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James Buzzella uses mirrors in his photographs to show stories within stories. He likes that everything can be seen in a different way.
At first, Buzzella might seem like an ordinary family man working full time as a nurse. But behind the scenes, the 36-year-old is an amateur photographer who was recently chosen as a runner-up in Popular Photography & Imaging magazine's national annual photography contest.
But just like in his photographs, there's more to the story.
Buzzella moved to Gainesville from Miami in the early '90s to pursue music. He and two friends formed Wordsworth, a band that played hardcore punk rock music at local bars and clubs that - like the band - no longer exist.
Buzzella supported himself by working at local restaurants, like Leonardo's by the Slice.
It was work and class by day and music by night, and he wanted more.
For his 21st birthday, his mother gave him a camera. A black-and-white photography class at SFCC made it official.
"I fell in love with black-and-white film first," he said.
He paused and squinted, like he was searching for just the right words.
"It's so silent. It takes time and slows it down. It has an elegance to it - a softness. It's timeless," he said.
The first photograph he took for the class was a self-portrait, but you wouldn't know it at a glance.
It's a close-up view of three guitars - so close that you initially just see metal, strings and wood strewn across a piece of fabric. The fabric is dark with bright stars, and in the left corner of the photo, leaning up against a bass guitar, is a mirror.
True to form, there's more than meets the eye. The small circular disk projects a distorted figure. It's Buzzella, and he looks distressed. At the time, he was a brand-new father.
The life of a gig-playing, fast-food-working, hoping-to-make-it-big-someday college student who was also responsible for another tiny life seemed to offer the perfect artistic juxtaposition.
The real world stares back through the daydream.
As band members came and went, Wordsworth became Lazy Slobs, which became Caffeine Crunch. But eventually, the rockers went their separate ways.
Buzzella had a family to take care of, so he became a licensed EMT-paramedic. He now works as an intensive care unit nurse at the North Florida Regional Medical Center.
He may have lost touch with the old band members, but photography has always been a part of his life.
At one time, he had a darkroom set up in his bathroom. Dealing with all the chemicals was difficult, he said.
He said he's switched to a digital camera but doesn't use Adobe Photoshop.
Buzzella received the Popular Photography & Imaging magazine award for a candid shot of his son holding - what else - a mirror.
According to Popular Photography's Web site, thousands of artists submitted photographs, but the organization only chose the standouts.
Buzzella said he took the photo in his yard while playing with his kids. Sequoia is 11, Jasmine is 5 and the star of the photo, Trey, is 4.
"They're my favorite subjects because they're innocent," he said. "They don't pose or anything."
The tightly cropped photo shows Trey's elated face looking back through the reflective orb he's holding in his tiny hands. He's wearing a red Spiderman shirt and is beaming with the kind of wide-open, toothy smile that only 4-year-olds can get away with.
The photograph was published in the magazine along with Buzzella's name and city. He said that's enough of a prize for him.
"I wish I'd won," he said. "But I was happy. It gave me a little more confidence."
His wife, Erin Buzzella, said he is just starting to enter his photos into contests and is extremely humble.
When he won, she said he was nonchalant about showing the award to her.
"He's not into it for the acclaim," she said. "He just loves to do it."
Buzzella brings his camera with him wherever he goes.
"If I see anything inspiring, I shoot it," he said.
Buzzella's priorities are his kids and his full-time job, but he finds ways to bring art into his life. Erin is artistic too, he said. The couple enjoys taking Sequoia, Jasmine and Trey to plays and museums.
Any kind of art - such as theater, dance, photography, poetry, painting or literature - is a way to leave a "signature footprint," Buzzella said.
He and Erin are Jewish, but they both relate to elements of Buddhist philosophy. Photography, in particular, helps Buzzella express the Buddhist teaching of living in the present.
"The only time we have is now," he said. "If you take a photo, even though the moment is gone, it lasts."
Spirituality has become an important part of his life. If he could change one thing, he'd have learned to meditate earlier. Working in the medical field has also made an impact.
"I've seen many people exit this life," he said. "It makes you realize how fragile breath is. At any moment, any one of us could be extinguished."
To center himself physically, Buzzella practices martial arts. He has a red belt in Tae Kwon Do.
With his work, Buzzella's just doing what he does best - enjoying the moment.
"I don't think you should have a goal," he said. "If you restrict yourself, you miss out."
