A Road Less Traveled

There are times when the road less traveled can be the quickest path to reaching your goals. In our personal and professional lives the common path can often appear the safe and steady route to our desires. While the process may be tried and true the road is mired with overwhelming numbers where few emerge or find a clear, open journey to achieving their dreams. Getting noticed and standing out can be challenging when a person travels the same path as a multitude of others seeking similar rewards.

Forging your own way in life is rarely an easy task, to venture into unfamiliar territory or brave untested trails; it is often an adventure that can lead to experiences and destinations that would not have been encountered otherwise. Individuals that step out from the masses to define themselves may face the possibility of failure but also have the chance for great discovery. When a person has passion, drive and desire, the road less traveled may present the opportunity to explore and grow in their experiences and knowledge.

View each day as a new beginning; be open to both the challenges and rewards that come from pursuing the things you desire in life. Make the most of good and bad experiences alike, learn, grow and thrive as an individual, become the person you aspire to be.

Robert Gebbie Photography (RGebbiePhoto) opens gallery on Fine Art America.

Robert Gebbie Photography (RGebbiePhoto) opens gallery on Fine Art America.

Photographer, artist, author and personal development mentor Robert Gebbie opens his gallery on Fine Art America with soul searching and emotionally charged photographs, exploring the emotions and inner evolution of humanity through the individual. Included in this gallery are some of our favorite picks from the well known “Man” series which have been published in the book, “I Creator, a personal journey”, as well as a newly released “Couple” series that is still in the process of shooting and development.

Please feel free to visit our newly opened gallery on Fine Art America at -
http://robert-gebbie.artistwebsites.com

******************

Road Trip - Cliff Nichols, Square Dance Caller – And 2 other updates

In December of 2009, Lori and I made a working road trip up north to photograph several clients over an extended four day weekend. One of our clients was Square Dance Caller Cliff Nichols, who is also a good friend. Cliff generously hosted our stay, as well as allowed us to use his home as a studio. The trip was great fun and we were able to do some wonderful work for several people who had been requesting sessions for some time, but were unable to schedule the long trip south to see us.

We would like to thank Mr. Nichols for his friendship and hospitality which made the trip such a rewarding experience. The story and passion of his work is inspiring, and we would like to present a few of the images from this shoot, and share a little about the man and his journey.

This is an excerpt from his website at Cliff Nichols, Square Dance Caller - http://www.cjnic.net/caller and a few of our favorite images from that session. The rest of his story and more of the images can be found on his site.

“First beginner class 1972 with my father Johnnie Nichols in Salinas California. Danced off and on until 2004 when Dad passed away, and I went through beginner classes with the Boots and Laces. Dad always wanted me to learn to call, but I would not put in the work. As I began dancing again, I felt compelled to at least try to see if I could actually be a caller. I enlisted the assistance of the B&L caller Seattle's own red hot caller Mr. Eddie Harry, and borrowed his old Hilton, bought a microphone and started practicing. On Sept. 2 2005 I did my first singing call, something called "Those Memories Of You". My legs didn't collapse, nobody threw anything at me, and the work continued. My good friend Bob Shiver found me my first setup, a Hilton 95, and now I had a microphone, records, and a PA. With Eddie's help, I started learning to patter by helping teach lessons for the Boots and Laces, and I will always be indebted to those poor students that had to put up with brilliant calls such as Heads pass the ocean, wheel and deal.




************************************

Our latest book project - "Beautiful Souls" A Portrait Study of 11 Women - has been published and is now available at our bookstore at blurb - http://www.blurb.com/user/store/RGebbiePhoto
This project was such a wonderful experience to create, and extremely rewarding. To see the response to their pictures, their faces lighting up in joy, and to see them walk away with more confidence and a new sense of pride, well, that makes the work worthwhile.

Responses on "Beautiful Souls"

Sandra L - I truly love the pictures they are beautiful omg you two are amazing i love you.

Anne...
- I was over to the site yesterday and saw your blog I think it was, with a few photos. Nice. I love photos of "real" people. We're beautiful too, us real people who are not models!

Mike
W: ...- It's a very good book. The pic's are very nicely done, My hat's off to Mr. G. It's an awesome job. Thank you, and R.H.A. say's to tell you she gives it a 10 out of 10.


