Thank you for taking the time to look at my photos.
June 1, 2004 is the day that got me started in digital photography. I had a brand new Canon PowerShot G5, and the company I worked for was moving into a new building in downtown Champaign, Illinois. While waiting for everything to arrive, I wandered around for a couple of hours, taking photos of things I had never considered before: reflections in store windows, broken objects, street stickers. It was exciting and inspirational.
The next two years were fun and experimental times on Flickr. It was easy for a random shot of a wall or air conditioner to make Explore. I was lucky enough to have a few photos go to #1, including the one which has become my most popular. Looking back on many of those photos, I can see how poor they are on a technical level, but I didn't care at the time. Seeing groups form around rust and decay, white plastic chairs, abstract urban scenes...wow, who knew?
Since then, I made the switch to DSLR, but overall I found myself taking fewer photos. In 2011 I got back into daily shooting, mostly because of how fun it is to use the Hipstamatic app for the iPhone. (Here's a mosaic of 192 Hipstamatic shots taken in 2011.)
For my older photos, this set is a good place to start .
Showcase
- JoinedMay 2004
Most popular photos
Testimonials
it is always a joie to see one of James' photos on my homepage, in my contacts list... I have been following his stream for a long time, he is the master of details, shadows and color... he has always been good, but over the past year or so his photos have systematically amazed me... the iphone has taken his photograp… Read more
it is always a joie to see one of James' photos on my homepage, in my contacts list... I have been following his stream for a long time, he is the master of details, shadows and color... he has always been good, but over the past year or so his photos have systematically amazed me... the iphone has taken his photography to a whole new level...
Read lessJames' stream is one of the most consistently clever and enjoyable on all of flickr. Not only does he have one of the keenest eyes for detail, but his compositions are flawless.
James' photos are a neverending source of joy and inspiration for me. I'm forever astonished how he finds hidden marvels, colours and patterns in the most unassuming of places. To find beauty in the everyday-mundane is a real skill, and not one that many photographers have managed well. So many of his photos radi… Read more
James' photos are a neverending source of joy and inspiration for me. I'm forever astonished how he finds hidden marvels, colours and patterns in the most unassuming of places. To find beauty in the everyday-mundane is a real skill, and not one that many photographers have managed well. So many of his photos radiate happiness and the fun he has in exploring his surroundings, I never tire of looking at them.
Read lessGreat eye for color in the lost and found.
James has a beautiful ability to see what others cannot. In a small town like Champaign, it's easy to focus on the few big things in the few big areas; James looks at what's under the hood. His camera, through his eye, brings the vivid colors, rich textures and trails of real life to all of us. 'Brilliant' is not overs… Read more
James has a beautiful ability to see what others cannot. In a small town like Champaign, it's easy to focus on the few big things in the few big areas; James looks at what's under the hood. His camera, through his eye, brings the vivid colors, rich textures and trails of real life to all of us. 'Brilliant' is not overstating it.
Read lessJames has a wonderful knack for finding beauty in anything. His photos are always amazing and inspire me to try harder.
A poet of the random, the junky, and the broken.