As the Media & Marketing Coordinator at Camp, a big part of why I love my job is getting to curate the wonderful photos that get taken throughout a year at Camp. We have had so many incredibly talented photographers share their gifts with Camp over the years, and they continue to help us tell the Camp Lebanon story. I get to scroll through hundreds and hundreds of photos from years past, continually reminded by the captured smiles and adventures that God is faithful.
This year, I got to collect the Best of the Best photos into one album. Over 100 photos made it into the album, but I could have chosen SO MANY more! And now, in this blog post, I’m going to attempt to highlight only 10 photos and tell you why I love each one. It was a challenging task – I could talk your ear off about all of the photos in the full album, but here are just a few of my favorites:
This photo, from 2023 Arctic Blast, does such a great job of capturing the beauty of a frozen Cedar Lake and a happy moment during the broomball tournament. I love the colors, and the way the photo catches the action so well! And just LOOK at those frosty trees! I’ve often had the fun of watching campers playing broomball during my time at winter camps and, honestly, it’s so fun and such a great way to build friendships in a youth group!
It’s so hard to choose from all of the epic Hazzard Hill tubing pictures from 2023, but I keep coming back to this photo from Mega Fun as one of my all-time favorites. Something about the pure joy on this kid’s face makes me smile every time! Hope this camper got to enjoy some delicious hot cocoa in the Dining Hall after a few rides down the hill!
I just LOVE this action-packed moment from our spring Dads ‘N’ Lads Retreat! The dazzling light of early spring as the world starts to warm up, the power stance this lad has, and the tension as we imagine what I’m sure was a home run soaring over the Legends Field wall!
This is a photo I had the chance to capture myself! I went up to Camp for a day to visit during Spring Quilt, and wandered through all of the buildings, checking out all the beautiful creations the quilters were fashioning out of fabric and thread. I’m always so excited to see the color combinations and patterns. I keep coming back to this photo because I love how it turned out, framing the action of a quilter in the larger space of the Main Hall. And I love that I was able to capture a moment of joy and laughter in a room full of creative energy!
Another spring event, Young Adult Retreat! I love this photo because of the fun angle on the Hub in front of the Chalet! Camp’s drone can capture some really epic scenes from a “loon’s eye view,” and I love the casual brilliance of this group shot around the fire!
This is one of my favorite moments from the summer – such a great glimpse into the fun adventures that campers have when out on Cedar Lake. This photo is so gorgeous, capturing the smiling camper and an amazing view of Camp’s shore in the distance. I think this photo does a great job of showing the world what “The Funnest Fun” means!
The zipline is such a great spot for capturing smiles during the summer, and I just love this photo! The colors are lovely, with the brilliant green of mid-summer trees and the warmth of a sunny day. I’ve only taken a ride on the Screamin’ Eagle Zipline a few times in my life, but this photo makes me want to try again sometime soon!
Another great moment on Camp’s Hub, this time at Dads ‘N’ Daughters in early fall. This photo is full of warmth (literally, figuratively…in all of the ways)! Most of us have spent a relaxing time around a fire at Camp Lebanon at some point, and this photo just brings back all of those pleasant memories. I also love how the photo is framed, with the front doors of the Chalet centered on the roaring fire. What a great start to our fall season of retreats.
I just LOVE the way the fall colors are peaking out here! This photo was taken at our Fall FIRE! retreat, and that retreat always has such amazing displays of autumn beauty. I love every season at Camp, but fall might edge out some of the others just because of the gorgeous trees – it’s the best time to take a long hike on Camp’s trails! This photo does a great job of capturing the fun and chaos of relay games!
This is the final photo I wanted to highlight today (but, like I said, I could go ON and ON about the entire album of photos – seriously, go check them out). Quilt Retreats at Camp are a genuine joy. This photo is from 2023 Fall Quilt, which just finished up in early December. I love Quilt Retreats because we can appreciate God’s Creation when we are creative ourselves! Choosing complimentary colors, creating intricate patterns, and taking the time to measure twice and cut once. Quilters show up at Camp and fill the rooms with their creative energy, and it all reflects our Awesome Creator! I love this photo because of the smiles, and because one of my favorite times during Quilt is “Show And Tell” during one of the meal times. Seeing the hard work displayed is so much fun!
The full photo album is over 100 photos, and beyond that are so many Best Of albums to check out. Our SmugMug galleries are truly so much fun to explore. Take a peak, relive some memories, and look forward to making more in the 2024 season!
P.S. I just want to say a HUGE thank you to the photographers & videographers who come up to Camp and share their talents with us. Telling the story of Camp is important to me because I believe it is sharing part of the story of our wonderful Savior. I’m so thankful to everyone who records video, snaps photos, edits, makes videos & slideshows, & keeps our media organized. You are so appreciated!