*****************************

RGebbiePhoto would like to announce the opening of our new merchant store at Zazzle. This new addition has enabled RGebbiePhoto to present our creative illustrations and photographic works on fun and exciting products, from mugs and apparel to wall posters and novelty items. Please feel free to stop by and browse our current selections, bookmark the site, and return often as we continue to expand the variety of products and designs we make available for our friends and customers.
Anyone can enjoy a little Zazzle in their life –
http://www.zazzle.com/RGebbiePhoto

It Takes More than Words

How often do people talk about the things they want out of life, but do very little in regards to fulfilling them? Wishes and dreams are wondrous things. The Human mind can create worlds of fantasy, take us on trips to locations we have never been, or develop the next greatest time-saving device. From contemplating what may exist beyond our corner of the universe, to examining our own existence and environment, human imagination and ingenuity enables our species to evolve and develop.

Concepts and ideas without action are the dreams and aspirations we leave unfulfilled. Even the best of intentions will never yield results, if no one acts to produce them. The happiest and most successful people that I have encountered seem to all have one thing in common; they took action, and made decisions that led their lives in the directions they desired. A cart will never carry a load if no one builds, loads, or supplies the energy to move it. It takes more than words for thoughts to become accomplishments and achievements.

When an individual has drive, passion, and desire, almost anything is possible. The most destructive force in blocking them from achieving their goal is self-doubt. It is the responsibility of the individual alone to define the path they desire to follow with their life. If your path meets a dead end, then you should build a new road. Know that each new day presents an opportunity to learn and grow in the direction you wish to travel.

Personal, Environmental, or Career Ambition;
To create positive change, a person must make decisions and positively act on them to achieve the goals they desire. From seeking spiritual enlightenment, to climbing the corporate ladder to CEO, the things we strive for take effort to reach. It is often the journey, and not the destination, that lead people to their greatest advancements in personal development. When a person strives to learn and grow, the obstacles overcome today easily become the stepping stones for success tomorrow.

Every adventure begins with a first step, much like other routines. The more often it is practiced, the more familiar it becomes. Make a concerted effort each day to gain knowledge from experiences. Small gains today lead to greater success in the future. It has often been observed that steady progress eventually results in accomplishing a person’s goal, even when the destination seems beyond reach at the beginning of the journey. The dreams envisioned today may lead to the advances made the next. Believe the goal reachable, and strive to make it happen.

Have confidence in your work. Often, the hardest person to convince an idea is worth striving for is ourselves. Trust in your own value. Believe that, with effort and perseverance, you can accomplish your goals no matter how difficult or lengthy the pursuit may be. The technologies and comforts of today were the concepts and fantasy of yesterday. Dare to challenge the boundaries that exist now for the possibilities presented tomorrow.

Don’t allow others to block your passion or desire. Even Don Quixote found his place in history from the pursuit of his dreams. Own your wishes, no matter how the future unfolds. The things a person envisions are theirs to hold onto and believe in. Whether you are inventing the next wheel, or simply convincing yourself tomorrow will be a better day, you are capable of great accomplishments when you believe in yourself.

Everything comes with a price. It takes effort; do not expect others to build your dreams for you. While it is always nice to have the support of others, you must guide the path your life takes by the choices you make. Even if the dream is shared, both individuals must have the passion and desire for success. Taking a passive roll by allowing others to make decisions, or standing on the sidelines, will not lead to the destination one wishes. Rather, it leads to the other individuals destination. While individuals do not have control over every experience that occurs in their lives, they do have the power to strive for the things they wish to achieve. When empowered with the ability to make decisions about their direction in life, a person has choices about the destiny they arrive at.

The choices a person makes, and the actions they take, have great influence on where their journey leads them. When a person has control over the path their life pursues, their chances for success improve greatly.

