I started taking photos when I was little, much like any other kid, with a borrowed camera from my parents and some old flash bulbs. Many of my photographs were unidentifiable, but as I got older I began to craft my style. Watching my father, who always had a Canon AE-1 around his neck, inspired me to become one with lens & film. Film has long since taken its stand in nostalgia for photography and the digital world has come full circle. This does not mean that I don’t miss the anxiety that was associated with waiting for the photos I took and the uncertainty that awaited after they were developed, but there is a sense of art that has been lost.

I did my first senior pictures when I was a freshman in high school. It was for our host sister from Germany. She is a major reason why the hobby took on a whole new meaning for me. It went from there to Weddings and more senior pictures. I did my first wedding in Skokie, Ill at a little Russian Restaurant call Zhivago; many of the people I was photographing did not speak more than a few words of English. It was a great experience and it paved the way for more to come.

I am now 22 with a trained eye and style groomed over time. I am sure that this is only the beginning of what will come. I hope that my photographs will open doors for future opportunities to shoot a little more of myself and my art.

James G. Stokes