Since then, Brinson, 40, has gone every year to photograph Sun City’s residents, some of whom have become her close friends. Observing the enthusiasm people have for the many activities there, the self-described perfectionist says she learned something about herself: “I realized that I don’t have to be great, or even good, at something. I can just like the way it feels.” She’s taken up hobbies such as watercolor painting.

Opened in 1960, Sun City bills itself as the Original Fun City, designed for residents 55 and older. While retirement communities have proliferated across the country to cater to growing numbers of graying baby boomers, Sun City remains one of the largest. Its 14 square miles of palm tree–lined streets feature