love of obedience

Obedience ©2013 Gary Garbett

Over the past several weeks, I've spent a good amount of time working with our latest family addition. Without detailing the lists of new things that he's learning, it seems the best word to describe them all would be respect. Happiness, pride, dedication, and love each follow that "R" word pretty darn closely. Although he's not quite mastered all of his new skills yet, he's one happy boy who gets so excited with himself and absolutely loves doing the right thing. He also has a fond appreciation for peanut butter dog biscuits.

I think these past few weeks have been obedience training for myself as well. Perhaps I walk on two legs instead of four, but aside from those peanut butter treats, my list of things that make me the happiest aren't much different than Zero's. Good Boy.

secondhand beauties

Today I submitted my proposal for my semester long independent study. Over the next five months I'll be capturing images with cameras from my personal assortment of film and instant cameras. Though they’ve not seen a roll of film in decades, each film camera in my collection is a secondhand beauty. I’m sure however with a new roll of film, each will find stories that they'll want to share. I'm happy to have saved them.

The essence and beauty of photography is found in its most physical and tangible medium. A photograph is story intended to be printed, held, displayed, and shared.

just a man

Incognito ©2013 Gary Garbett

I've been incredibly fortunate to be lots of things in my life. Unquestionably, one of those things I'm most proud of was the younger version of myself as a youthful, dedicated, full on, wrap my world around it Dad. In my children’s bright young eyes, they made me feel like I was their superhero. In reality however, I was just a man, doing my best, with what I had at being Daddy.

With the kids well into their young adult lives now, those days have long passed. I still remember them though, even if I didn't get the chance to wear a cool cape or fancy boots. Those years were the most inspiring, creative, and loving times of my life. Super powers aren't just for comic book heroes.

Live life. It gives far more back when you do.

Liner Notes: A big thank you to my good friend Matt for tripping the shutter on this image.

silent celebration

Yesterday I made a two-hour drive to say my goodbyes to a longtime friend. Most of my drive was spent listening to the silence of my thoughts equally balanced with the soft hum of the road. An overflow of memories was my co-pilot.

The emotional evening was a celebration of lives touched by a beautiful, spirited, and love filled woman. Selfishness always seems to get in the way when I unexpectedly lose a loved one. My thoughts are always the same, wishing I'd had the chance to say goodbye.

With fewer than twenty days marked from the calendar this New Year, most have been filled with unexpected love, including these past few days of recent loss.

A gorgeous bright moonlight assisted my headlights in lighting the long rural road trip home. Just as I had done earlier in the day, my co-pilot was once again the silence of memories, this time though, they were paired with many tears of love. A life’s celebration continues.

waiting on guests

Reflections ©2013 Gary Garbett

I seldom find myself in front of the camera. My place is to stand behind it.

For this photo, I maintained my normal position while waiting for guests to arrive to the holiday party I was assigned to document. This particular setting provided a welcoming invitation with its placement, framing, and available light. It was far too perfect not to use.

Despite the joys of the holiday season, a brightly decorated Christmas tree, and party festivities, my mood at the moment was numb. This reflective self-portrait was captured just moments after hearing the tragic news of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shootings in Newtown, Connecticut. I was heartbroken. Still am.

grit and essence

Havoc Arrives ©2013 Gary Garbett

The most memorable photographs are seldom those with the sharpest amount of image detail or the ones with the most glamorous model posed with a sultry suggesting mood. Those images that best speak to me often do so with unintended grit, beautiful flaws, and an unstaged real life essence that draws me in and keeps me there. Those are the images with heart.

A successful photograph captures that very moment with sincere emotion.

secondhand light

After a well needed and successful breather from classes over the past month, today is the beginning of my Spring semester and my yearlong sprint towards a December graduation. Aside from the annual reruns of holiday soundtracks, television programs, mountains of sugar coma sparkly treats, and family fruitcake, I was happy to occasionally locate some quality time for my own thoughts during the academic break.

Usually with a coffee mug at my side, I spent plenty of hours during the holidays with my varied and extremely eclectic film and instant camera collection. Dating as far back as the 1930s, each of them are secondhand, left behinds, or strays and all beautiful works of art in themselves. All have their own distinct character and personality and I can only imagine the stories, celebrations, and places they've each seen. Our eclecticism seems to parallel one another perfectly, promising an exciting journey as I search for light through their viewfinders this semester.

Together, we'll have a story to tell. No fruitcake required.

sum of the day

My tendency has always been to load up my two-day weekend checklist far beyond any possibility of achievement. For whatever the reason, this weekend has been different.

Saturday offered a perfect day for relaxing. After more than seven hours of listening to vinyl records and playing with my buddies, the hour hand began to cast a shadow on the afternoon. The cold damp day affirmed my decision to still be in my flannel pjs as a second pot of coffee began brewing. Though denim was eventually exchanged for flannel, our day of comfort was well maintained into the evening.

We're in the early hours of Sunday morning and there are plenty of naps taking place all around me. Faded blue jeans and a secondhand t-shirt have committed themselves to my day's fashion statement. A stack of selected vinyl await their turn to spin goodness at 33 and a 1/3rd and my coffee cup has once again promised to stay full all day. I’m not too sure what else I could ask for, so I won’t. It’s good to be with friends.

Perhaps removing expectations can sometimes deliver the greater return.