I'm doing a series of shoots for Kennolyn Camp in Santa Cruz and I just cannot say enough about this camp. They offer both a day camp and overnight camp program and offer an amazing variety of activities for the kids from swimming, archery, horseback riding, fencing, rope climbing, zip lines, animal care, arts and crafts etc... the list goes on and on. It's on several acres of GORGEOUS property up in the mountains overlooking the Santa Cruz Coastline, surrounded by majestic Redwood trees and always in a pocket of sunshine even when the coast, just a couple miles away, is smothered in fog.
The staff there is an absolutely incredible, cohesive, friendly and professional group of young adults and from what I saw first hand I can tell you the kids are under fantastic supervision while having loads of fun. My kids will be attending one week there later this summer and I cannot tell you how jazzed they are about this. In fact, I cannot tell you how jazzed *I* am about this!! hahahahaha :)
I did my first session last week and had an absolute blast as it consisted of climbing up one of their rope courses 65' high, grabbing a ton of awesome shots and then zip lining back down to the ground. Talk about exciting!
I'm not sure the pictures provide enough scaling reference for you all to realize just exactly how high up in the trees that is but man-oh-man, it's HIGH!!! Funniest part is I had to go up this obstacle rope course thing to get to the top platform which consisted of three different types of challenges as you continue to climb up. I'll show pictures of that later.
Once you are at the main platform there is a series of swinging mini platforms that the kids travel across, which consists of them literally FLYING through the air after launching themselves off a SWINGING platform to grab another moving platform and so on and so on. Completely insane. I passed on doing that particular activity (hey, I'm not that CRAZY) having used up all my strength and energy just getting up to the top platform to begin with! :)
So, to start us off, here are a few shots of that swinging platform course from the main platform WAY UP HIGH where I was shooting from. Do you see the itty bitty people way down there?
These individual platforms are spaced in such a way that you have to swing them towards each other to get close enough to jump from one to the other.... Yeah. The kids doing this were all 6th grade and up and so totally fearless. It was such a kick just watching them do this as though they were completely unaware that they were several stories high...
Then, once across that craziness they hook up to the zip line and throw themselves down it. The first 20 feet or so are a total free-fall before the line really catches. The two kids I photographed going off this ledge would literally get a running start and launch themselves into the air. I can assure you that when I went off it I had to count myself down, out loud, talking to myself like some old crazy lady before stepping off the ledge. I remember thinking for a split second after launching off something akin to "I am going to die" while desperately waiting for my line to catch and propel me forward rather than downward. The heavier you are, apparently, the more the free fall. I was cursing myself for that ice cream I had the night before!
I just love this next shot. This girl was amazing. She attacked the courses and zip line like a beast. I was in awe watching her.
look at her jumping in between MOVING platforms!
Swinging to build up momentum.
There she goes off the zip line as fast as she possibly can. Insane.
they call this next one the Leap Of Faith!
This is the rope course you have to climb to get to the main platform. There are three parts to it. The bottom section is a rope ladder that swings around as you try to climb it (argh!), the second part is a series of horizontal 2X2' boards that are between 3-6 feet apart which means you have to literally throw yourself up onto the next one to climb up them. That was the hardest part for me as my upper body is not what it used to be. In fact, I was dismayed that even with all my tae kwon do, kickboxing, running, cross fit, and ZUMBA classes I found it a challenge getting up this course. I *thought* I was in good shape. Guess it's time to kick up the workouts a notch eh? :) In this next shot you see her throwing her leg up to get on the next board. Also, there is nothing to hold onto between planks so you have to let go of the one you are on/holding and quickly grab the one above you by kinda leaping for it. Very tricky.
The third portion is this bar/pole ladder that swivels as you climb it, totally disorienting! I was telling it to stop swiveling but it didn't listen to me. :) This girl in the pink, it was her first time up this course. We were all so proud of her!
Then at the end of the swiveling thing, you get back to a few more of those 2x2 thingies and you can scootch down to the main platform or keep climbing. The higher you go the further apart the 2X2 boards are to the point where I have NO CLUE how anyone gets to the next one.
Above: One of the many beautiful views at Kennolyn
Below: Hey! There's a kid flying through the air!
This next spot is the second rope course area. Here the kids swing from way up high (as seen above) into the air. My assignment was to get some "from below" shots on this one.
Ready to launch!
On the next two shots, the image on the left is the full sized version and the image on the right is the zoomed in close up of his face as he is flying through the air!
The grounds at Kennolyn are just beyond gorgeous.
The second half of my shoot consisted of me taking candids of the kids as they participated in more group activities and the singing camp songs on the logs and so on. The kids were having a blast and even though it's a big camp, it totally has that intimate and close knit feel to it.
At the end of the day, while waiting for the buses to transport them home, this is what I caught. Boy could I relate to this little guy! Too cute!
