Spending days surrounded by nature under the warm sun, making new friends and taking time to learn new skills is part of the magic of summer camp.
It’s moments like these that photographer Mark Steinmetz captured for 11 years while working at summer camps across the United States from 1986-1997.
From the shores of Cape Cod in Massachusetts to the dazzling mountains of North Carolina, Steinmetz’s heart-rending images capture vintage scenes of life at an American summer camp—smells toasting, swimming in the lake, and writing letters.
Steinmetz says the photos are timeless. Summer camps haven’t changed all that much, so many viewers can relate to it no matter where or when they spent the summer as teenagers.
‘In the summer camp there are sleeping bags and cabins. “There’s not much difference between them in 1990 or 1965,” the photographer said.
“I like this time too. A kind of serious maturity develops around the age of 11. When a young child laughs or cries, it has no real resonance, whereas someone between the ages of eight and twelve who has these feelings has a poignant effect.
“When they grow up, it’s just not the same.” Many of these photos deal with the predicament of being in a certain situation as a child. In one picture, these girls who have been so awful with each other all summer are now breaking up – and the depth of their love is just pouring out. It’s almost unbearable.’
A teenager dozes while eating his dinner. Steinmetz says the photos are timeless. Summer camps haven’t changed all that much, so many viewers can relate to it no matter where or when they spent the summer as teenagers. “In the summer camp there are sleeping bags and cabins. “There’s not much difference between them in 1990 or 1965,” the photographer said
Saying goodbye to new friends made at summer camp can be a daunting challenge. “In one picture, these girls who have been so horrible to each other all summer are now breaking up – and the depth of their love is just pouring out.” “It’s almost unbearable,” said the photographer
As the day draws to a close, a teenager takes a moment to catch up on some reading. Steinmetz says: “I like this time too.” Around the age of 11, a kind of serious maturity develops. When a young child laughs or cries, it has no real resonance, whereas someone between the ages of eight and twelve who has these feelings has a poignant effect. When they grow up, it’s just not the same anymore. Many of these photos deal with the predicament of being in a certain situation as a child.
Learning to fish at summer camp is a tradition enjoyed by children at summer camps across the United States
A young girl cools off in the water as the sun shines while spending a long day with friends
Steinmetz’s images capture the heartwarming moments at summer camps in Massachusetts and North Carolina
A young girl is seen taking a brief moment to rest her eyes
There, boys seem confused while flipping through a magazine together
A young girl smiles as she looks out the window of a bus
Steinmetz offers a behind-the-scenes look at the world of summer camp as kids learn new skills and make friends (pictured, a girl heads off to take some photos).
Traditional activities include hiking, fishing, cooking, dancing, playing sports and writing letters (pictured a girl crossing a bridge with her sleeping bag)
A little boy caught in a moment of calm surrounded by trees and small plants
Four foam-covered kids line up to get fresh water
A little boy, sitting on the edge of a bunk, shines a flashlight into Steinmetz’s camera
The hardest thing about summer camp is leaving (pictured a young boy looking somber while sitting on a bus)
“It’s great to be in nature: to see the stars at night, to feel the morning dew, to have a sense of the cycles of the day,” said Steinmetz (a young girl walks down an empty street)
One of the most enjoyable aspects of summer camp is sitting around a hot fire and roasting marshmallows
More prints by Steinmetz can be found in his book Summer and featured in an online exhibition at Joseph Bellows Gallery website.
