Camping

What a beautiful family portrait, and everyone seems to be enjoying it! This is what memories are made of and the kind of documentary image that I first bought a camera for. So many things can change, even in a short space of time, and memories can fade just as fast. This jolly Camping shot captures everything required for a later comparison. The great outdoors is a wonderful way to get groups together and have fun. I only hope that the photographer was included if part of the family. Another who might have been missing is the family pet. Dogs always enjoy living closer to their family ‘pack’ and also to nature.

Many thanks to everyone who submitted an entry to this ⛺Camping⛺ contest. Judging them has been a most enjoyable experience, bringing back memories of the fun I’ve had whilst engaged in various forms of “Camping”. My sense of adventure is aroused most by the idea of beating the elements with a mere sheet of canvas, so tent camping has been prominent in my list of awards, even though I have since progressed through boats and caravans to the luxury of a motorhome. My winning image enjoys a wonderful title. It could refer to the welcome of the butler who provided the coffee, or the warm rays of a rising sun, or simply the anticipation of the promising day ahead. Camping can be many things to many people but, if it’s as presented here, I’m sure that it might persuade the more adventurous to take up Camping as a pursuit. This gorgeous scene is perfectly framed within the tent opening, beckoning the viewer to wake up, smell the coffee, and enjoy the scenery. A clever composition, although not necessarily representative of everyone’s style of camping.

Escape the crowds and you are rewarded with peace and quiet, and an unobstructed sky. The brightly lit tent has an almost alien feel about it, but is clearly the prime subject of this shot. The snow-capped mountains behind invite me to consider if the occupants are here for the climb or just the view. Whilst there may not be much which is immediately visible, the mage gives me plenty to think about.

This is one reason why many of us go camping. Not just for peace and solitude, but also to enjoy unique scenery and a sense of achievement. Who wouldn’t want to wake up to a view like this? Indeed, it looks like they may have enjoyed this site/sight for a while, having had time to build a protective wall around their camp. I wonder how long they lasted before the rations ran out?

This autumnal image invites a wonderful sense of adventure and the title says it all. Camping is all about freedom and flexibility in terms of movement and where to stay overnight. What could be more adventurous than travelling by canoe? The weather looks agreeable and the scenery is magnificent. The canoe leads the eye into and across the water to a distant bend in the waterway for the viewer to make their own mind about what delights may be waiting there. I wish I could be there to put ripples in the water and explore the waterway.

This is a giddying height and the view literally breathless! Thanks for sharing it, as few of us are ever likely to witness such for themselves. I’m sure it was worth the effort, not just for the photography but the experience and achievement. A time to be grateful of lightweight equipment!

This looks more like a set-up display than a vintage van in use, but I love it! They would have been camping in style, with table cloth and oven. Short of nothing they haven’t got, and even the ability to do some washing. Nostalgia and adventure together can get the old heart racing. I like the use of the border, here, as it would have been in the day but feel that B&W, or even Sepia, might have been more true to the period.

This image is different. The camper looks cosy, wearing a woolly hat and wrapped-up in a sleeping bag for the night. The lighting is good and the colours may persuade some that this is a comfortable way to spend a night. Camping is about sheltering from the extremes of nature and it is remarkable how cold it can become overnight in a desert. This image provides considerable food for thought as far as camping under canvas is concerned. We all have a comfort zone and different forms of boundary to push!

And some call this “Camping”? I’ve seen hotel rooms worse than this! Thank you for submitting it to my “Camping” contest, however, as it adds to the range of camping styles that exist. This is a nicely composed picture of a bedroom, that happens to have canvas walls, and is rather informative as well. If you cannot hack a bit of hardship, maybe this is the way to go?

What a magnificent night-shot! The lighting of the tent and the figure absorbing the glowing embers of a camp fire immediately draw the eye to absorb the detail available there before wandering across to admire the towering mountain behind. One can wonder about the camper’s intention and how long it might take to scale this beast. A thought-provoking image, indeed!

As the title suggests, this is a perfect Camping spot. The view is tremendous and makes an excellent image in its own right but the addition of tents in the foreground invite us to stay a while any enjoy the peace. As an aside, it is interesting to compare the stark differences between the two styles of tent.

If you camp at a festival, it would seem that you need to pitch so that the gap between yours and the neighbouring ones is too small for anyone else to pitch between – and also hope that you’re not adjacent to a heavy snorer! I like the mayhem of disorganised tents, producing a very colourful scene. I’d like there to have been more sharpness in the image and the colours to have been stronger, but it’s a lovely addition to this miscellany of Camping images.

What a great Camping image! The picture is framed by the inside of a tent and includes bedding material in the foreground. Beyond is a most attractive scene with attractive water flowing by. A most inviting composition.

