My Uncle's Birthday

My uncle turned 72 this weekend! I would usually mention how COVID prompted us to find any excuse to get together, but a birthday party is a perfectly reasonable excuse to get out of the house and drive across the state (sometimes, state borders) to spend time with your extended family.

We'll start with photos from a game for duos where each person would have to dress their partner in an array of accessories they pulled out of an inconspicuous blue bag. The only catch is they had to do so while blindfolded.

Do they remind you of a certain gun-toting lady from the mind of Tyler Perry?

We felt like we were waiting years to finally eat, mostly because we couldn't find the bottle of ketchup, which somehow ended up on one of those bags stuff with wigs and shades.

Tradition dictates my grandmother say the blessing, which she does with great passion and experience.

At long last, it was time to eat.

I'll be the first to admit my plate suffered from "boring beige-ness" but I assure you, the flavor was second-to-none.

Sausage, baked beans, deviled eggs, fried fish, fried chicken, baked chicken, chicken salad, seafood salad, tuna salad, tossed salad (ALL the salads)

It was the variety upon which Bubba Gump might reflect longingly. Shame on me for not getting a better angle.

Despite being a portrait photographer, a profession that requires a keenness for posed models, I very much prefer naturalistic shots of people engaged in normal behavior. That said, when people see a camera, they react instinctively.

Here are some group photos that I'm certain will end up on a few Facebook posts tonight.

As for those "normal photos" I mentioned, here are a few of my favorites.

I want this to be the first part of a larger series of posts to come. I have assumed the unofficial role of the de facto family historian. I spent some time this weekend speaking with my elders and using their knowledge to build our family tree. These images will serve as a visual record of our times together.

To see the full gallery, click here.