Greetings again. My name is Bob Garner. It seems that “about” or “background” sections are always in a context and this one is my photography. I was drawn to pictures at a relatively young age. I was a fairly avid reader and the images in books and magazines brought to mind a range of thoughts and possibilities I found intriguing even as a young child. However, the environment I grew up in, though great in many ways, was also somewhat limited in perspective. The idea of any type of what might be considered artistic or professional pursuit was not ever a tangible consideration. But, as in many lives, what seems normal or certain is not necessarily how things turn out.
Always seemingly being the misfit peg, I, like many others, followed a very convoluted route between the start and end of my professional career. If one thinks in terms of a representative forty-something year career, I spent about 20% of it on academic pursuits and the rest split evenly between public and private sectors. During that time professional interests dominated. No legitimate complaints since I was blessed with a phenomenal journey and am now fortunate enough to have a chance to pursue a more personal interest, which is photography.
The pursuit is quite a challenge. The technical aspects can be daunting in their difficulty. That is often compounded somewhat by the fact I am relatively isolated, both figuratively and literally, compared to those in large metropolitan areas living on a barrier island in southeast North Carolina. Though the natural beauty of the ocean and regional environment it has created is impressive, my interests center more on individuals.
My ultimate goals are to capture the essence of any subject. As stated, I favor people, how they feel and express themselves. Ideally, in a way that tells a story and/or presents questions while being aesthetically pleasing or intriguing. Doing so is a challenge much more difficult than I originally imagined. But I have always viewed such challenges as the elixir that works to keep us all motivated in our personal endeavors.