Stylish Pots Transform Plants into Something Extraordinary
July 15, 2026
James Rodewald and his camera travel where others don’t.
Hiking through the wilderness of upstate New York, the socially conscious photographer seeks remote spots in their natural state. Rarely does he meet another person on any of his hikes.
“I feel like a lot of my images portray this sense of peacefulness and tranquility in nature,” said James, whose home studio is in the southeastern Adirondacks. “Bringing the outside into people’s homes and workplaces is what I do.”
Nature’s Sake Photography, a regular at Rose Squared Art Shows, combines his love of photography with an appreciation for natural resources. The St. Lawrence University graduate integrates photography into the environmental science classes he teaches at Shaker High School in Latham, New York.
“I like to show the essence of things without people involved,” he said.
James is also intentional about giving back by supporting conservation groups.
Nearly all of his pieces are limited editions. Each master print is assigned a beneficiary, which receives no less than 10% of the proceeds from its sale. The benefactors include Lake George Land Conservancy, Association to Preserve Cape Cod, Five Rivers Conservation Trust in New Hampshire and Monmouth Conservation Foundation in New Jersey.
What he calls the Barnwood Frame Project combines limited-edition images printed on an art-grade aluminum sheet, which are then framed in recycled barn wood.
James favors the long winters in upstate New York and is patient in waiting for conditions to create just the right light. Often, he’ll use the extra time constructively, looking for other potential moments to capture. In February, while waiting for the sun to rise over Whiteface Mountain, he captured the weight of the frost causing the grasses beneath him to bend.
While some shoots are preplanned, most stem from his walking around and “seeing what comes to me,” he said.
James keeps a forever eye on the weather forecast and indications of changing light. While shooting in Cape Cod last year, he was intentional about checking the tides. While he generally stays close to home to shoot, he flew to Japan with photography colleagues and snapped photos in the countryside. He’s also taken photos in Romania and enjoyed the deciduous forest there.
When editing, James uses a light hand. He does all of his own printing and is particular about the matting and glazing.
His most popular piece, “Seaside Light,” embraces a process called intentional camera movement (ICM). Most shoots require holding the camera still. ICM involves moving the camera during exposure. The intentional movement becomes part of the final composition.
“Seaside Light” is full of light blues and yellows with touches of brown for contrast. “It has this summer, Caribbean coast feel to it,” he said. “That one sold out very quickly.”
James favors his abstract images when he introduces motion into the photo when he takes it. His personal favorite, “Adirondack Spring,” captures a fallow apple tree.
“I caught it on a day where it was flowering in a slight breeze,” he said. “It was a double exposure where one was very quick, and the other was very delayed. It has this softness to it, but it’s also very springy.”
In addition to his prints, James has also filled several eBooks with his pictures accompanied by essays that chronicle his creative process. Monthly, he chooses one photo to blog on in a series called “Behind the Image.”
Find Nature’s Sake Photography at these Rose Squared Art Shows in 2026: Spring Brookdale Park (June 20-21) and Fall Brookdale Park (Oct. 17-18).
