James Hoy is a trained fine art photographer, musician, and content creator based out of Spokane Washington. Working with available light as well as being tooled up and educated in strobe and flash photography; James expresses himself through still life, portraiture, and people photography and has been exploring breakthroughs in bold paint with light techniques. He attempts to portray his unique view of the world; expressing themes and narratives that touch on the juxtaposition of light and dark, joy and sorrow. James is able to see the beauty in decay, and is keenly aware of the exhilaration as well as the exhaustion man’s technological and cultural achievements. He loves to explore how these advancements contrast with the infinite grandeur of nature and the Universe.
James attempts to balance the philosophy that each image made is a cave painting, depicting an moment in time, a snippet of history and the wonderful musing of Gary Winogrand that we make photographs to see what something will look like when it is photographed.
James loves to apply the concept of the Hero’s Journey; which encourages us to break out of our comfort zones, to all of his projects.
“We have not even to risk the adventure alone
for the heroes of all time have gone before us.
The labyrinth is thoroughly known …
we have only to follow the thread of the hero path.
And where we had thought to find an abomination
we shall find a God.
And where we had thought to slay another
we shall slay ourselves.
Where we had thought to travel outwards
we shall come to the center of our own existence.
And where we had thought to be alone
we shall be with all the world.”
― Joseph Campbell
When not looking through a viewfinder, you can find James rehearsing and preforming with his band The Ordovician, broadening his perspectives through travel, and cultivating his relationships.