Jim Proctor

Artist Statement

When I was a small boy growing up in Lake Lure I remember my mother giving me a Kodak Brownie camera. The wonderment of looking through the viewfinder, finding a frame to shoot, and the expectation of a photographic print was very exciting.

Since then, I have continued to take photographs and have become known locally as “the man with the camera”. From Tweetsie Railroad to the Himalayan Mountains I have always had a camera with me. Both for art and as a work tool, photography continues to be a lot of fun.

I have been very fortunate to have had the opportunity to use many different types of cameras in many different settings.  From large format cameras in an airplane to a micro camera on a trip to Nepal, putting an image on film was always on my mind.

Like many folks, as I grew older, I concentrated more on family, business and community than artistic pursuits.  Then, a few years ago, due to a knee injury, I decided to sell my BMW motorcycle. With the proceeds I bought a Canon SLR digital camera and several professional lenses.   With the flexibility and low cost of taking photographs with a digital camera, my passion for photography was rekindled.

My darkroom is now my computer and printer. Capturing an image and putting it on paper is now something I can do at my office and the need to travel to the “big city” for large prints is a thing of the past*.

I am happy to say that the excitement I knew as a young boy with a box camera is still here.

Jim Proctor is a husband, father, mayor, board member of several nonprofit organizations, real estate broker, and when time permits, photographer. You can reach Jim at (828) 779-3100 or lakelure2@aol.com .

My websites include:

www.lake-lure.com  & www.lakelure.net .