Summer Photos

Summer Photos

Dear MMR Families,

At MMR, our main goal is to provide our campers with an exceptional camp experience where they connect, explore, grow, and unplug. 

Another goal is to help you – the parents and adults at home – to have a positive experience while your camper is with us. We aim to provide ample and timely parent communication and education leading up to, during, and following your camper’s session. 

While your camper is with us at MMR, we work to provide little windows into the experience your child is having at camp. We do this by uploading photos to a private Google Photos album, the link to which is sent out on Opening Day of your session. 

The “Dark Side” of Camp Photos 

We have heard from our parents that they sometimes wait at the computer around the time we upload photos and refresh until the new batch pops up. We understand the natural desire of a parent to see their camper living it up at camp, we also know the value for both the parent and camper in practicing the separation that camp affords. The photos posted during a session, and some parent’s relationship to them, can inadvertently promote the over-parenting that summer camp experiences are such a great antidote for.

We live in a time that is obsessed with capturing and recording every moment. Campers’ in-the-moment experiences or challenges can be disrupted by a camera being present and the focus becomes capturing the moment rather than living in it. Stopping the fun activity they were just absorbed in to smile nicely for the camera rather than remaining absorbed, although their face may be serious with focus. An unplugged camp experience can be a welcome break for kids that are fatigued by the constant lens. At camp, there is the freedom to play and be fully in the moment, without worrying what they look like or where the cameras are. 

What We Know About Camp Photos

  • You, the parents, appreciate and look forward to seeing the photos. This is understandable because you miss your kids and seeing them happy is comforting.
  • The photos we upload are a glimpse into the fun of camp, not a play-by-play of every event and activity.
  • Some campers love the camera, they jump in front of it, they smile big every time they see it. Others run and hide from it, turn away, or won’t smile no matter how much fun they’re having because they just don’t feel comfortable being recorded.
  • The photos and videos we capture and share become treasured memories for campers, staff, and parents. This is our heart why for capturing photos and video each session, so that the memories are saved to look back on for years to come. This is also why the photos and videos show the highlights, and an overview, so that it doesn’t interfere with the genuine and unplugged nature of the experience. 

 

At MMR, our main focus is capturing photos at the big all-camp special events like campfire, dances, rock pile hike, lagoon fest, pool party, capture the flag, etc. A peripheral focus is capturing action shots at activities in day-to-day camp life. The glimpse you get of your child may be on day one, or it may be later in the session. You may go several days without seeing any photos of your childOr, you may see your child pop up in a lot of photos. Regardless of the quantity or quality of photos you see of your camper, we invite you to take a deep, cleansing breath before you refresh that photo page and remind yourself of the benefits to your camper and to you, that this separation and camp experience affords if you allow it to do so

What to Expect

  • Lots of great pictures of camp life, but your specific camper might not appear in one for several days in a row.
  • We do our best to ensure that every camper has one quality photo from their session, ideally 2 or 3. This could be an action shot, an individual shot, a group photo, etc. 
  • Our media staff will upload photos once every other weekday in the evening, starting the Tuesday of your session’s first week. As our staff rotate their day off over the weekend, we do not promise photo uploads on Saturday or Sunday. Photos are typically uploaded and available the day after they’ve been taken. Sometimes there is a larger delay in getting photos sorted, edited, and posted. Rarely, there may be a technical issue such as power outages, glitches in our rural internet service, etc. If we experience a greater delay in posting for one of these reasons, we will notify you via email.  

 

Resources for Encouraged Reading and Reflection 

The Dark Side of Looking at Camp Photos Online 

Parents Scrutinize Online Camp Photos to Check on Kids

Dear Parent Hitting the Refresh Button (again) to View Camp Photos

 

Access To Past Summer Photos

We were, unfortunately, hacked and lost all photos from 2017-2022. We have been able to recoup some, but some are still being searched for. Thank you for your patience.

2022

Session A: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

Session B: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

Session C: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FqyHPWMRusW8YRL89 

Session D: https://photos.app.goo.gl/oXWR3H5RdB9qUkN96

2021

lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

2019

Session A: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

Session B: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

Session C: https://photos.app.goo.gl/7uAReMoFjvDkXuVWA

Session D: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

2018:

Session A: https://photos.app.goo.gl/WVZ1HwuCz4tniWm79

Session B: https://photos.app.goo.gl/XiSL7PnU83GGEeCX9 

Session C: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

Session D: lost due to hacking – but the search continues.

 

Previous Summers:

  https://www.flickr.com/photos/mountain-meadow-ranch-california-summer-camp/albums

 

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