After 5 Book Review: A Stroll Through the Ozarks

Hobbyist-turned-professional photographer Carl James takes readers on a 20-year journey through the Ozarks in his book, “Aux Arcs.”

The 88 pages of photos are the cream of the crop from James’ camera-toting treks around the region – through rivers, up hills, across countryside, over bridges and railroad tracks, and down on farms.

James is drawn to nature – sun rays fighting through clouds and trees, water elegantly flowing, rocks speaking through formations – and he’s spent plenty of time at the area’s historic sites – Dawt Mill in Ozark County, