Montauk Pioneer - August 29, 2008

French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson, eloquently said, "To photograph is to hold one's breath, when all faculties converge to capture fleeting reality. It's at that precise moment that mastering an image becomes a great physical and intellectual joy." There isn't a better way to describe the thought process, action, and outcome of photography-as the person behind the lens is both an artist and documenter of the physical world in which we live. Although one can seek inspiration through a diverse range of sources, photographer, James Katsipis, passionately finds his from Montauk.

Katsipis, 25, was born to a Greek-American family. Proud of his heritage and strong family ties, he enjoys traveling to his home in Greece. Recalling one of his favorite memories, Katsipis enjoyed 'grape stomping' at his grandfather's farm and vineyard during harvest season. Although very busy state side, he tries to return to Santorini as much as possible to experience its world famous sunsets.

Upon graduating from East Hampton High School, Katsipis decided to travel and is currently enrolled at Suffolk County Community College. He plans to transfer to the School Of Visual Arts in New York City in the near future. Photography has been a constant in Katsipis' life as the fascination began early on. "I started taking pictures at a very young age. I can still remember getting yelled at by my sister for using up all her flashes and film for her old Polariod camera." A pivotal happening occurred in Katsipis' life when he was 17 years old. He realized that by freezing a moment in time, he could re-live the "captured" memory, along with showing people a different perspective of life through photographic documentation.

Present day, he's thrilled by the photographic process and knows that it's his true calling. "I was literally sitting on my bed the other day and showed my friend all of these old photos I took. And before you know it, we were going through ten shoeboxes full of photos...it dawned on me that I was really was born to be a photographer." It wasn't until recently that Katsipis thought of photography from a career standpoint as it was just something that came naturally.

One of a photographer's most valuable tools is his/her camera. Katsipis shoots with a Canon EOS-1D Mark III. Simply stated, Katsipis' camera sets the new standards for professional photography-known as the world's fastest digital SLR (single reflex lens). His most well-known photographs are those of surfers, surfing off the Montauk shores. He thinks of Montauk as a beautiful and unique place. When asked how living and working in Montauk has impacted and informed his photographs, Katsipis excitedly responded, "I owe everything to Montauk. If it wasn't for Montauk's natural beauty, it would be like having a paint brush with no canvas!" Although he finds his subject matter throughout the picturesque town, some of his favorite locations include his backyard terrace, the beach, the lighthouse, and cliffs-especially shooting at nighttime.

Katsipis photographs a range of imagery including portraits, surfing, skating, scenic, sunsets, and his travels and enjoys capturing a variety of subject matter both personally and professionally. "When I over do anything in my art world, I have to start moving onto new things." Recently, he he's been commissioned for fashion and modeling shoots and has worked for high-end clients and local publications. One of his greatest accomplishments as a photographer was having his night-shot photographs on view at an art/fashion show in Bridgehampton that featured up and coming clothing designers, including Montauk based Don Clothing.

Additionally, his photographs will be displayed at Preserve: A Photography Exhibition held at Collette Gallery in Bridgehampton from August 30 - September 20, 2008. The exhibition is in conjunction with Save Sag Harbor and will feature a live performance by Alexa Ray Joel during the opening reception on Saturday, August 30th from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m. Katsipis encourages all to attend. His new works entitled, Water Contrast, are all water shots, hence the name. Growing up by the beach inspired these works. Katsipis believes the water to be very powerful and his intent is to capture the ocean through a different perspective-really allowing the viewer to become emotionally attached to the visuals as they form abstracted images. Due to the photo's abstract nature, Katsipis challenges the viewer to come away with his/her own meanings based upon the same image.