James Brew
www.jamesbrew.com @jamesbrewphoto
Iwas born on the Isle of Man and have lived here my entire life. My father's side of the family are Manx, whereas my mother's side of the family are Scottish. I currently live near the village of Andreas in the north.
My photographic journey began in 2006 with my first camera, a Fuji Finepix E900, specifically purchased for a trip to South Africa. I was utterly clueless about photography and any place beyond the shores of my home island. That trip ignited a passion for both photography and travel, which has sculpted my life ever since.
When I started, I was driven by a desire to document and record my travel experiences. Now my motivations are anchored in spending time outdoors and connecting with nature.
Silly as it sounds, the hardest challenge is walking out the front door, often into uncomfortable and unpleasant weather conditions. Quite simply, the more I walk out through my front door with my photography bag the greater quantity and quality of photos I capture.
Most of my images are pre-planned and visualized before they are captured, which means that a lot of hard work goes into the preparation to make them happen. It is rare that I will go anywhere without at least a rough idea of what I am trying to achieve beforehand. I believe that the drive to find new vantage points on well-known locations, exploit unconventional environmental conditions, and discover brand new landscapes instills some element of uniqueness into my portfolio.
These days we are bombarded with imagery 24-7 - to the point that it is easy to become totally desensitized to incredible landscape imagery. Photos that stop me in my tracks, elicit some sort of emotion, and get me pondering questions about the subject are the signs of a good photograph.
My photography in recent years has become focused on the landscapes of the Isle of Man. I have grown to appreciate that returning to locations multiple times across the seasons, in different weather and lighting conditions, cultivates a deeper connection to these places, which translates into better photos. So, I have very much become a strong advocate for local photography. With growing environmental crises escalating on multiple fronts, I also believe that local shooting is the most ethical and sustainable approach to landscape photography.
What I find most inspiring about the Isle of Man is that within a relatively small area it offers a plethora of distinctive and different landscapes that haven't been well photographed. The feeling of pioneering new ground is incredibly rewarding.