The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera - Dorothea Lange

Don James is a creator of abstract photographic images. He finds inspiration in natural, industrial, and urban environments. His subjects are visible to everyone, but truly seen by few. They are pieces of man-made structures, details of common objects, or short-lived fragments of nature that are continuously sculpted by the elements.

His work has been influenced by the abstract photographs of Brett Weston, Aaron Siskind, and William Garnett, as well as images by Precisionist painters and photographers of the early twentieth century.

His current workflow is digital; however, all of his finished works are from single exposures, with editing limited to techniques that are similar to what he used in his darkroom. His prints are made on traditional silver-based photographic paper.

His goal as an artist is to not only improve his own ability to see, but to encourage viewers of his photographs to set aside their daily distractions and truly look at the world around them.

Don received his Bachelor’s degree from Cornell University, and a Masters degree from Loyola in Baltimore. He lives in Westminster, Maryland.

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