I once drove six hours to a location, sat in fog for two days, and came home with one shot.

It became my best-selling print. That pretty much sums up landscape photography — and my personality.

I’m James, 45, based in Bend, Oregon. I grew up in Montana, spent my childhood hiking, camping, and exploring. I never really stopped. I’m self-taught as a photographer, though some workshops from landscape legends early in my career completely changed how I see light. I’ve been doing this full-time for 20 years now — selling prints, running workshops, and writing about the philosophy of slowing down with a camera.

A mentor once told me, “the mountain doesn’t care about your schedule.” That advice has shaped everything I do behind the camera. I think most photographers rush too much. My whole approach is about patience — waiting for the light, letting the landscape come to you, trusting that the shot will happen when it’s ready. I still shoot film occasionally because it forces me to think before pressing the shutter. I refuse to use auto mode on anything.

I’ve been married 18 years to someone who long ago accepted my lucky hat — the one I wear on every shoot without exception. My three teenagers think I’m crazy for standing in freezing rivers at dawn, but they secretly love coming along. Our border collie Shutter is usually right there with us. I wake up at 4am without an alarm and always have. A photographer named Sarah Nakamura joined one of my photo walks last year and kept up better than most — even in that freezing river.

If you love the outdoors and want to make images that do justice to the landscapes you experience, you’re in the right place.

Want to get in touch? Drop me a line at james@photosolutions.co.