Fitz Family Reunion

Every summer, my mother's extended family throws a big picnic and golf outing to reconnect and remember that we're family. My mom and a few of her cousins were in charge of planning the whole shebang this year, and I threw in my services here and there to help pull everything together. I honestly only talk to maybe half of the attendees at these reunions, because let's be honest, I don't know my mom's cousin's kids like, at all. Let alone her cousins. I always have a good time, because who doesn't like chowing down on picnic food, watching kiddos whack at a piñata, and participating in a water balloon toss that (almost always) degrades into a water balloon bombing? ;)

I took this as an opportunity to flex my photographer muscles and snap lots of pictures. Of course I forgot about my camera until the picnic was half-over, but I was still able to capture some sweet memories. I got a number of posed photos (the large family photo above is a tradition) and a bunch of candid shots. I still feel weird creepily snapping photos of unknowing people with my telephoto lens, but truthfully, those moments make the most genuine and charming photographs. I love the photo above of my great aunt and great uncles trying to figure out that camera... 

My mom caught that goofy shot of me clownin' with boyfriend and my favorite uncle, all of us lookin' like rockstars of course. ;) Then we have a fellow photog at the party... A fun party activity that I'll share more details on soon... And a precious moment of genuine laughter captured during a posed shoot. I love that. I love the slightly varying expressions on each person's face, revealing their subtle differences in personality. Plus this weird foggy effect happened in my camera, which I totally dig. Makes it seem sort of dreamy.. 

On a related note, I just received my pre-ordered copy of A Beautiful Mess Photo Idea Book! I have only had a chance to flip through the first couple chapters so far, but I am super smitten, as you can imagine. I am not sure why am I so surprised by how beautiful the whole thing is, but I was. Silly me. I hope I can develop bossy photography skills like those lovely ladies someday. Someday! 

Don't you just love beautiful photos? :)

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