Jim Fitzgerald is a Large and Ultra Large format photographer, camera builder, woodworker, educator and book artist currently living in Vancouver Washington. Jim’s professional career in the stone industry, specialty cement industry and his work in the restoration industry gave him a background and love of natural materials and the ability to work with his hands creatively. Jim’s early interest in photography in the mid-seventies led him on a path that eventually took him to devote all his efforts full time to his love of the art of photography. Jim’s love of the outdoors at an early age started with family camping trips to Yosemite, Sequoia and along the Oregon Coast. Jim has always been inspired by the works of Adams and Weston, was mentored by and assisted Per Volquartz in his workshops at various photographic locations in the Southwest. As a self-educated photographer Jim has always felt it important to absorb as much visual input as possible by studying the works of many photographers. Jim teaches frequent workshops at his home studio and LightBox Photographic in Astoria Oregon and has given talks at photo associations and universities in both Oregon and Washington. Jim was recently added as a co-instructor for the Carbon workshop at the Ansel Adams gallery in Yosemite. Jim dedicated himself to the carbon transfer process in 2007 and has since created, designed, printed, bound and in 2018 published his carbon transfer fine press edition which contains original carbon prints and carbon transfer text. This groundbreaking book Survivors I, documents the Black Oaks in Yosemite Valley and is his tribute to the Oaks, nature and Yosemite Valley. The carbon transfer process suits itself well to the work Jim creates. The unique relief, tonal range, depth of the images along with the archival qualities allow him to make a bold or subtle statement about his love of the process and natural world around him.
