Today at Fictional Tendencies I would like to highlight a dear friend of mine, Carl Garrard, and his work over at Photographic Central. You can see some of his work on the link shared in the  “About” section of my blog. Or you can peruse Carl’s blog above. Over the course of a decade the relationship Carl and I share is a profound ever-expanding series of seriousness and nonsense and serious nonsense. One main constant in our relationship, even if only in the background, was our want and subsequent need to create, Carl with photography and me with writing. Over time we would individually experience our own personal and creative peaks and valleys but when we reached peaks our creations tended to inspire each other. I’m happy and proud to share that Carl has reached a new peak in his creative process that is personal, revealing and inspiring.

For most, if not all, of you this will be your first time viewing the images that Carl has captured. To you the images might look like any other picture you could find online, but they’re not. In his images you’ll find a purpose and intent that I haven’t experienced when looking at other photography. Sure I might be slightly biased but I would challenge you to view Carl’s images and then view other similar images by other photographers and I think you’ll see a difference. That’s at least the hope.

While Carl’s  Leica M8 article might be titled as a review, I read it as something more. A first step on a new journey of rediscovery. I was caught up in his excitement of photography. The excitement of honing ones craft with the tools that are available (not the tools that the professionals use). There’s no need to keep up with the Jones’s. Carl has broken free of those chains and minimized his tool kit and refocused his energy with an honest mantra: Keep It Simple.

With each new image he captures you can see a little piece of his personality and passion on display; some are serious, some are fun, some are abstract, some are haunting and lonesome yet whimsical and serene, some are intimate and personal but they are all undeniably Carl Garrard.