©Darla Nguyen
Southern California native, Thomas James has been capturing treasured moments from behind the lens for more than two decades. A graduate of the prestigious Brooks Institute of Photography, he has been able to elevate his talent for commercial photography and business acumen into a career specializing in Corporate Aviation Photography. His work has been featured in many industry publications, including covers of Executive Controller (The Market Place for Turbine Aircraft) and Aviation Business Journal. Among his career highlights was capturing for Boeing the first stacking of two all-electric powered satellites – a photograph that was published globally. He draws energy from the excitement of airports; hearing a jet engine sends his adrenaline pumping.
Among his portfolio of clients is his work with celebrity photographer Mark Seliger, for whom Thomas assisted with elaborate lighting setups for both studio and location shoots for numerous TV Shows, brands and large publications including The Voice, Ray Bans, Rolling Stone, TIME, Vanity Fair, VOGUE Italia, DETAILS, and Mens Journal.
Thomas currently lives in Newport Beach, where he can be found riding his motorcycle along the coast and searching out the best spots for Mexican food. When not on the beach, he enjoys retreating to the mountains for fresh air and time connecting with nature. He finds inspiration in classic films such as Top Gun and Dead Poets Society, and hopes soon to plan a bucket-list trip to enjoy the culture of Japan and China.