was to create a photo book featuring images only from my camp. In reality, I didn’t have enough images to fill a book, and if I wanted to tell the story of summer camp, why not feature more? I spent a lot of time researching to find more summer camps that had similar themes to my own but were different in their own ways and I found them! Each camp I’ll be photographing features something unique, and I can’t wait to arrive, see what inspires me, and continue building and shaping this story.

For anyone reading this who works in a creative field, you’ll understand how much self-doubt comes with pursuing a personal project. There are the financial implications, of course. I’m a wedding photographer, and I’ve chosen to take a full month off, right in the middle of wedding season, to do this. July tends to be slower in Europe, but even so, I have had to turn down work. I’m spending thousands on a project with no promise of return. So yes, there have been moments of doubt. The circulating thoughts in my head, ‘what if no one resonates with this and it’s a giant waste of time?’

I recently read this quote by Lottie Bisou that has been my anthem:

“That’s the thing about being a creative: you have to separate your worth from someone else’s reaction. Trust your instincts, build your confidence, and remember that not everyone will love your work. The real question is - do you?”

I have been going back to this weekly when I get trapped in my mental tornadoes. Link to the full article below because it’s really worth a read!

So I appreciate your willingness to go on this journey with me. I’m thrilled to be sharing this on Substack instead of Instagram.

xx,
Amanda