Jim Hoyle (USA)

I am an art photographer based in Greensboro, NC. Inspired by a wide variety of subjects, I shoot scenics, still-life and nudes. I don’t shoot professionally or accept commissions. My work exists solely for the joy of creating it. I have used the camera as a means of self-expression for many years. It started when I was a kid during summer visits to my grandmother who worked in a camera store. She would load up a camera with film and send me out on the streets. Upon return I would wait, expectantly, for the film to be processed. I still remember the thrill of seeing those early prints. Eventually, I started processing and printing my own work. There is nothing like watching an image slowly appear onto a blank sheet of paper. I have worked in all formats from 35mm to 4″x5″ field cameras and maintained a well-equiped darkroom in my home for many years. I miss the dark, aromatic solitude that was required to produce a print. It was easy to let time slip by unnoticed while working in the darkroom. But, now I work with digital cameras and process the images using Photoshop. I welcome the creative possibilities that digital image processing provides but I still think it is important to capture the image in the camera. No matter what, the composition has to be strong. No amount of digital manipulation can turn a bad composition into a great print.