Storming into the Badlands Nature creates a spectacular display across the rugged landscape of South Dakota's otherworldly National Park

James F Carr

Landscape & Nature Photography by

Born in the rolling hills of north central West Virginia, James F Carr was introduced to photography by his grandfather in the early 1980s. As a child—standing on a chair in a garage darkroom—he was awed by the seemingly magical process of developing and printing images. At the age of 8, the gift of a second-hand Kodak 110 camera inspired a love for everyday photography and simple composition that deepened an existing inclination toward art and design.

The emergence of accessible, high-resolution digital photography in the mid 2000s presented an opportunity to reincorporate photography into his creative practice after a long hiatus from the craft. Combining digital editing techniques with architectural and landscape photography, James creates images that are simultaneously naturalistic and an expression of his feeling at the moment of capture.

Over the past ten years, James’s photography and graphic design has been featured in regional, national, and international ad campaigns. Currently, he is exploring opportunities to further pursue his interest in capturing the great works of Nature and humankind in his own unique style.

James at Lake Pend Oreille, Lakeview, ID (Photo by Janice Carr Doyle)

Photography as Philosophy

The act of positioning oneself in an environment, carefully composing an image and clicking the shutter, CAN be deeply spiritual. But while equipment, technical knowledge and preparation are important, special photographs are discovered through the practice of being present. Feel the place, breathe the air, and admire the scene with your own eyes, outside the confines of the viewfinder. The best image will present itself as you let go of the desire for perfection and allow yourself to fall in love with the moment.

Badlands National Park, SD

Humankind is Not Distinct from the Natural World

We exist as part of a larger system that shapes our past, present, and future. Acknowledging and embracing our unique place in Nature allows us to be more fully inspired by the wonders of creation. Likewise, overcoming the compulsion to conquer our surroundings reveals new possibilities to grow in ways that ensure the preservation of both nature and the works humans for generations to come. Photography allows us to document the past—to remember how things once were, but also to provide guidance for the future.

Bank of America Tower, Chicago, IL

Nature is not a thing...it is Everything

All the things we experience are part of the natural world. Some are farther removed from their native state than others, but they all have their origin in Nature. The coal we burn is the remains of great ancient forest. The steel we use to build our skyscrapers is made with the iron produced in the final throes of dying stars. Much of what we create is inspired by the world’s natural wonders—sometimes as hollow copies and, other times, as inspired reinterpretations. Photography allows us to present the world as it is, or , alternatively, as an expression of how it makes us feel in the moment.

Cucumber Falls, Ohiopyle State Park, PA

The World is the Art of Creation

Nature, just like us, is ever-evolving. It is forever in the process of change and renewal. As if a painting that is never quite finished, blowing sands, lapping waves, and creeping glaciers perpetually redraw the landscape. Photographs provide a window into a specific moment, lost forever to the complex machinations of the cosmos. Even within the click of the shutter, an entire universe races forward, never again to return to the same state of being. Every moment is created anew, and the photographer labors to hold on to some of them for just a little while longer.

Lindy Point, Blackwater Falls State Park, WV