Last summer, Mandi Folks and her family attended the Carver Lake Camp Out, organized annually by the city of Woodbury Parks and Recreation department. “Our family loves Minnesota summers; we try to spend as much time outdoors as possible,” Folks says. “Our children enjoyed the camp out’s scavenger hunts and games, s’mores and playing at the beach. I had brought my camera along and when I noticed one family’s dog (Lola) reaching down for a drink in the lake, I thought it would make a beautiful image with the ripples in the background.”
An avid photographer, Folks enjoys taking pictures of animals and her children “because they are carefree and don’t know how to pose,” she says. “They only know how to be themselves, naturally, and that is how I like to capture them . . . just as they are.
“I’m so thankful that the city of Woodbury sponsors so many family-friendly activities like the Carver Lake Camp Out,” Folks says. “There were so many families there giving camping a try for the first time. What a great opportunity to build memories together. My children loved it and we will be back this summer.”
