Today we’d like to introduce you to Gary Watson.
Gary, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
A steady diet of old movies on television from the 1930s and 1940s imprinted my young mind with a barrage of high-contrast, streamlined, black-and-white images, artfully lit and impeccably composed by old Hollywood masters of light. That was what I wanted to do and that is what I pursued as I started my career in the film industry.
When I was 15 I got my first job at a small motion picture laboratory in my hometown. Although my first tools were a mop and bucket, I had the opportunity to observe and learn from industry professionals. I soon was processing and duplicating the motion picture film. My mentors at the lab provided my first opportunities to experiment with 16mm film cameras.
That experience was useful when I took a job at a television station in the newsroom, processing news film, shooting breaking news, and learning to edit film (and later video) for broadcast. From there I graduated to working as a cinematographer on industrial films, TV commercials, documentaries, and narrative productions.
Wanting further control over my work, I created my own production company and produced and directed a large number of award-winning programs, including two independently-produced documentaries, a short film, and a comic book series based on the short film. This gave me the chance to expand beyond the craft of cinematography to include writing and production conceptualization.
However, craving a more personal outlet to fulfill my creative needs, I left the film and video business in 2014 to pursue still photography – but not just any still photography. My plan included returning to my roots, black-and-white images on physical media rather than digital files and photochemical processing.
I began acquiring decades-old cameras, some from the 1930s and 1940s. I refreshed my knowledge of the darkroom process and immersed myself in translating my decades of filmmaking experience into telling stories in single images. Because of my experience in varied styles of filmmaking, my still photography work manifests itself in a broad range of genres from documentary and photojournalism to highly-produced studio works to intricate table-top still-life images.
Very often my work makes social or political statements, celebrating our common humanity as well as spotlighting those who are divisive and hateful.
I have achieved a point in my career where I can make photos for an audience of one. If I like what I have done, then I have succeeded. If someone else likes it – that’s icing on the cake. If someone is moved emotionally by my photographs, then I know I have made a human connection and the cycle is complete.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
I grew up in a time before there was really much of an independent film industry outside of Hollywood. That didn’t bode well for a boy from Oklahoma who wanted to make movies. So I started college pursuing a major for a more realistic career. But that only lasted a short time. The next year I changed my major and enrolled in the film program, which at my school, was tiny.
Career pre-visualization always kept me focused on the next step, the next thing to learn, the next challenge to tackle. At each step, I found ways to fulfill my creative needs within the context of the marketplace in which I worked.
However, filmmaking on a large scale is an expensive process, even when working digitally, and as the scope of my projects grew, financing became a big factor, sometimes scuttling pet projects that could not be paid for. That said, the projects that did come to fruition are my proudest accomplishments of that part of my life.
Deciding to end my filmmaking career was difficult, but once I had made the decision I couldn‘t wait to start on the next phase of my creative life, even though it meant starting from scratch!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the g. watson photographer story. Tell us more about the business.
Today I have a working studio and gallery in Houston, Texas. Space includes a darkroom where I develop my film and make my prints. Everything is shot with black-and-white film in formats ranging from 35mm to 4X5 large format.
Usually, I am working on self-assigned projects that I photograph either on location or in my studio. I often work on political and social issue projects. I was very happy to be able to produce the photo series “Dear Lieutenant Governor, We’re Just People.” I conceived this series in response to proposed Texas legislation targeted against the transgender community. I was introduced to Alexis, a transgender woman; and, together, we created a very powerful story in words and photos that was designed to educate and enlighten.
In “The World Makes No Sense Anymore” I explored the range of emotional reactions to terrorism. “Gods and Monsters,” which is an ongoing series of portraits of imagined movie characters, pays tribute to my first love—old black-and-white movies. My current and most personal series is about my attitude about aging and is called “65.”
While I exhibit regularly in my studio gallery, I am very proud to be exhibiting in other galleries and at juried exhibitions with greater frequency, given the short period of time since I started my photography endeavors. I sell prints in my studio and at retail outlets and take commission work. I have provided photographs for a blog series, and I am currently working on a commission to provide photographs for the headquarters of a non-profit organization.
I am often told that my photographs have an air of timelessness, and sometimes people comment on a cinematic look. It’s just my personal experience coming to the surface in all the work I do.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have been lucky to meet many people who have been great colleagues, inspiring role models, and unwavering supporters.
Contact Info:
- Address: 1824 Spring Street #229 Houston, Texas 77007
- Website: gwatson4x5.com
- Email: gary@gwatson4x5.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/filmgary/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gwatsonphotographer/
iPhone photo by Rosalind Young
Image Credit:
Gary Watson, Rosalind Young
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