James Clarke, known professionally as Alexander James, didn’t initially have an interest in photography. He wanted to pursue Information Technology (IT) but didn’t have all the necessary qualifications. While on a yearlong break to take a few more courses and to determine his future path, his uncle bought a new camera. James was immediately drawn to it and the rest as they say is history.
Born in Barbados, Alexander James travels the world as DJ Puffy’s photographer and videographer. This has afforded him one of his greatest achievements to date; the opportunity to travel to the US, Europe & Asia and capture the world via his camera. James does a lot of event photography with a candid and editorial style but he also loves to photograph landscapes. James always tries to capture the city and culture of each stop of their trips. According to him, “Traveling has evolved my photography tremendously, it opened my eyes to a whole new perspective of capturing the world around me.”
James has always been captivated by the photography in National Geographic magazines and would love to one day work there as a photographer. He also credits Jamaica as his biggest inspiration. “The content (photography and videos) that come out of Jamaica is crazy. It encourages me to become better as a photographer each time I see the content being produced from the island” says James. Along with his travels, he counts meeting other photographers and creatives among his top inspirations. He also credits living on an island as crucial to his development as a photographer as it has challenged him to be different in all forms of artistry.
James understands and leverages the use of social media to connect people to his work and to get more eyes on the Caribbean. When asked what he wants the world to know about Caribbean people and culture he enthusiastically shared that “the West Indian people are underestimated at times in terms of their talent, yet we have so much to offer the world. We’re slowly getting there globally, but there is still a vast majority of people who don’t know we exist. Social media has made it much easier to connect with people from different cultures and you can see the reach and growth daily. Carnival has been the biggest attraction to artists and influencers each year which gives them a birds eye view into each island and its culture. I encourage anyone who travels to any of the Caribbean islands to visit around Carnival time to the island they visit.”
James hopes that his work will have much the same impact that music and dance is having in sharing the culture and beauty of the Caribbean. He says, “Dancehall is becoming a staple in more of the rap genre of music and Soca is making waves amongst artists on the international states. International artists have been collaborating more and more with Soca & Dancehall artists and it’s paving the way for future generations musically and socially in the Caribbean. Dance in the Caribbean has become a huge factor in music videos worldwide, most international dancers gain influence form our choreography and movements also.”
James has never liked making people pose to take a picture and allows his photography to speak to the viewers visually. He says, “Only you the viewer can truly put into words how my images make you feel. I gain so much motivation & love when I receive feedback on my work. Without feedback, I wouldn’t have improved as a photographer over the years.”
James has a few projects in the works that have yet to be announced but you can follow him on social media to soon hear what he has in store.
You can follow James on Instagram at @alxdrjames or visit his website at www.alxdrjames.com
