From Light to Emulsion - to the digital era.

I started out with a Pentax k-1000 and some black and white film. I developed my own prints in a high school dark room. A family member gave me a Pentax Plus- which I still have and use today. Currently, most of what I do is EOS Canon digital, but some of these below are 35mm film. Can you tell the difference? Some say look at how far we have come with digital photography. It no longer takes a genius to operate a camera- allowing millions to own and opperate with ease.  SLRs have become much more easy to use in the last few years and have come down in price. People mention ISO/ASA or shutter speed and have no idea what you are talking about. All these things are now just lingo for those who still remember the good ole days- when good film was hard to find and photography was a life style. Not to say that this no longer exists, but it is rare- maybe making it all the more important to hold on to a little of the past. 

Little Bit of Everything

Quick Glance: Portrait taken by Cameron Frost - LA

Life in Black and White

Just the Beginning

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