About James Carl Photography

James has had a love of photography since he was a child, first as the “official” family photographer carrying his trusty 110 film camera on vacations and continuing to his travels as a college student and as a young man after marrying the love of his life, Ellie. While travel photography of scenic locations was a creative outlet and Ellie was a beautiful subject, a real turning point in life came when our son, Luke, was born nearly 13 years ago.

Moments suddenly mattered more than mountains.

Parenthood brought tons of joy and exhilaration (along with hard, hard work!) but it also led to a new level of artistic expression that we did not foresee. Luke grew so fast! Each day brought about new and exciting changes and, like many new parents, we wanted to document these moments forever. Our house was soon full of photographs of our little family (and this was in the days before camera-phones – couldn’t imagine how many images we would shoot today!) Soon, friends (and friends of friends) began to ask for family and senior portraits. It was awesome. It quickly became clear that while a beautiful landscape will always be fantastic, photographing genuine moments between people was a true calling.

Documenting a life story has meaning.

Wedding photography was something to explore. Having previously turned down friends who had asked me to photograph their wedding (after all, I could shoot well, had a good eye and was a friend with a camera), I looked for opportunities to responsibly learn the craft. Assisting and second shooting dozens and dozens of weddings before taking on a lead role. James Carl Photography was born. It was joyous, exhilarating (and lots of hard, hard work!)

From our first booking, Ellie assisted and we found that her presence and gentle nature (she’s a nurse by training…) brought a unique perspective to our studio. Our brides loved it. Talented in her own right, it wasn’t long before she had a camera in her hands during the course of the wedding day. Being a married couple ourselves gives us a more personal insight into your wedding day and adds a unique skill set that benefits you – we share responsibility seamlessly to capture the essence of this special moment in your life.

We found that it is important to have photographers that have walked in your shoes and we understand the joy and importance of our role.

But enough about us! We want to learn more about you! Give us a call or email and we can schedule an appointment in our Centre Market studio – right in the heart of Wheeling’s rejuvenated art district.