Remembering Shawn Garcia

I just learned that my friend, Shawn Garcia, passed away yesterday, and I wanted to take a moment to remember him. Shawn was a yo-yoer and photographer based in El Paso, Texas. He had a wife and a loving family, and within the yo-yo community, he was best known for his incredible photography — which he shared as @yotoyimages on Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. He had an amazing imagination and a real gift for capturing yo-yos in ways no one else could. I was a huge fan of his exploded-view photos, where every part of the yo-yo seemed to hover in midair. Shawn inspired a lot of people, myself included. I was lucky to collaborate with him a few times, including on a yo-yo we made together called the Shawn Exploder. But what I’ll remember most is his creativity, his kindness, and his love for this little community we’re all part of. We’ll miss him deeply. A few years back, I asked Shawn to share some behind the scenes footage from one of his yo-yo shoots. I’m really glad I did, it’s g