James Blake Photography

James Blake

Twenty-five years ago James Blake picked up his father’s old medium format Yashica camera and has not looked back. After exploring this new medium, he became fascinated with photographing  people. From athletes to people on the street, he uses his camera to search out and capture their  strengths and vulnerabilities. 

In 1991, Blake began a long-term project of documenting identical twins. Because there is a strong desire by many twins to be viewed as individuals, he sometimes asks them to dress alike in order to capture that unique trait that separates them. This body of work focuses on the parallels and individual dynamics of identical twins.

Born and raised in London, Ontario, Blake lives and works in Toronto. A graduate of the Ontario College of Art  and Design he studied photography and graphic design. He is an active member at Gallery 44: Centre for Contemporary Photography, an association he has held since 1988. His photographs have appeared in publications including the Jazz Report, Eye Weekly, The Globe and Mail and NOW Magazine. Blake exhibits at Gallery 44.