Camp Notes No. 8

Tennessee Greens

I’ve never been to Tennessee, but something about the deep greens and thick overgrowth of the landscape drew me to Camp Riva Lake.

Within the first thirty minutes on camp property, I watched a cabin of girls singing at the top of their lungs to a song from High School Musical. The counselor stood on her bunk, comb in hand for a microphone, campers dancing behind her as backup singers. It was perfect.

I’ll admit I’m not always looking for the best-known camps. The more obscure, the better, in my eyes. To each girl, her camp is the best one, and while I can’t represent every all-girls camp through this project, I can try to paint a picture of what makes each of them so beloved. For the 35 girls in session at Riva Lake while I was there, this camp was everything.

Which brings me to what these days actually look like from behind the camera.

I’m always working through a mental checklist: landscapes, cabin interiors, still life, portraits, activities. I try to spend as much time on camp property as possible, with two exceptions - once a week I need non-camp food, and once a week I need to eat a meal in more than fifteen minutes (campers eat fast). Most days I find a counselor or camper to give me french braids; it’s the only hairstyle that feels right at camp. Interacting with campers is my favourite part. It reminds me of being a counselor, which is an experience I wish I could relive.

More soon.

xx,
Amanda