Garth Francis Photography

09/05/2022

if you missed this performance on J Fallon’s Tonight show, take a listen.

Musical guest Norah Jones performs "Don’t Know Why" for The Tonight Show.The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. Stream now on Peacock: https://bit.ly/3gZJa...

26/05/2021

I said I'd drive my 2004 RX330 until the wheels fell off. Came close. A guy in my Publix parking lot stopped to be sure I knew that my rear wheels were tilted out and "you should get that checked." I knew it was the struts and found the cost was prohibitive. My 17 yr-old was so behind in safety features that if I died in a crash I'd have been so pi**ed because the newer ones could actually keep me from perhaps back-ending a fuel tanker. So I started shopping. I picked three used models online and off I went to check them out. Mike Diaz was eager to help me and looked up my first pick - sold. Oh well, number two, sold also. My third choice was sold as well. I asked him if he had any suggestions fitting the criteria I had from my three picks and he said sure and started clicking away on the keys and scrolling away on the computer. He squinted and mumbled and I could sense he was not seeing much. He looked up and said "It's pretty slim pickins." I said, "Anything?" "Let's go look," he said, grabbing a stack of cards and heading toward the big glass doors. The first row wasn't much of what I wanted they were either the wrong model or too new and expensive. Then we saw this one white one that had just come in that morning and compared it to another dark gray one that I really liked the color but he boasted the white one because it had the "Nav package" and that's what you want, said he. You see you got the enhanced interior, audio this and you got that, pretty much all the bells and I don't know what this whistle does. I said I wanted it. He said Lexus developed the pearl-like paint that just glistened in the morning light. It had a depth to it I've never seen in white before. So to the counter we went - with the sales girls and guys who were literally pulling keys and contracts as desk workers around the room were taking orders both online and over the phone. I started getting nervous and said let's get the key now. "They can't sell it if we have the key can they?" Mike looked at a salesclerk and she said, "No, we can't sell it if you have the code on the fob and physically have the key." "Great", I said to Mike, "grab it." We headed for his desk and It was just signing the agreement. There was no haggling. If I didn't buy it right then for that price, someone would literally buy it for that price a minute later. So after all was crossed and dotted I have to tell you this is an amazing machine. When you approach it when parked at night, the door handles gradually come to glow little sounds can be heard just preparing for your entry. You touch the button and the seat, steering wheel and mirrors all adjust to your custom settings - the engine starts without fault. In the initial setup you read three paragraphs to the voice recognition system and from then on you can use a button on the steering wheel to activate a Siri or Alexa-like voice command system that controls virtually everything on the dashboard. So I'll say "Play The Road by Jackson Brown - 70 degrees. It has a mouse to navigate the large navigation screen is surprisingly easy to use while driving. A/C seats! I use cruise control because I have to. I found myself doing 75 on 41 on the stretch south of Gladiolous. Seemed like 45, maybe 50 tops - nope. Cruise control. I raised some eyebrows from my neighbors when I pulled her into my driveway. I was quick to say it was a 2017 with 34,000 on it. It does look and smell like new. I know what the new ones go for and I can't have my neighbors thinking I can shell that much out for a car! Michael Diaz, from Scanlon Lexus, did a great job training me how to use most of the features of the car. An interesting note: He's an ordained minister! A car salesman / ordained minister is a semi oxymoron. He was fair and cut through the crap in the best way possible. Thank you Michael for finding the last one left that fit just right! PHOTO: Me and my baby (RX350) at Bunche Beach sometime after dark.

15/05/2021

She started to adjust her blouse straps and just kept moving and turning. Her hair was honey blonde and looked so soft. I watched and shot, moved over to clean up the background and then at the one moment when something went just right I felt the click you know how you do. Pretty sexy, huh?

07/04/2021

We've all been to recitals. Little Suzie's been practicing cello for months and is ready perform and her parents are about to evaluate their ROI. I photographed this one for Jay and Kay Pianos, and their Fort Myers School of Music. This was the 2021 Winter Recital at Royal Palm Square, you know, the place that used to really be cool until they built the flyover and we hop it gets really cool again? Well, the recital had the usual suspects: the pianist, violinist, singers, (in full masks,) guitarists and others. They played the expected classical music and all was sedate. Gentle clapping crackled as each participant bowed. Then there was a young gentleman that stepped onto the stage, plugged in a hardwood electric guitar, flipped his head and hair to the side as he chinned up to the audience. His head slowly bowed down as his right pick handlsdkkk rose deliberately to the six string and he paused. From the next moment on he ripped through a medley of Jimi Hendrix, Stevie Ray Vaughan, Metallica, and others without flaw. I mean he was on fire! His fret fingers were a blur as they floated up and down the neck. The final note ended but the note echoed off - the audience all clapped, even cheered. It was truly a fast hardball after getting softball pitches underhanded all evening. I just got a kick out of it.