Photography and the Camp Snap

August 06, 2024 / Roger Edwards

Like most children in the seventies, I was introduced to photography through the medium of “holiday snaps”. I was given a basic camera that used 110 film cartridges as a birthday present and quickly grew to love the uncomplicated nature of the device. You just looked through the basic viewfinder and pressed the shutter button. It really didn’t require much more thought than that. Once you had used your film, you had the additional fun of sending it off to be developed and either collecting your photos a few days later, or having them sent via the post. Like most hobbies, my interest led to further research and I quickly became aware that photography was a far more complex and formal undertaking. One that was expensive and riddled with snobbery. And so just like my youthful flirtation with painting, the technicalities and accepted protocols associated with photography ultimately killed my interest.

Thirty years later, photography for the masses got a reset with the advent of the digital camera and their incorporation into the mobile/cell phone. It certainly has been liberating with regard to making photography more accessible to the masses. Its immediate nature means that pictures can be shared easily and reproduced physically quickly and cheaply. Yet, as ever with technological advancements, when one set of problems are solved, others are created. Having a high resolution screen means that prior to taking a photo, you have the option of obsessing over composing the image. Then once taken, you can edit the picture with a myriad of tools. You can remove elements from photos on the fly and even add people to an event they didn’t even attend. Hence, many images posted online are not an authentic reflection of what they apparently depict.

Which brings me neatly onto the Camp Snap digital camera. A simple point and shoot device which has no complex settings and most importantly a screen. The philosophy behind the Camp Snap is very straightforward as the following quote from the company website makes clear. “Camp Snap cameras are designed to help you stay present in the moment and fully engage with their surroundings, without being distracted by screen time. Our innovative camera technology provides a fun and interactive way for you to capture your memories, while encouraging a focus on socialising and exploring the great outdoors. At Camp Snap, we are committed to creating products that inspire adventure, foster creativity, and encourage you to unplug and experience the world around them”.

I recently bought a Camp Snap camera and have found the lack of a screen very liberating. It fits easily in a pocket and has accompanied me on several day trips to places of interest. If something interests me I just look through the viewfinder and snap away. The results have been interesting. Although I like formality and structure, I do find that it can be an impediment at times. More complex cameras require a lot more thought and experience to be used effectively. It is this high benchmark that is a potential barrier to entry and can discourage people from photography per se. The Camp Snap bypasses much of this and puts you and not the technology in charge. Yes, the cameras respective specifications are somewhat limited (Vintage Film Style quality vibrant colour digital or printable photos. 8MP F/1.8 f=4.8mm (35mm equiv.) 1/3.2" sensor) but that was exactly the case in my youth when using Kodak Pocket Instamatic cameras.

Furthermore, I recently discovered an online photography club, based around Camp Snap. The Crap Camera Club created by actor, writer and comedian Marek Larwood, is a forum for uncomplicated and spontaneous photography with an aim of having fun, sharing your photos and building a like minded community. They have an active Facebook group where you can share photos and take part in bi-monthly themed challenges. It’s a friendly place and a lot of fun. The complete opposite of many of the more formal photographic based communities you find online. For legal reasons it is important to stress that it is the club that is crap and not the camera in any way, shape or form. It should also be noted the Crap Camera Club has a superb theme tune. More clubs need theme tunes.

Hobbies do not have to become Iron Man challenges but modern pop culture seems to have a nasty habit of turning things that are intended to be fun, into ponderous chores. The Camp Snap flies in the face of this. I recently took a trip out to the village of Shorne in Kent and took a few pictures of St Peter’s and Paul’s Church and the surrounding grounds, as well as the Turner Gallery in Margate. I found it easy to take a few pictures on the fly. If I saw something I found visually interesting, rather than over analyse things, I just looked through the viewfinder and took the shot. Being a digital camera, you don’t have to worry about taking multiple pictures, affording those new to photography a fighting chance of getting at least one good shot. I was happy with the results which I have posted in the gallery below. The Camp Snap will not be for everyone but I think it fills a gap in the market, offering both young and old alike, a means to recapture the casual freedom of “holiday snaps” and hassle free photography.