NEW Media Guidelines Announcement
Hello to our GRP Camper Families!
As summer creeps closer and closer and our excitement grows to welcome campers and their families to the Preserve once again, we want to take this opportunity to share a bit about our Media team and photography during the summer season.
If you’ve been a part of our community within the past decade, you are likely familiar with the work of Brandon Marshall and Samantha Keebler. Both individually and as a dynamic duo, Sam & Brando are known by all as excellent photographers, videographers, and editors. (Did you know Brando was a Runner-Up for the Golden Lens Award with the American Camp Association this year??) You may or may not also know them both as instructors of instructors, smiling representatives, and up-and-coming full-time, year-round members of the Green River Preserve professional team.
As our Administrative team continues to evolve and grow under new leadership, we are dedicated to the continued development of loyal staff. In the past year, Brando and Sam have officially taken on new roles: Brando is our Media Specialist. Sam is our Logistics Specialist. In these new roles, photography is merely one facet of their work. Brando writes and develops content for our digital presence, supports seasonal staff development, is a qualified instructor for several programs, and more! Sam is an office manager, program coordinator, staff appreciation spearhead, and more!
With this transition in roles for our Media Team, an opportunity arose to recenter Green River Preserve’s media plans and consider more deeply 1) the role of photography within our mission and 2) how time is spent by our team that could be refocused into providing more direct support to the camper experience. After much consideration, we are ready to share some changes that families will notice beginning this summer. Overall, we are shifting our focus to less camera presence on a daily basis in Base Camp while maintaining high-quality, informative updates to share with families during each summer session. We understand the comfort and reassurance of seeing your camper smiling at camp and intend to maintain that key experience.
Campanion Photo Uploads: This will be the area of greatest change. Each upload day will include unedited snapshots collected at various camp happenings, from cabin group pics to hikes to activities to themed dinners. Green River Preserve is a place where disconnection from technology allows space for more connection to each other and the natural world. In our attempt to lessen interactions with tech and focus on the moment, we’re making efforts to reduce the amount of time our campers spend with cameras around. That being said, you will still get to peek into the camp world! Here’s how often and what to expect . . .
Rookie Week Upload Schedule: During Rookie Week, we will capture and share precious moments on both Tuesday and Wednesday. Each of these days, you can expect us to upload between 100-200 photos. You can be sure you’ll spot your camper at least once, individually or in a group.
Session 2-5 Upload Schedule: As we dive into the heart of our camp sessions, our upload schedule will transition to Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at 8 AM. On these days, we will share 300-500 photos.
Blog Posts: Throughout each week, we will publish 3-4 blog posts, which will include photo highlights. These blogs will center around specific events during the camp sessions, featuring captivating stories and memorable moments from camper adventures, many of which will be written by Counselors - our closest staff to the camper experience.
Social Media Updates: Stay updated with our daily posts on [Instagram] and [Facebook]. We’ll be sharing real-time updates, including high-quality photos and stories, so you can feel connected to the camp community and stay informed about daily activities.
End-of-Summer Slideshows: As the summer concludes, we will release free, password-protected files of all the session-specific slideshows that we assemble to watch at the end of our time together at camp with your campers. These slideshows will include high-quality promotional photos of each individual camper that can be affordably purchased upon request. The proceeds from these purchases will contribute to our scholarship fund, helping more children enjoy the camp experience in the future.
Thank you for your understanding as we reaffirm our commitment to your campers’ safe, exciting, challenging, and joyous time at Green River Preserve in tandem with our team’s continued growth and development. Please feel welcome to reach out to Executive Director, Catherine, or Programs Director, Lauren, with questions.
Seek the joy!