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Welcome to James Shedden Photography

Foreword By: Chris Hope- Mayor of Burk’s Falls

The world’s first photograph was taken by Joseph Nicephor Niepce in 1827. It was a simple, somewhat blurry image of the courtyard at his family’s farm and was the result of years of experimentation. His aim was simple: to record real life images so that they would last beyond a single moment in time. The images he created, what he called his “points de vue”, gave birth to the art (and industry) of photography, something we all take for granted today.

The remarkable natural world that we in the Almaguin Highlands see around us every day is itself a continuous work of art, season after season. Creating remarkable images for the public to enjoy is the goal of every artist, whether their medium is drawing ink on paper, painting oil on canvas, or capturing pixels in a digital processor as seen through the lens of a camera. It takes a special eye to catch all the facets of the natural world, and photographer James ‘Jim’ Shedden has spent much of his lifetime capturing the natural art and majesty of our area. It’s not until you see Jim’s images that one can really appreciate just how special the Almaguin Highlands region is, and how this beauty translates so well through his photography.

Jim has told me stories of how long he’d have to wait for the light or the subject to be just right before taking the shot, often in harsh winter conditions, or surrounded by bears and wolves. But that’s the dedication of an artist that knows the natural world can only be truly captured on its own terms and not those of the photographer. This book is a celebration of his dedication to the art of natural photography and a magnificent record of our beautiful home in the Almaguin Highlands, now captured here so vividly and completely for everyone to enjoy.