Author: bengarvin

Each time I pick up the camera, I try to capture the world as it is. To listen without judgement, create space where subjects feel safe and heard, and be there for moments that highlight our shared humanity. Over the years, my work has focused on underrepresented communities and that’s what I continue to make the focus of my work. Photographers & filmmakers hold power to make a difference and I intend to. About me: Garvin was born and raised in Fayetteville, Arkansas in the heart of the Ozark Mountains. He studied creative writing at the University of Arkansas before earning a BFA in Visual Journalism with a minor in philosophy from the Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, New York. During his summers in New York City, Garvin freelanced for the Associated Press, made delicious salads at a Tribeca cafe and fell in love with his wife Jessica, a Minnesotan studying the cello performance at the Manhattan School of Music. They stayed on the east coast where Garvin interned at the Christian Science Monitor in Boston and for four years as a staff photographer at the Concord Monitor in New Hampshire where he was named 3-time Photographer of the Year. Like most Minnesotans, his wife wanted to return home, and they’ve been living in Minneapolis since 2004. Garvin worked part-time at the Star Tribune and on staff at the St. Paul Pioneer Press for more than a decade while continuing to freelance for the New York Times and Washington Post. In 2015 he switched from still photographer to a video photojournalist at KARE 11 News, often considered to be the best station in the country for visual storytelling. Garvin also shoots a limited number of weddings each year. Ben has been named Minnesota Journalist of the Year, Minnesota Photographer of Year and has won multiple Emmy, Murrow and national NPPA and BOP awards for his photojournalism. In 2020 he won an Alfred I. duPont–Columbia University Award for his work as co-director, cinematographer and editor for the acclaimed documentary film Love Them First. In 2021, Ben formed Ben Garvin Media, LLC and now works as an independent documentary filmmaker/DP, freelance photographer and editor. He continues to develop new films and freelance projects with his collaborator Lindsey Seavert at their studio in south Minneapolis. FAMILY: I am so proud of my family. Jessica and I have been married nearly 20. She is a musician, baker, cook and beauty and will always take a nap if given the chance. We have four kids. Arthur is 15 — a juggler, deep thinker, mountain biker. Then there's 13-year-old Lewis — lover of hugs, D&D and all things gay pride. And finally our 11-year-old twins Bailey and Netta. They were born identical but have grown into their own. Bailey is now a boy, loves a good back tickle, telling great stories and is the only kid who doesn't get bored on my fishing boat. And Netta is an animal loving tomboy who keeps our family grounded with her wisdom, honesty and love of beautiful music. We all live together — along with two chickens, two cats and our long dog Moby — in south Minneapolis near Lake Nokomis.

Lynx photos.

just posted this on facebook: “I just photographed a Minnesota Lynx game and have been turned into a Lynx fan. My god that was so fun. So much energy. Apparently they have the best record in the NBA, too. They were good! After they won they danced on the floor to cheering fans. I’m going to take my little boy to see them.”

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Welcome, Baby Oscar!

Art, Lewis, Netta, Bailey, Ben and I all tramped down to the hospital the other day to see our new cousin, Oscar Keenan, son of my cousin Cait and her husband, Zach. That makes him my first cousin once removed? And the boys are his first cousin twice removed? I don’t know. I looked it up and there were charts and still I couldn’t figure it out. Michael, my brother-in-law and father of my niece, Charlotte, says they are second cousins. I’m confused.

Anyway, just today Art said, “I wonder how Cait’s baby is doing.” We talked about how small he was. When we first arrived at Cait and Zach’s little hospital room Art was really surprised at how small he was and said he thought he would be as big as our babies. I was surprised, too. I forgot how tiny new babies are.

When we got there I got all teared up.  I was so proud of my cousin and so happy to see a new, healthy baby join her family and just all emotional.  What a sap!  And I couldn’t help but notice he was wearing one of our favorite onsies from the boys’ stash.  Here’s Art in it when he was just a month old…

Yep, Art was a brunette as a newborn.  Anyway, Cait said she did not plan to have Oscar in that little suit for our visit.  She just has a lot of our hand-me-downs.  She will continue to get the choice picks from our outgrown bins.  That shirt Lewis is wearing is pretty nice.  I’ll try to keep the stains off, Cait.

Congratulations, Cait and Zach!

All you need is love.

We are witnessing the magical twin love around here. The girls are clearly glad to see each other and possibly even distressed if they are not close. I don’t know, but they choose to go in the same direction most of the time and reach out for each other in their high chairs, while nursing and even in bed sometimes.

On the car trip home we switched the car seats for a while so instead of sitting right next to each other with the boys in back each girl was next a boy. When the girls saw each other after a couple hours of driving apart they were very happy. Just the other day I spied them waking up from a nap and while Bailey laid on her back Netta pushed herself up to sitting, noticed her sister and made a big smile while reaching for Bailey’s ear. And even though I couldn’t’ see Bailey’s face I could see her cheek bulge out from a huge grin. They really are happy to be together.

Crawling!

Before we left for our vacation the girls were just starting to crawl. They were quite slow and I could leave them in the living room for several minutes knowing they couldn’t get into trouble anytime soon.

Then we got back from our trip and it was a different world! They had sped up trmendously and it is very stressful for dear Ben. So far I’ve been taking it in stride, pulling babies off of dangerous items, picking up bits ahead of them and out of them, sweeping, sweeping and sweeping some more. The gates are going up today and the pack n’ plays/holding tanks are out.

A great Great Great Grandma.

My grandmother is nearly 90. She always asks about our kids, especially Netta and Bailey who she had never met. We send her tons of photos but there’s just nothing like holding them in your arms. So making the trek to Wabash, Indiana, my mother’s hometown, was worth the drive.

As soon as we arrived she dug up a some baby clothes she bought for them.

She adores Jessica and loves to tell me how wonderful she is. “Oh Ben, she just such a good mother. I just, I mean, I can’t tell you how much….” Stuff like that.

Each Monday Grandma goes to Hardees to meet her friends and chat. We were in town only two days so she called an emergency meeting on Thursday morning.

Lewis, wonderfully, preferred to sit on his own at a table across the restaurant. I don’t know why but I really love that he ate on his own and to not come join the group. I think he was a little overwhelmed and wanted to make some space for himself. Good on you, Lewis.

Netta, however, was in a great mood.

We left back to Minnesota after Hardees. We fully expect to visit again but we all realize grandma’s almost 90 so saying goodbye was especially sad.