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.

Alma’s chickens.

Today, on our flower walk, we were invited by our neighbor Alma to see her little
chicks (her school lets her take some home for a week). And of course Art and Lew eagerly accepted. They even got to hold one. Knowing this makes Jessica especially happy since Lewis had really wanted to hold a baby duck at the ‘zoo babies’ exhibit at the MN zoo which closed the day we had a chance to go.

Stats? What stats?!!!?

With all the commotion going on concerning my ailing mom I have neglected to post the girls’ stats from their recent check-up.  And now I am at home while the paperwork from their appointment is at my mom’s, so I can’t even type them up now, but I can say that they are perfectly healthy and quite lovely.  They are also only one ounce different in weight.  At least they were two weeks ago.  I think it was 15 lbs, 2oz and the other girl was 15lb 3oz.  One measure quite a bit longer than the other, but my sister and I thought that might have been a mistake.  I’ll have to check that one myself.  What was funny was the head circumference.  I never pay attention to that measurement because it doesn’t really mean anything to me, but when I showed my sister each girl’s paperwork she looked and saw that Bailey Jo was one inch or centimeter bigger than Netta, to which my sister said emphatically, “I KNEW it!”

Here Bailey is getting measured by LPN Heather.  I love that we know our doctor and her LPN so well.  What a relief after years of college and post college when you are scrambling with a new doctor at each visit.

A professional mom.

I have been spending the night at my mother's since she came home on
hospice Monday. I sleep with my sister in my mom's tiny room,
thenmysister goes home before seven so she can be with her own baby
and I stay at mom's until around one when my sister comes back and I
go home to my family. Thank god for Nanna, who is running the
household. I am not thinking about laundry or the kitchen or even the
kids' rooms. She has folded all the clothes in their drawers,
something I only do for Art's stuff and even then it only stays that
way for one day. Anyway' last night ben and ngan went to a festival
thing for Ben's work and I stayed at home for my work, old school. No
helpers, no nothin'. Ben and Nan kept asking when I wanted her to
come back. "Don't worry about it!" I said. "I'm a professional!"And so I am. The kids kind of love it when they have me to themselves,
even if I'm not actually plying with them. They played with Tsundi,
our Tibetan neighbor who was born one day after Art, and I tended to
the girls and made rice noodle stir fry. Then I left them all outside
with Tsundi and his mom while I nursed the girls for their last meal
before bed. Started the bath and got the boys in it so I could get
the girls down to bed. Well, one girl. The other screamed and
wouldnt go to sleep. Then the boys and i had some cereal and got on
some pajamas and read books. Then I tried getting the babies, who had
both woken up by this time, back down. Got that done and went
downstairs to a quiet house, which I had already tidied but did not
clean. Than, you, Nan, for being there to maintain the kitchen.Since Art was having a meltdown about Ben leaving for work when they
had to go Ben and Nan came home from their adventure with worried
looks on their faces- how bad was my night? It was great, I told
them. I'm a professional!And they thought I should plug them into a video.–
Jessica