Captured Passion

The other day, we were at the grocery store, and met Tiny. She was standing in the aisle, and although I don’t remember the comment that started the conversation, soon we’d been standing there for ten minutes, talking and laughing together. She is a writer/poet, and was interested in getting some of her work seen. We had just published our books, so we invited her over so we could talk more in depth about her work, and give her some leads to help her in her searches. She doesn’t have a computer (I know, we were shocked, too) so she had no idea there were various publishing sites available.
Tiny arrived at our place, book bag in tow, stuffed with notebooks, paper falling out of them. We sat in our living room and talked for quite a while, sharing stories and making a new friend.
While she was sitting there, talking to me, I noticed Robert kept looking at her, like he was studying her. She kept talking, her expressions animated. Her life is filled with pain, both emotional and physical, yet this strong woman still has a streak of confidence and happiness. A plain looking woman, however her passion sparks a special beauty in her. He saw that, and wanted to capture it. I asked her if she was interested in getting some pictures taken, and I explained the basics of stock photography to her. She was interested, so we planned a shoot and I gave her a contract to take home and read over with her husband. We talked more about her work, and I gave her some pointers on how to organize herself.
We discussed Tiny long after she left. Not sure that we could jump straight into commercial photography, he decided to run some test shots on her, to see how she worked with him and the camera. Some people are naturals in front of the camera, and some need to loosen up a little. Besides, he wanted to see if he could capture some of what he saw.
She showed up for the shoot, excited to be getting real pictures done. When we went through them at the end, she was floored and excited. She had never seen herself like that before. We feel they capture her quite well.
This is Tiny, her beauty, her softness, and her essence.

Photography through the murky mind of depression.

“If one is even able to pick up a camera while depressed, it can make ones perception very different than when one is not depressed. Things don’t seem to have the sparkle and glamour they had once before. One usually ends up with darkly composed pictures. If there is any light, it is very selective in the way it is applied to the subject.

I rarely pick up my camera when I am depressed, because I know I will be disappointed with the outcome of any pictures I take. The effort it takes to create a good picture is often overpowered by depression. Depression is a very debilitating thing. It takes away the things that you once loved to do, making the simplest of tasks seem impossible to achieve.

Bright colors seem too bright and washed out, while darkness seems appealing. If one could use photography to capture the happiness of life, or just the essence of life itself, I think it could be a useful tool in the healing process. By focusing on something other than the negative, one could use the camera to block out the bad things in life and try to see only the good.” James Burns


James Burns is a primary contributing photographer, influence, and closest friend. While working together a few years ago, James helped me over a slump by encouraging me to pick up my passion as a hobby. This company, it’s accomplishments, and much of our vision has been greatly furthered by the support of our friend. The need for artists to express themselves and be creative runs deep. Sometimes the act of expression itself can begin a healing process.

