Artist's Statement

I do not photograph landscapes to capture what they look like; I photograph them to document what they feel like in the moments most of the world sleeps through. For over 15 years, my work has been an obsession with the fleeting intersection of light, geology, and time.

True fine art cannot be created from the roadside. My process is physical and demanding. Whether I am hiking 18 miles along the Oregon Coast or hauling a 40lb pack of gear deep into the Tetons, I work slowly and deliberately. I strictly avoid the modern trend of 'composite' digital art. No generative AI is ever used. What you see in my prints is what existed in nature, witnessed by human eyes, not generated by an algorithm.

My connection to the American West is not just artistic; it is ancestral. My Great-Great Grandfather, Dr. Elwood Mead, was the Commissioner of the Bureau of Reclamation: the visionary who oversaw the Hoover Dam and for whom Lake Mead is named. While he shaped the landscape, my family was forged by it. My grandfather hunted the Brooks Range of Alaska, and my mother was raised in the rugged wilds of the Olympic Peninsula and Ketchikan. They taught me grit. But it was my father who gave me the vision. He filled my childhood with stories of Ansel Adams and the granite cathedrals of Yosemite. As we hiked the Columbia Gorge together, he would look east toward the Tetons and tell me, "If Heaven's not like Jackson Hole, I don't want to go."

Born in Oregon, I have spent 46 years immersed in this frontier. From those early footsteps in the Gorge, to my childhood memories on the Oregon Coast and the slopes of Mount Hood, to my years charting the backcountry of Yosemite and the American West, my life has been defined by the outdoors. When I stand before these scenes, I am not just taking a picture; I am preserving a fragment of the wild for the future.

A photograph is not finished until it is a tangible object. I partner with the world's finest printmakers to produce Museum-Quality Limited Editions using Lumachrome Trulife Acrylic and archival papers. These are not just posters; they are investment-grade art pieces designed to last generations, signed and certified by my hand.

Thank you for joining me in the quiet hours.

James Mead

The Single Exposure Movement: Founding a Standard

Long before "Nightscapes" became a trend, I was pushing the limits of the Canon 5D sensor. In 2011, years before Milky Way photography went mainstream and long before the industry moved toward trackers and complex composites, I was capturing the night sky professionally as a single, in-camera moment.

In 2020, I saw a shift in the community that didn't sit well with me. As technical gear like star trackers became the standard, I watched new photographers get shamed for the simple, honest act of taking a single exposure. I founded the Single Exposure Milky Way (SEMW) community on Facebook to protect and preserve this art form.

Today, with over 28,000 members and growing, we continue to prove that the most powerful images are the ones captured in a single, un-falsified moment. When you collect a James Mead fine art print, you are collecting a document of reality. No sky-swaps. No trackers. Just the optical truth.

Contact Information

• [email protected]
• (503) 776-0646

James Mead Photography
PO Box 513
Lake Oswego, OR 97034

What's in my main camera bag?

I am frequently asked by people what gear and equipment I normally use. Below is a lot of the gear and equipment you'll often find me using.

Camera Body

• Canon EOS R5
• Canon EOS 5D MKIII
• Canon BG11 Battery Grip
• Kirk Industries BL-R5 L Bracket (for R5)
• Kirk Industries BL-5D3G L Bracket (for 5DMKIII with battery grip)
• Kirk Industries BL-5D3 L Bracket (for 5DMKIII without battery grip)
• Canon EOS Elan 7E + Fuji Velva 50 (35mm SLR film camera + film)
• Manfrotto 200PL-Pro Acra Plate (for film and backup camera bodies)
• Really Right Stuff (RRS) B600D L Bracket (for 35mm SLR body)

Lenses

• Canon RF 10-20mm f/4 L IS STM
• Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8 L
• Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8 L II USM
• Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM
• Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS II USM w/ Kirk Industries LP-41 Lens Plate
• Canon EF Extender EF 2X III
• Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R (EF-RF Adapter w/ control ring)

Tripods

• Gitzo Mountaineer GT2532 Carbon Fiber Tripod, 3 section series 2 (main tripod)
• Manfrotto MHXPRO-3W 3-Way Pan/Tilt Head w/ Acra-Swiss type clamp conversion
• Kirk Industries QR-AB1QR Arca-Swiss type clamp conversion adapter (main tripod head)
• Kirk Industries LRP-1 Long Rail Plate (Nodal Rail)
• Fotopro X-AIRCROSS 3 Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod with FPH-42QR Ball Head (Slate Gray)
(compact ultra lightweight travel tripod, 2.07 lbs/0.94 kg)
• Vanguard VEO 2 265CB Carbon Fiber Tripod w/ VEO 2 BH-50 Ball Head (compact lightweight travel tripod, 2.9 lbs/1.31 kg)
• Manfrotto Aluminum Video Tripod w/ Video Head

Remote Releases

• Canon RS-80N3 Remote Release (x2)
• Canon RS-60E3 Remote Release (for film camera)

Camera Bags

• Lowepro Vertex 200 AW (main bag)
• Lowepro Pro Runner 200 (lightweight bag)
• Think Tank Photo Turnstyle 10 V2.0, Canon Professional Services edition (Sling Bag)

