Russell James

(Australian, born 1962)

Russell James is a contemporary Australian fashion photographer. He is perhaps best known for his photography campaigns with the lingerie company Victoria’s Secret. The artist’s images combine the natural beauty of women with the elements of air, water, earth, and sun. James attributes the photography of Irving Penn as an important influence on his work. Born in 1962 in Perth, Australia, James dropped out of school at 14, subsequently working at a trash can manufacturer. Travelling abroad as a young man, he lived nomadically, saving money while developing his portfolio, before moving to New York in 1989. “I’d fallen completely in love with photography. It was a kind of stubbornness, an obsession that I couldn’t let go of, but I was backed into a corner,” he’s said. “I had no formal education, and there wasn’t a high demand for adult trashcan makers!” While in New York, one of his first jobs was photographing Tyra Banks, for her hallmark cover of Sports Illustrated in 1996. The artist has since worked for Gillette, Vogue, and GQ. In 2007, he was the recipient of a Hasselblad Masters Award. James lives and works in New York, NY.