I love this group photo of people enjoying the great outdoors. Some may wonder why folk even bother to put themselves to any discomfort for relaxation but, when you have a large trailer to carry everything you need, I suppose it only requires a bit of planning to ensure that you have everything you need to keep warm!

This looks like someone in no hurry but, rather, just happy to relax and enjoy the view. That could be of the journey to come or the path taken to get to this elevated position. Either way the image tells a story, nicely framed within the tent opening. Everyone’s definition of ‘wild’ is different – I used to consider wild to be under the stars but canvas is much more comfortable!

This is exactly what camping can be about, and also what memories can be made of. What often puzzles me about awkward shots like this is why the photographer continued to capture the moment rather than step in and help first? Never-the-less, it captures the essence of camping and I enjoyed it. We often keep only the best shots (those of the most attractive scenes) for bragging rights but this one is an honest inclusion of the Camping spectrum.

Camping does not need to be under canvas but, when it is, you can get to further-flung places which are not so highly populated and boast unique views. The light through the canvas tells us that the shot was taken from within a tent, whilst the door opening frames the shape of the mountain in the background perfectly. What a wonderful scene to wake-up to!

What a gorgeous family snap! All smiles and excited! The tent opening provides a perfect frame for this adult and children. (- I wonder how long those smiles lasted ?-) The surroundings show that this cosy accommodation is on top of a vehicle and accessed by a precarious ladder. I hope no-one needed to exit in a hurry! A great family keepsake.

This image brought back childhood memories of camping: It can be wet, cold, and muddy - but it can also be fun! It’s something to do about conquering the elements with limited resources, or simply a sense of adventure and liberation from domestic routine. There’s a knowing look at the camera, suggesting a proud sense of achievement as flames from the fire pit waft warmth towards her. Camping’s not that bad, after all, it would appear!

I imagine the sun to be falling, here. It’s the end of the day, camp has been set, and the occupants are enjoying the view before retiring. They look relaxed and the view is enchanting. A great image for selling the idea of Camping.

The title is almost as casual as the kettle that’s placed on it But this is what living in the outdoors can mean. It is said that a watched kettle never boils but I found this image very absorbing as I waited. Are we making tea or coffee, or simply boiling water to wash with? A wonderful, warming capture of a graet camp fire.

I like this early morning shot of a tent within the hills. I also like the title. Mornings often start with a mist, which require the sun to burn through before you really discover what the weather intends to do and a misty start can often transform into the best of days. I like the starburst of sunlight breaking through the cloud and the highlights in the tent fabric. It looks like it’s going to be a good day!

Not the classic VW but a very peaceful scene. I like the positioning of the vehicle, looking down the loch. It all looks very quiet and cosy as the night draws in. The colour tones are really warming. They will be safe tonight and, as soon as they’re bored with this view, they can swiftly move on to another location with ease. Indeed, I’m rather jealous of them!

Festival camping is quite different to other forms and this image may not be typical of many festivals held in the UK. Once any rain has fallen, all those pairs of feet turn the ground to mud, which then gets to cover everything. I love the colourful canvases and their different shapes. Their occupants are not here to enjoy the scenery unless you’re talking about that of the festival. It’s a party and being so close together is no issue.

I love this shot of a Carthago Malibu heading along on an adventure. The road disappears into the background so that the destination is left to my own imagination but I can sense that the journey could well be a long one. No matter, when they can carry all their requirements with them, to live in comparative luxury. Is this camping? Well, it’s called a “Camper”.

I love the tones captured in this image, even though I feel the green of the fern is a little unnatural. The subject is of a lone back-packer’s equipment and camp by the side of a loch. The orange within the tent opening suggests a warm welcome. I’d get in there quick and zip-up to keep the midges out! A beautiful dreamy scene which provokes thoughts of similar expeditions of my own.

One of the things you can benefit from when camping is a clear view of the stars, given a cloudless sky, so I loved the inclusion of this shot. Camping can take you away from the light pollution of everyday life, to enjoy things which are not experienced elsewhere. Studying the stars is one of those opportunities (- but not because someone has stolen your tent !-). I love the blue tones of this image, suggesting a cold evening. The tent is the focal point, with a very bright star above. If you look closer, you are rewarded with a multitude of other stars, although I am unable to recognise any major constellations. There’s a hint of a lake with hills beyond, leaving you to imagine what the scene might be like in the morning.

Camping at close quarters like this is not my greatest idea of fun, unless you’re fully acquainted with those alongside. Many do so, however, as evidenced by this image. I like the documentary style of this one, of two small campers with doors open and displaying their interior. ‘Tenters’ often progress to this kind of vehicle to continue a less energetic, but still adventurous, pursuit before retiring into an RV (or rest home). The VW is not the cheapest solution, due to its popularity but their compact size permits access to far-flung places with a degree of comfort.