ABOUT JAMES

After graduating from college in 2000 with an English degree, I set out to explore Japan, Thailand and Cambodia and to try my hand at travel writing. Soon I realized though that the photos I was taking were capturing a far more nuanced and intriguing picture of my surroundings than my words were capable of. Shortly afterwards, I returned to Southeast Asia again, this time as a photographer for CARE Int'l, USAID, World Vision, Save the Children and a number of other smaller relief and development organizations. Currently I'm based out of the Bay Area where I work on editorial assignments for local and national publications, shoot commercial/corporate photography, still shoot for every non-profit and charity I have a chance to work with, and am always working on some gallery project as well. And traveling every chance I get. I've found that I need to have at least three projects going on at once to keep my momentum.

Whether it is the daily routines of a rice farmer in Cambodia or a duck-stamp painter in Virginia, what I love about photography is immersing myself in new worlds and trying to capture their essence and idiosyncracies. I bring enthusiasm and curiosity to each story - capturing the mood of a setting, getting honest and revealing portraits of the characters, and finding the details that make it all come to life.