Kim James

Kim James was born and raised in San Francisco. At 17 she started her modeling career with John Casablanca’s at Elite New York (where she spent some very colorful evenings at studio 54). She spent her 18th summer living in and working as a fashion model in Paris, with Elite Paris. She was booked by prominent fashion photographer Oliviero Toscani, (best known for his Benetton ads). Among others, she has graced the pages of French Vogue, French Elle, Seventeen magazine and Glamour magazine. Her time as a fashion model, traveling in Europe, exposed her to many different expressions in photography and art. When she came back from Europe she went to work at City M M in San Francisco to become the youngest agent, fashion model developer and talent scout that San Francisco had seen thus far. The creative side of her career was to develope fledgling fashion model, part of that was to set them up with reputable fashion photographers. Kim chose her team of photographers from San Francisco’s best. She stayed at City MM for eight years to run the Woman’s Model Management division. The 10 years she spent in the fashion industry set the foundation for Kim’s visual creative side. She had a lucrative and successful career in the fashion industry, but soon realized the industry was not good for her children. She frequently flew to New York, Miami and LA with a nursing baby in tow to meet with a model or client.
It had always been her dream to live in the mountains. She wanted to bring her children to a beautiful, safe area. That aspiration was met after an extensive interviewing process that included 120 applicants with the Bidwell partnership. Kim and her family moved to Chester fourteen years ago to manage the Bidwell House which they moved on from last year so Kim could pursue her art and photography full time.
Kim has been painting watercolor for seven years and has taken numerous classes and workshops from celebrated, nationally known artists. “I love the way watercolor is alive, it glows, and it moves, it is wide awake. I wanted to learn how to master that movement. After 7 years at the medium I am certain I will never master it in this lifetime. I discover something new each time I sit down and interact with the paint and water.” She also teaches watercolor to elementary school students. Kim has photographed the Lake Almanor Basin since she arrived in October of 1993. “What drives me as a photographer is the emotional world of the subject cascaded in dramatic light. My idea of a beautiful portrait is not the typical faced of a smile. I am looking for a natural, less manufactured type of connection with the camera. To me, the most striking images are usually taken when not posed. When the subject is in their most natural state. I hunt for the intimate, a moment between the subjects, bride and groom, parent and child. I am on the search for an honest emotional connection with the camera and the subject. I believe this creates the most powerful photographs. My experience in front of the camera, working with many great photographers and editing thousands of frames of film over a decade has provided me with the experience to deeply understand that the camera can't lie. My photography style is a calm and enjoyable method seizing the spirit, essence and beauty of my subjects. Whether it's a wedding, engagement photo, intimate maternity portrait, family portraits or children in their natural environment, my style is compassionate, with an emphasis on natural beauty emanating from within. I am a seasoned mother of five and wife as well as the family storyteller and archiver. I know my way around families with a camera. Besides I’m pretty good with a make-up brush and hair brush as well as my watercolor brush.” Please visit Kim's website at : http://www.kimjamesphoto.com/ and http://www.kimjamesfineart.com to view her work.