Jim Babbage

I did not discover photography until my graduating year of High School – 40-odd years ago - and it was almost by accident. I had decided to go to journalism school; I liked to write, and Journalism (back then) seemed like a practical application of that interest. My dad gave me one of his 35mm cameras as a graduation gift, knowing I needed one for college. That summer, I fell in love with the camera, and the images it helped me create. I could share what I saw! I hadn’t even realized this desire to do so was within me. Me and my Praktica camera went everywhere together.

For nearly 3 decades, photography was a huge part of my personal life and professional career. Now, while it still has its uses in my current role at work, it’s not my primary career focus (yes, I did just say that). That change in careers has not dulled the interest, though; it’s once again become my passion and my main creative outlet. Passions have a way of integrating into - or infiltrating - your work life. For the last 6 years (at least), I've been photographing work events that I was either attending, or participating in. I would shoot, edit and usually write a story to go with the photos, posting the final projects to a variety of online sources, such as Flickr, Behance and my own web portfolio. And whenever possible, I would make time for my personal photography.

Over the past couple years, I’ve started getting my work printed again and have had good success selling my photographs at the rotating exhibit at Elmhirst’s Resort, near our cottage on Rice Lake. It’s a wonderful feeling, knowing my work is decorating the walls of strangers. Photography is as much therapy for me as it is a creative passion. This became all the more apparent during 2020. It can wash away a bad mood, a headache, or a lousy day. It can reduce my stress level significantly. It is my primary creative outlet.

Instagram: www.instagram.com/jimbabbage

Behance: https://behance.net/jimbabbage

Link Tree: https://linktr.ee/jimbabbage