Every summer leaves you with memories. Last year, photographer Luke Tigard and his son left Camp Foley with heartbreak. This year, they returned to the same place, the same lake, and the same morning light, only to realize that it had become something else for their family.
photography and words by Luke Tigard
This was the second summer that my oldest son spent a few weeks in Northern Minnesota at Camp Foley.
Last year, we arrived late for pick up. Nothing seemed to be in our favor and our female cat that we loved for the past 18 years had just passed away during the time my son was at camp. Sienna had been sick and her time to leave us came when it hurt the most.
I had been living with heartbreak all week on how I was going to tell my son that his best pet friend would no longer be waiting by his pillow. To make a long story short, he fell to his knees in sorrow as soon as I had a private moment with him down by the lake. The morning was beautiful, absolutely picture-perfect conditions. I put my camera away and said… next year, and knelt beside my son in grief.
Well, the summer of 2026 came fast and the overnight rain left the most pure, crisp northern atmosphere you can imagine. The smell of mature pine was carried with the breeze, the sunlight was glistening through the dew from the forest and grass…it was the type of morning that makes a good cup of coffee and a camera so enjoyable. The images I captured from this morning may not have that epic appeal, but they do mean a lot to me and my family because of the memories we now have here in Minnesota. It’s more than just sunlight and dew in the forest, it’s life and memories in every frame.
The nostalgic energy at Camp Foley is awe-inspiring. I am happy that younger generations are still able to disconnect from our modern world and experience life calmly in nature, while building character and self-reliance skills. Camp Foley recently celebrated 100 years of making positive impacts in the lives of young children from around the world, and I look forward to the many summers left to come for my boys!
Location: Camp Foley – @campfoley
Photographer: Luke Tigard @luketigard
Camera – Leica Q3 43