We would like to present to you some of Jim’s work. His floral images speak volumes, personalities sparkle or flare as the light hits just so. His work is featured in our gallery, and we’ve compiled a book with his work, entitled “Flowers At Night”. We invite you to preview it at http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/574482


~~~~~~~~~~~~

Passion in Art - by Lori Gebbie

Robert is the main artist in our family, but I hold my own.

When I was young, my calling was music. I remember my father playing Ella Fitzgerald and June Christy for me, saying, “Now, THIS is music, this is how it’s supposed to be done.” I was five, and we were sitting in the living room listening to good music. My siblings had all been musical, my father was a pianist, my mother was a dancer, it was just right. I went on to sing for a number of years, quite happily. I had my chances with stardom, at 16 I was offered a 2 year internship with private instruction from Mr. Pavarotti himself, which I reluctantly turned down. I was in a Showcase of Talent at a club, where I happened to work with George Lopez while he was still working his day job across the street. But that wasn’t where I was headed. I met my first husband, and we went into business together, and that took up all of my free time. Singing was put on the back shelf, I could always get back to it later, couldn’t I? In my late 20s, I was living overseas, and joined a local choral group. I didn’t speak German, I was still new there. But we could communicate through music, and I was immediately accepted into their group.

The joy to sing what your heart feels, the pride and swelling sensation, tearing up when you hit a sweet spot in the song, feeling your whole body pulse with the music coming from your lips… This is what singing was for me. And all of a sudden, about three months after I joined this choir group, right before our first performance, I got sick. My neck hurt, and it was hurting to talk. And I heard the dreaded words I never wanted to hear, “We can perform surgery, but there is only a 30% chance you will keep your current voice, otherwise you will be at a whisper.” I opted out of the surgery. My thyroid had crashed, and the extra vibration with the singing had escalated my condition to a point I had no choice but to stop singing completely. So, as the years go by, my voice gets deeper and more scratchy, a sad reminder to the pretty voice I once owned.

So, with a teary farewell, I gave up my passion in life. Along the same time, I had picked up a camera again. Oh, sure, I’d been in Photo Club in school, and knew how to knock down an old canister in a darkroom and use developer, etc, but hadn’t messed with it since I was a young teen. I didn’t want to send my pictures through the military system, there was always talk about not getting the right set back, etc. So I went “on the economy” to a German photo store. The more I brought my pictures in, the more interest the owner took in me. I used a lot of my time in Europe traveling, and took some amazing pictures. The owner would always comment on how clear my images were, and he even bought a few to blow up and display in his store. I also made poster prints for people there, selling them for a pittance, but happy that someone liked them enough to purchase them.

I took casual pictures, here and there, but I had lost my passion, I had lost my voice, and nothing was replacing that loss. Little did I know, my life was headed down an entirely different road. Within a few years, I had traveled back to the United States, and ended up single and in Las Vegas. I didn’t really have a direction, or an interest. I floated from this job to that one, trying to find some passion in my life again. I went into business another time, and learned about some pitfalls the hard way. (We lost that company in a hostile takeover from a shark investment company.) I started a slow spiral down, I may not have been done with Las Vegas, but it was done with me. I found myself sitting at my father’s kitchen table, him and my mother helping me decide where I was going to move. Oregon called me louder, so I hopped a plane and was on my way. I stayed with my sister for a while, then I met Robert.

Since then, my life has passion and meaning again. Robert showed me some of the work he had done, and for the first time in a long time, I felt the pulse, the heart beat of passion. It was intoxicating, and I was hooked. I encouraged him to start drawing again, and he was able to finish a print he had been stuck on for 2 years. We also went on drives with the camera, taking snapshots here and there, enjoying our time together. We’d been together about a year and a half when he told me he wanted to take my picture. He started digging around and pulling out suitcases and poles and equipment and stuff. He set up a backdrop and set up his lights, and we did our first proper shoot. Years before, he had packed all of his equipment up when he shut his studio down, so this was a significant step. Word spread, and he did a few shoots for friends, mostly for chat sites. Then the word started really spreading, and soon, people were asking who the photographer was. It wasn’t anything he was interested in doing, he already had a real good job as a Quality Control Inspector. That’s where he met Jim, and he and Jim started talking Photography.

On January 10th, it will be one year since Robert came home for good. We’ve worked together 24/7 for the past year, and I’m so grateful for the time. We both learned so much about the other, and we are at peace together, truly best friends, wrapped up in passion for our art and each other. My passion lies with Robert, I fuel his passion to create the way he creates. His photography has life. The more he creates, the more real he gets. And my heart swells with pride when I hear the glowing reviews, or when we make a sale.

I also sculpt the Wermz we have for sale. You can see them at our Etsy site, http://www.RGebbiePhoto.etsy.com. We donate from Wermz and Print sales to a charity. Our charity during these cold months is Meals on Wheels.

~~~~~~

The Best Camera I Ever Owned

When I was three my parents gave me a Vintage Fisher Price Toy Picture Story Camera No. 784 for Christmas. It had a big plastic rotating cube on the top and a fogged up clear plastic view screen. That was the best camera I ever owned.

Some time between my third and fifth grades my mother purchased a new Kodak camera, passing down to me her old Kodak Instamatic camera with “magic” cube flash. For two years I shot as many of the stray cats that would follow me home, as my allowance would permit. That was the best camera I ever owned.

My sophomore year, I was lent a camera by my father on the pretense that I take a class so I could teach him how to use it. Topcon, manual settings only with 3 lenses, 35mm S.L.R. with an ugly green shoulder strap. I took a class, learned that my photography was just a further tool that I could use to create my art in my vision. You couldn’t wedge that camera from my hands the entire year. That was the best camera I have ever borrowed.

In a not so subtle ploy to have his camera returned my father bought me a new 35mm Pentax K-1000 camera outfit with 2 lenses. Most of my early work was photographed with this camera. I don’t remember the year it was stolen but I do remember shooting my very first official paid model session. That was the best camera I ever owned.

Today I shoot in the new digital age, my medium format camera in it’s grand silver case next to my 35mm equipment snuggled tight in their cases, gathering dust on the studio floor, waiting. Today I shoot with an Olympus D.S.L.R. E-510, it is the second Olympus digital camera I have owned. It’s predecessor, the Olympus E-10, travels with me as a back-up and is used when my wife wishes to shoot alongside me on one of my outings. Attached to me like a third limb or extra eye, the Olympus E-510 goes everywhere I go. It is the best camera I have ever owned.