Filters

• Hoya NXT HMC UV 77 (for when using film)
• Hoya NXT HMC UV 82 (for when using film)
• Hoya NXT CIR-PL 77
• Hoya HD2 CIR-PL 82
• Hoya HMC ND8 77
• Hoya HMC ND8 82
• Hoya PROND 1000X 77
• Hoya PROND 1000X 82
• Kase Variable ND & CPL 82 (1.5-8 Stops)
• Manfrotto Xume Quick Release Filter Adapter System 77
• Manfrotto Xume Quick Release Filter Adapter System 82
• DLC 77-82mm Step-Up Ring
• Custom 77mm Baader Planetarium AstroSolar Safety Film Metal Ringed Solar Filter

Custom 15-Piece Lens and Camera Cleaning Kit

• Travel Carrying Case (600D Oxford fabric, waterproof)
• James Mead Photography Professional Lens Cleaning Solution
• Giottos Rocket Air Blaster Large Dust-Removal Tool (AA1900)
• Nikon Microfiber Cleaning Cloth - Large 10x10 (Gray, Black Pouch)
• Seven Mircofiber Cleaning Cloths (Various Sizes)
• Nikon LensPen Lens Cleaning Pen and Brush
• LensPen MiniPro (compact lens cleaner) Lens Cleaning Pen and Brush
• Dot Line Retractable Lipstick-Style Cleaning Brush w/ Plastic Case
• InstaClears Pre-Moistened Lens Towelettes

Accessories

• SenseiPro Rubberized Metal Filter Wrenches (x2, For 72mm-82mm Filters, FWM-7282)
• Think Tank Photo Emergency Rain Cover (Small)
• Think Tank Photo Emergency Rain Cover (Medium)
• Multiple SanDisk, Kingston and PNY memory cards ranging from 32GB to 128GB
• Five spare Canon LP-E6N/LP-E6NH batteries
• Canon BGM-E11A battery magazine (backup magazine for 5DMKIII) with six 2700mAh Lenmar NiMi Batteries
• Canon Speedlite 430EX II w/ 4 Eneloop NiMi Batteries
• Gaffers Tape (used for locking focus and focal length during night photography)
• Vello White Balance Card Set w/ carrying bag (Black Card, White Card, 18% Gray Card, Large, 9.9" x 7.9")
• Lightdow 12x12 inch Matte White Balance 18% Gray Reference Reflector Grey Card w/ carrying bag (collapsible and compact for easy carrying)
• Vello Three-Axis Hot-Shoe Bubble Level
• Two-Axis Hot-Shoe Bubble Level (x2)
• Low Profile Single-Axis Hot-Shoe Bubble Level - Bull's Eye Style (x2)
• USB Lens Heater (w/ Temperature Regulator, 7w, 2 inch wide. Keeps lens from fogging up during night photography)
• Ulanzi ST-10 Metal Hotshoe Mount
• Hohem iSteady Mobile+ 3-axis Gimbal Stabilizer
• Canon Professional Services Padded Camera Strap

Lighting

• Two Ulanzi L2 Bi Color COB Video Light Cubes with diffuser and accessories (magnetic and tripod mount)
• Ulanzi Cute Lite Waterproof LED Video Light with diffuser and accessories (IP68 rated)
• Ulanzi L2 RGB COB Video Light with diffuser and accessories (magnetic and tripod mount)
• Fourteen (14) LED Tea Lights
• Two Fenix PD35 Flashlights w/ 18650 batteries (IPX-8 Waterproof, Underwater continuous immersion 2 meters)
• Fenix UC40E Flashlight (IPX-8 Waterproof, Underwater continuous immersion 2 meters)
• Fenix TK75 Flashlight (IPX-8 Waterproof, Underwater continuous immersion 2 meters)
• Black Diamond Storm Headlamp w/ Red Night Vision Mode (IPX-7 Waterproof, Underwater immersion 1 meter for 30 minutes)
• Duracell LED Headlamp (550 lumen adjustable output, 30° - 220° adjustable beam width)
• LED Flashlight Gloves
• LED Beanie Cap (USB Rechargeable)
• Neewer 5600K Dimmable LED Video Light w/ Tripod Stand and Filters (x2)

Misc

• Burnton TruArc 3 Compass
• Suunto A-10 Compass
• Survival Kit and First Aid Kit
• Think Tank Photo Cable Management 10 V2.0 Carrying Case (for organizing flashlights, headlamps or other accessories in camera bag)
• Think Tank Photo Red Whips Bungie Cable Ties V2.0
• Lion Energy Prowler Portable USB Power Bank
• Cobra Trailblazer 450 GMRS Two-Way Radios
• Multiple Battery Chargers: Canon LC-E6 battery charger x2, Fenix ARE-C1 18650 battery charger, Sanyo NiMH battery charger, Panasonic NiMH battery charger
• Gaia GPS Premium
• Trails Illustrated and other physical maps of trails and locations
• X-Rite i1Display Pro (monitor calibration device for post processing)
• Eizo CS 2420 Color Calibrated Monitor, 100% Adobe RGB color coverage (monitor used for post processing)