Paul Christopher James
Photographic Workshop Instructor

Artist's Statement

Light is both the photographer's palette and brush. Harnessing available light is a skill learned through the study of technical theory and then applying it in the field. My goal as a photographer is to search out the images that interest me artistically, and upon finding the essence of a particular place, using composition and light to enhance the images. The Old World and New World have much to offer me as a photographer. From a sunrise in Tuscany, Italy, to a sunset on Mackinac Island, Michigan, there is much beauty in the world. All one has to do is look.

Creative Process

My images are captured on a 6x7 cm or 4x5 inch film. I photograph most images with either: color, black and white, or transparency film. The next step in my artistic endeavor is taking the image into my dark room, which is a 400 sq. ft. building adjacent to my home. There they are each burned, dodged, adjusted for density, color balanced and then printed, making each unique and original. As my artistic mood and expression changes, so will the image. Out in the milk house, part of the 6,000 sq ft barn, next to my home, is where I cut and join all the frames used for my photographs. In the lower level of my home, dry mounting, mat cutting and assembly take place. My dream is to convert the barn over the next few years into gallery/studio, work and living space.

Awards

  • Wayne County Artist of Distinction, Photography, Wayne County Council for Arts, Detroit, MI.
  • First Place, Photography, St. Clair Art Fair, St. Clair, MI
  • First Place, Photography, Art Birmingham, Birmingham, MI
  • Second Place, Fine Arts, Lexington Fine Arts Fair, Lexington, MI
  • Third Place, Photography, Crosby Festival of the Arts, Toledo, Ohio
  • Honorable Mention, Fine Art at Meadow Brook, Rochester, MI
  • Purchase Award, Round the Fountain Art Fair, Lafayette, IN
  • Honorable Mention, Algonac Art Fair, Algonac, MI
  • Honorable Mention, Mt. Clemens Art Fair, Mt. Clemens, MI

Commissions

  • State of Michigan - Michigan State Fair
  • Gallagher and Kaiser Corporation
  • College Fields Golf Course
  • Wolverine Technologies for Architectural Photography

Education

  • Marquette University, Milwaukee, WI - Liberal Arts
  • College for Creative Studies, Detroit, MI - Photography

Contact

Contact Paul if you have any questions.