Through A Different Lens

Carla and Al on one of their many trips together.

By Ava Swearingen, student writer

A picture is worth a thousand words, capturing a lifetime of memories. No one knows this more keenly than Carla Fowler. Her husband, Al Fowler, was deeply involved in the Searcy community for many years. He was interested in everything happening around the city, and his passion was made apparent through his photography. 

Al initially developed an interest in photography through observing and talking with his father-in-law, who was a photographer. It wasn’t until his children were in school, however, that Al truly dove into photography. This hobby continued throughout the years of raising his children and beyond. Eventually, Al’s camera became a part of him, and he rarely went anywhere without it.

Al and his camera became a fixture at events, both large and small,  throughout Searcy. As much as he loved taking photos, he loved sharing them even more. He frequently posted them to his personal social media accounts, and many locals commented that Al’s Facebook page was their primary way of keeping up with what was happening in their community.

Most of all, Al loved photographing nature. “I think he saw God’s world through the lens more than anything else,” Carla Fowler said.

By the time Carla met him, Al was well into his photography journey. The two got to know each other later in life when their paths crossed at work. After that initial meeting, they just kept running into each other. Eventually, one thing led to another, and they married in 2008.

The Fowlers’ marriage was a fun one. They spent their retirement years traveling together, taking in the beauty of God’s creation that they both adored. Of course, Al brought his camera along on every trip and shared the photos afterward so others could virtually experience their adventures, too.

When they were in Searcy, Carla would accompany Al to various events, occasionally becoming something of a director for his photography. She would spot something beautiful and point it out, telling Al what a pretty picture it would make, and he’d take it. Some of Carla’s fondest memories include working with Al, posing photos “just right” for him.

The Fowlers were inseparable, which made Al’s sudden passing in February 2025 all the more difficult. His death marked the beginning of an ongoing journey through monumental grief for Carla. 

As she navigated this new version of her life, Carla kept coming back to photography. Reminders of her husband were everywhere: in the sunsets Al took photos of every night, in the many friends who said they missed seeing him around the city with a camera in hand, and in the several high-quality cameras still sitting in their home.

It was this collection of cameras that ultimately inspired a change for Carla. More than a year after Al’s passing, she decided it was time to tackle sorting through the photography equipment he had left behind. Among the equipment was a fairly new mirrorless camera. 

“Here, I had this great camera,” Carla said, “and I just thought that it was time. Maybe I need to do something with it.”

Carla had never explored the ins and outs of taking quality photographs with a camera, but she found herself wanting to learn. She felt that using her husband’s camera would honor him and keep him close. So, she signed up to audit campus photographer Jeff Montgomery’s introductory-level course at the University.

Now, halfway through the semester, Carla is finding genuine joy in learning about the art about which her husband was so passionate. The technology has been the biggest learning curve, but mostly, she is just having fun with it. “I’m doing it for me,” Carla says. “And I’m enjoying it, especially when I get a good picture. But I know Al would be proud of me. It’s good to do something that he liked.”

As Carla develops her own photography skills, she has discovered that she sees things differently when she is behind the camera. Part of that perspective comes from the lower stress of auditing the course rather than being a full-time student, but much of her out-of-the-box thinking comes from living a full life and knowing the importance of a photograph.

“There were so many times I would say, ‘Al, put the camera down and just look at it for five seconds.’ But now, I’ve got 17 years of beautiful memories,” Carla recounts in reference to all the pictures Al took over the years. “I’m glad he took those pictures.” 

Carla has already made significant strides in her photography skills during the course. One of her goals for the semester was to have one of her photos appear in a newspaper. So far, she’s already had three published, with one photo even making the front page of the White County Citizen.

As she looks ahead to the remainder of the semester, Carla quips that she “just want(s) to get a good grade”. More than anything, though, she is eager to keep practicing, basking in the reward of learning to love something new while still growing in that old, familiar love.