I recently was called upon to photograph a family reunion in Montreat, North Carolina earlier this month. It had been a while since I had the opportunity to capture a large family event, in this case some 50 family members of various extended relationships. The large gathering was held at the Montreat Conference Center outside the town of Black Mountain. The session was about two hours of indoor and outdoor shooting as I ran about organizing large and small groups of families. But I also took the time to capture some candid moments for myself (yes, I’m a street photographer at heart!) that I felt the family may also appreciate. I caught up with one person in particular that truly stood out from cacophony of the afternoon–the women pictured below. Her name is Rachael. 94 years old, born in 1925. I engaged in some polite conversation as she regaled me with stories of her life. I managed to grab a number of quick shots hoping to capture the essence of this gentle woman. She was completely void of all ego, and was very relaxed in her attitude and acceptance of everything around her. At almost a century, she had no problems getting up and around and sitting in on the group portraits outside on the hotel deck, or indoors by the large fireplace that served as a backdrop for many of the family members. The photo below is my personal favorite from my ten minutes of time I spent with her, hence its inclusion in this blog.

At almost a hundred years, we should all be in this place in our lives.

All images © Joe Longobardi. All Rights Reserved.
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