My Gallery is now open!
Photography has been a passion for me for over 40 years. It has allowed me to explore the world around me, to develop an understanding of light, and to open doors which otherwise would have been closed. One of the most satisfying experiences in my life so far has been the joy of sharing my love for photography.
I have begun working on a set of large format prints from the Search for Silence portfolio that I am offering in a limited edition. This is the first time I have offered archival, limited edition prints for sale.
I have rescanned the 4×5 negatives and tuned them to be their best. Most are available at the maximum 40×50 inch size but other sizes are available as well. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions about the project or feel you might want to own one of these museum quality archival images.
Gabriola Island
Nine years ago, I had the opportunity to live on Gabriola Island, a jewel in the chain of islands that is 20 minutes from Nanaimo BC. My time on the remote island gave me a lot of time to think and contemplate my life and life choices. I concluded that photography is central to my core philosophy. I have never stopped thinking about light and how it brings things to life.
Portrait Photgraphy
I moved to Victoria, BC, in August 2018, and restarted my career as a professional photographer; the basis of my work at present is portraiture. I can say without reservation that it is enormously satisfying.
My preferred approach to making portraits is based on conversation. A session takes as long as it takes, so I typically only book a single session in one day. I set the camera on a tripod, and do an initial setup. Then we chat, occasionally shifting this way or that in a natural flow. You can see some of the results in my ‘Portraits’ section.
I also offer directed portraits for use as profile pictures on the internet. These are important pictures as they represent the person and often determine whether the viewer engages with their content,
I feel honoured to be given the opportunity to do this work. I enjoy it immensely.
Included are samples from various projects I have worked on, and in some cases, I am still working on. I hope you enjoy them!
I am open for commissions of course and invite you to contact me at james(at)jamesemler.com
Teaching Photography
Teaching has been a rich, rewarding, two-way experience for me as I found that as I shared my knowledge and experience, my students also gave back to me. The pleasure of knowing that I have helped others to achieve their dreams has been very satisfying.
I am pleased to say that I am now teaching again at The Amber Academy here in Sooke. My students are between the ages of 11 and 15. They are wonderful.
Video
Oh, by the way, there is a video behind the above picture. It is titled “The Story Behind the Picture.” This was filmed and produced by Tony Puerzer, a brilliant and talented guy who lives in Nanaimo.