MEET YOUR HOST

MIKE TABBERT

HUSBAND | PHOTOGRAPHER
COFFEE LOVER | PUPPY DAD

MY SMALL TOWN STORY

There is something special about living in a corn field and the pace of life that comes with it.

I grew up in a small town and they have always had a special spot in my heart. For the longest time it was just a spot. I was a city guy. I like the hustle and bustle, the noise, the 24 hours, the coffee…but in 2018 I took a road trip from Houston, TX to Orchard, NE and told the GPS no freeways and no toll roads. It took me on two lane roads through towns that had seen their prime come and go. Then I got to my hometown and began to wonder what I could do to help.

After getting back to Houston I sat down with Brian and we decided to see if moving to rural Nebraska was even possible. His job allows him to work remotely and in just a couple months we had found a new home in Ewing, sold our house in Houston and started a very big remodel project that we are still not 100% completed with today.

PHOTOGRAPHY

I believe that photographs are priceless and that they document our lives.

WHAT BRINGS ME JOY

I enjoy reading or should I say listening to books. I like a healthy mix of biographies, there is something special about a person telling their stories in their own words (starting to see a pattern here). I am a part time photographer; I enjoy all types of photography from family portraits to scenic views. And camping, one of my favorite getaways is jumping in the car with a tent and a few provisions and heading out to explore the area.

I FELL IN LOVE WITH
PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE DARKROOM

I still remember the first time I developed a black and white photograph. The ritual of setting everything up, the counting seconds while the paper was being exposed, placing the exposed paper in the developer and then the magic…watching the photograph appear from the white paper to a work of art.

Over the years my tools have changed but my passion has not. I have traded my 35mm for a DSLR and an iPhone. My darkroom has changed from an enlarger and chemicals to a MacBook and some amazing software—but the magic, the magic of photography has never left me.