At an early age, James picked up a camera and began photographing fires and accident scenes, and got his start as the department photographer for his local fire department over thirty five years ago. Self taught, he also began freelancing at weddings and other events and after obtaining a college degree, he opened his own photofinishing business and later added a portrait studio in his hometown west of St Louis. Within a few years, in addition to establishing a successful photo lab in the area, he became known as a go-to guy for commercial glamour poster and calendar work, combining stunning male and female models with sleek and sexy motorcycles, jet skiis, antique cars and trucks, and fire engines. He was known for combining great lighting with scenic backdrops and locations, creating beautiful works of art in his images.
As his business grew, his list of clients and models expanded, and his travels took him to many scenic locations for shoots and other hobbies such as rock and mineral collecting, his love for steam trains and beautiful landscapes, waterfalls, sunsets, and old buildings and barns.
He created a line of poster work that included one calendar line during the mid nineties, called Raging Sensations. The poster line still thrives at http://www.RagingSensations.com with a fire service theme and includes male and female models, some of whom are actual firefighters across the country.
His own take of things — ” I`ve never had any formal art training but always had a love of art and the human form within it…I like to work with natural models, raw and untamed talent, as opposed to the stiff and formal trained professional models who are usually only in it for the money…my models have more fun and like to show off what God has given them, and what they have worked to maintain build and physique wise. I like to work with various types of lighting, usually working in natural light, but also modifying natural and manmade lighting to create beautiful works of art. I love working in beautiful locations as well as inside an old building or windowlight, or even my studio and a favorite background, of which I have many.
I still love to travel to pretty places to create beautiful works of art, with and without models, and when time permits I also combine my trips to include my hobbies of hiking with my dog, collecting rocks and minerals, and visiting with family and friends across the country. Over the years, God has blessed my life with safe travels and enriched my life with many friends and a great family.