Born in Peoria, Illinois. After his parents' divorce, he was raised by a grandmother in Denver, Colo. He started his film career in 1916, directly after high school, as a painter's assistant and property boy at the Thomas H. Ince Studios. Later that year Garmes became assistant cameraman, and through 1923 he worked on numerous comedy shorts and occasional features. In 1924 he became a lighting cameraman and soon distinguished himself as a creative cinematographer. In the late 20s he pioneered in the use of atmospheric photography, experimenting with the "Rembrandtian" north light, which called for highlighting significant detail while keeping the rest of a scene in low key. He was also among the first to use bare Mazda bulbs to light a whole set and helped devise the first crab dolly. From the mid-30s he occasionally ventured into producing and directing. He also did much of the physical directing on the films of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, receiving screen credit as associate director. He did not receive screen credit for GONE WITH THE WIND (1939), although he photographed the first third of the film. Garmes was at his best with black and white but also did creditable color work. Notable non-nominated credits after the silent era include DISRAELI (1929), WHOOPEE! (1930), DISHONORED, AN AMERICAN TRAGEDY and CITY STREETS (all 1931), SCARFACE and SMILIN' THROUGH (both 1932), JUNGLE BOOK (1942), DUEL IN THE SUN and THE SECRET LIFE OF WALTER MITTY (both 1946), THE PARADINE CASE (1947), MY FOOLISH HEART (1949), DETECTIVE STORY (1951), LADY IN A CAGE (1964), A BIG HAND FOR THE LITTLE LADY (1966) and his last film, HOW TO SAVE A MARRIAGE (AND RUIN YOUR LIFE) (1968). Garmes directed DER TRÄMENDE MUND / DREAMING LIPS (1932), THE SKY'S THE LIMIT (1938), ANGELS OVER BROADWAY (1940), ACTORS AND SIN (1952) and HANNAH LEE (1953). He produced THE LILAC DOMINO and BEYOND TOMORROW (both 1940), SPECTER OF THE ROSE (1946, assoc. producer) and SHAME, SHAME ON THE BIXBY BOYS (1978, uncredited producer). He was at one time married to actress Ruth Hall.  Nominated for Cinematography 1930-31: MOROCCO  Cinematography 1931-32: SHANGHAI EXPRESS  Nominated for Cinematography (Black & White) 1944: SINCE YOU WENT AWAY  Nominated for Cinematography (Color) 1959: THE BIG FISHERMAN 4 nominations, 1 Award