Last summer professional photographer Greg Shapps came back to Ramah Wisconsin for his 25th Nivonim Reunion after not being here since he was on staff in the 1980s. He and the other reunion participants met with the current Nivonim 2011 and discussed some of the theme of their summer “Is there life after Nivonim?” The discussion got Greg thinking about how people leave their legacy at camp and how we can capture what makes this place so special.
One of Greg’s passions is night photography, so while he was visiting for the reunion, he spent a lot of time composing photographs at night. As he was doing so, he discovered a view of camp that so very few people see and realized that this was a great way for campers to reflect on their time at camp and capture its essence.
So, Greg came back to camp this summer and worked with a group of campers in Nivonim. They spent a week staying out late and exploring camp at night through a camera lens. In the quiet of the night, the campers had time to slow down, think about what they were doing, and reflect on their time at camp. Greg saw the project as a positive way for Nivonim campers to leave an impact on camp.
Below, enjoy some of Greg’s photos from last summer. Photos from this year’s Nivonim campers will be available soon.