My name is James Rivera, and I’m a 29 year-old Miami, Florida native of Cuban decent. I am a self taught photographer and have been interested in photography ever since I was a child. While never having received any formal training, I read books about photography and I research online for more information. I started my photography experience in 2000; in the era of film cameras while digital cameras were still considered new technology. My main focus in photography is Outdoors & Travel; I have some experience in Portraits and Nature. I currently have a book published called “The Foreign Service Traveler”, the book illustrate my world travels during my service as a Diplomat.

The Unique Views of a U.S. Diplomat
While I dream of being able to support my family with my photography, my ‘day job’ definitely doesn’t hurt. As a computer and telephone technician for the Department of State, I’m constantly travelling to different U.S. Embassies all over the world. U.S. Foreign Service officers travel not only to the Paris’s and London’s of the world, but also to parts of the world not normally accessible to tourists. These include poverty-stricken areas, war-torn countries, or even places where tourists cannot legally travel. While quite busy during the day, I’ve taken advantage of my nights and weekends to explore and photograph exotic locales.

Why I Love Black & White
For me, photography is both a form of self-expression and a way to project different feelings and emotions onto the viewer. I tend to focus on black and white pictures, as I feel they allow me to dictate what my audience will focus on more precisely than full color shots. With shadowing and lighting, I can significantly alter the mood of a black and white photo and, in turn, its impact on the observer. In my opinion, when people see pictures in color, they often get lost in the nature of the hues and vastness of the image. Black and white allows me to tightly control the focus and tell a story with the image.