Photographer Kevin Kitsuda has been capturing the magic of the Lair of the Golden Bear, one frame at a time. His photos freeze moments of joy, connection, and natural beauty—telling the story of the special bonds between the people at the camp, and between the people and the camp itself.
Kevin has been camping at the Lair for four years, but his wife’s family has been making the trek for forty. Now, with his kids, aged 15 and 10, the Lair is a central part of Kevin’s family story. He brings his camera every summer.
“I started taking photos of my family and friends,” Kevin said. I love capturing kids, kids having fun, people having a good time, and the natural beauty of camp and the surrounding areas, he told me. But for Kevin, it’s not just the landscapes or the big moments that speak to him. It’s the connections between people—especially the interactions between campers and staff.
“It’s great to show that kids are having fun not just with their families, but with the people who are working at camp,” Kevin explained. “There’s a very special bond between the staffers and the campers. It’s something that I’ve always appreciated—how helpful, how kind, how uplifting the staffers are.”
From playful moments at the pool to quiet shots of hands working in the Art Grove, Kevin’s photos give us a glimpse of what it feels like to be part of the Lair family. His pictures of a paintbrush in motion, a pine cone on the ground, or hands shaping clay remind us that it’s not only the loud, chaotic moments that define the camp experience. Sometimes it’s the small, simple ones—the details that might slip by unnoticed, but hold all the meaning.
Through his photos, Kevin hopes to communicate the Lair’s spirit as a fun, family experience—a place where memories pile up year after year.
But the photos can’t fully capture the tradition of reconnecting with old friends and meeting new ones each summer. “You play softball, meet people, and then you see them the next year,” he said. The photos leave out the fact that families return summer after summer, the connections that deepen over time, and the reunions at Giants games in San Francisco.
Though his photos overflow with joy and color, they don’t tell the whole story—the soft focus of familiarity. It’s part of the magic that Kevin captures, but the real magic, he says, is something you need to feel for yourself. “You just need to be there,” he said.
