The Biography of James H. Morris, Fine Art Photographer

For over four decades, James Morris has been a photographer. Since moving to the high desert in 2000, he has worked in his home studio in Redmond, Oregon.

James grew up in Concord, California, about forty miles east of San Francisco. Although he grew up in the same city, his parents constantly moved the family. Saving money on the rent was the goal. He estimates he lived in six houses before entering high school. Moving every few years seemed normal to him. He’s proud to say that he has lived in the same house he is currently in with his wife for over 18 years. The man says he is happy where he is and doesn't intend to move.

According to James, his childhood was nothing special. Most of his time was spent doing "kid stuff," such as sports, riding bikes, and melting things with magnifying glasses. James remembers catching a pile of leaves on fire in his backyard, which quickly got out of control. "Fortunately, leaves burn quickly," he said. Before his parents arrived home from work, James had to clean up the black ashes, and he believed they were never aware of the incident ever happening.

James’s dad used to have an old Polaroid camera. He discovered it one day and played with it for a while. He was ten years old. He recalls this as his first camera experience and how quickly creativity came to him. During his childhood, he and his brother would spend their allowance on film and staging various items creatively.

His first photography class wasn't until high school when he learned how to use a camera and develop his own film. His involvement in the school newspaper as a photographer soon followed.

Several years later, James finally purchased his first professional-grade camera — a 35mm Nikon. From Instamatics and Kodak 110s, it was a fine upgrade.

During the weekends, James would take road trips throughout California, taking pictures of tourist attractions and anything else he found interesting. One day on the California Coast, he ran into a professional photo shoot with a bikini model at Stinson Beach. As he watched them work in the sand and the water, he decided to try his hand at using models in his work. It didn't turn out as well as he had hoped, so he decided to stick with nature and landscapes.

In the 1990s, James suddenly found himself unemployed as a married father with a four-month-old son. To make ends meet, he sold his camera and all its accessories. James would have to wait a decade before he could purchase another camera. It was painful for him to be without a camera at that point due to the scenic beauty of Central Oregon. The scenery, landscapes, and natural beauty were too much for him, so he bought a basic camera with essential accessories.

His mom, who designed and created jewelry, encouraged him to continue working on his craft. She advised him to make use of the creative bug he possessed. That's what he did. James spent a lot of time photographing the beauty he saw, whether it was a landscape, an animal, a person, or an object. It is rare for him to be anywhere without a camera.

As James watched his mother work on her creative projects over the years, he became inspired to do the same, only in his craft. His brother would be there as well, drawing and creating beautiful sketches. Their mom was proud to see both of her sons with the creative bug—James with the visual arts, using photography to express himself, and Steve with his drawings and sketches, showing off his creativity with pens and pencils.

James and his brother often attended craft events with their mom. At this point, James realized he was less proficient with a camera than he had hoped. He saw how other photographers displayed their work and how other photographers also had exceptional prints. This is when James stepped back to the drawing board and learned new skills in lighting, film speed, and how an aperture can make or break a photo.

One day, James was sitting in his office, flipping through a photo album he had created and used as a portfolio. Every time he turned a page, he realized that these photographs, which had previously been well received, were no longer looking as good. They had become pictures—nothing more, nothing less. Emotion was nonexistent. It was as if there were no feeling. In his opinion, no one would be interested in looking at them.

James sat at his computer for over a year, redesigning his old photographs. He was trying to revive them. Changing the settings here and there; changing the color; changing the filters; changing the exposure, he was like Dr. Frankenstein of photography. In addition, he read articles to stimulate his creativity.

James stopped working on his creations one day. He stared at the photograph he had been working on. A smile spread across his face. "I've done it," he said to himself. "I've found the look I've been looking for," he said. "It was colorful, had motion, and felt exactly how I had envisioned it."

Through the use of several filters and color settings, James gives his photographs a distinct look he calls "life."

The updated look was only acceptable to him once he tested it on several other photographs. Although each image needed minor tweaks, each one became a work of art in front of his eyes. They had transformed from simple pictures into fine art photographs. Anyone would be proud to hang it on their walls.

To showcase the updated look to the public, James wanted to ensure it was worthy. He accidentally or intentionally leaked a few photos to gauge how people would react to his updated look. Exactly as he had hoped, the feedback was positive. At that moment, James knew he was ready to share his work with the world.

Trying to market his photographs, James joined the Dry Canyon Arts Association (DCAA) in Redmond, Oregon. He took part in First Friday Art Walk events through this association. During his first show, he sold three prints and several greeting cards.

Because of James' talent and skills in website design and technology, he was quickly offered a position on the Board of Directors with the DCAA. He still sits on the board today.

James hopes to continue his craft and work to create and develop creative looks to manipulate his photographs into fine art pieces. "I want my work to evoke emotion in the viewer," he said. "A woman looked at one of my prints at a show once and immediately cried. The print reminded her of her late husband. I hope that photograph will bring her joy every day for the rest of her life."

According to James, he has received compliments such as "your work gives me goosebumps" and "it's Van Gogh-like." James said he never expected to hear those kinds of compliments about his work. No matter how many compliments James receives, there is still a hole in his heart. He regrets that his mother couldn’t witness his fine art creations. Sadly, she passed away in 2018. His artwork is infused with her spirit, he says.

A small tidbit of information James would like to share is the "Easter egg" he includes in each of his landscapes. "In my photos, I have hidden a small Sasquatch (Bigfoot). Whether it is a walking Bigfoot or a hidden face, it's in there."

You may need a magnifying glass to find the Sasquatch, but he's definitely hiding somewhere in the piece.

In the future, James would like to open his own gallery to display his works and those of other artists in his community.