Progressive Wednesday

James B. Robinson

February 3rd, 2007 by Progressive Wednesday

James Bristol Robinson (Bris to those who have met him more than once) was born and named during Western New York’s infamous Blizzard of ’77. 13 years later, during JV cross country practice, Coach Goldstein pulled him aside. “Hey Robinson,” he said, “anyone ever tell you your parents named you after a circumcision?” Turns out, Bris did not know this—but he took the news in stride.

He completed his final college exam a decade later, skipping the graduation ceremony for his trusty Dodge Spirit and the open road. He lived in the back of a friend’s Ford Bronco in Longmont, Colorado for six months to avoid rent expenses (call him cheap if you want) while exploring the Rockies. The following year, he returned to the East, adding 700 Appalachian-Trail miles to his favorite pair of Merrell hiking boots in just less than two months. Despite a white-collar degree, he’s held mostly blue-collar jobs, including gas station attendant, roofer, lighting technician, and bathroom partition installer. He currently works from home as a business consultant for the American Poolplayers Association.

His wife Jill, the Adirondack Mountains, his camera, and his dog Bailey sustain him. During the summer of 2006, he combined the first two in a photograph selected by the band Wilco to appear on their official website. In January of 2007, he was awarded the Grand Prize in Aquascape’s Annual Photo Contest for 2006; a second submission also earned him an honorable mention. His photography spans a range of subjects within the natural world in an attempt to spark emotions we sometimes forget we own.