About
My name is James Sansom, and I’m a passionate landscape photographer born in Melbourne, Australia, now living in Oxford, United Kingdom. I’ve always been drawn to the outdoors, but it wasn’t until a four-week trip around New Zealand with my twin brother that my love for photography truly began. I bought a DSLR for that trip, and we spent weeks chasing light and landscapes across the country. Ironically, my brother has little interest in landscape photography, but he came along anyway like a true friend. By some stroke of luck (and maybe a good composition), we ended up winning our car hire for free from a photo I took at Lake Tekapo. (Technically, I still owe him half of that win, I just haven’t told him yet!).
Since then, photography has become my way of exploring and simplifying the world around me. I’m drawn to coastal landscapes in particular, probably a result of a lifetime of summers on the Gold Coast, soaking in the sunshine and the familiar scent of salt water. Those early memories have shaped not just my love of the sea, but my fascination with the ever-changing movement of water.
Through long exposure photography, I try to find simplicity in chaos, to smooth the water, stretch the light via light trails, and create something the human eye could never truly see. Whether it’s the motion of waves, car lights, or planes, I love capturing images that feel ethereal and represent a minimalistic world, despite the non-simplistic nature of it.
Some of my favourite moments behind the camera have been while travelling, the New Zealand trip that started it all, and more recently, an incredible visit to Pembrokeshire in Wales with my wife. Despite not always knowing what I’m doing (or where I’m going), it’s those shared experiences and spontaneous moments that make this journey so meaningful.
I’ve been fortunate to have a couple of my photographs featured in exhibitions back in Melbourne, and I’m hoping to print and exhibit more of my work in the future.
Ultimately, I hope my photography offers a sense of calm and natural beauty. But like all art, the beauty lies in the eye of the beholder. So, however you see it, I’m glad you’re here, and I hope you enjoy the view.
Life beyond the lens
Outside of photography, my life has been, well, a little chaotic. Which, in a way, feels like an ironic contrast to my love of capturing calm, minimalist landscapes.
It took me six years to finish my undergraduate degree, partly because I wasn’t entirely sure what I wanted to do, and partly because I spent a lot of time chasing other interests. I’ve always been competitive in sport, but that drive has often wrestled with a more laid-back, indecisive side of me that never quite knew what “career path” to follow.
These days, I work at a media agency in London and am still figuring out whether it’s what I want to do forever. When I’m not behind the camera or at work, you’ll usually find me doing something active: playing AFL, running, swimming, or at the gym. And when I’m not doing any of that, I’m probably watching sport instead - anything with a scoreboard will do!
Away from the chaos, I love spending time with and travelling with my wife. We’re big fans of beach holidays, preferably with my camera left back at home, where we can soak up the sun, unwind, and completely switch off.
Life might not always be neat or predictable, but maybe that’s what makes it interesting.