Decades ago, photographer Vance Gellert was at a loss, desperately trying to overcome his sense of confusion about being a first-time dad and the primary parent until he turned his camera on himself and infant son Carl as they sat in front of the television. He liked the result but enhanced the image with vibrant colors and playful energy, pushing boundaries to express the whirlwind of emotions coursing through him. Thus began his magnificent and innovative photographic portrayal of a father and son's relationship and their journey together, from infancy through early adolescence.

Home was the first studio, with plenty of inspiration from Carl's rapid development and the link of television with the outside world. As Carl began venturing into the world, the home became too restrictive, so and the project was moved into Gellert's professional studio, where everyday and world events could be created. Their artistic collaboration evolved from a traditional father-son hierarchy into a joyful partnership, father and son inspiring the other as their imaginations soared. The evolution created CarlVision--from the inner world of television to the expansive visions inspired by Carl--feelings both uplifting and challenging, reflective of life.

At a time when one in four American children live in a home without a father present, compared to only one in twenty without their mother at home, Gellert sensed that there is a whole generation of fathers who might need and appreciate a book such as CarlVision. Not a how-to guide to parenting but a creative and heartfelt book that reassures fathers and mothers that they are not alone as they look at their infant son or daughter and watch them grow up until it's time for their kids to leave the proverbial nest. As Gellert writes in his introduction: "They should not be fearful of uncertainty or feel that the whole thing called parenting is out of their control." CarlVision is meant to be a gift that shows the joyful yet unpredictable ride that parenting can be.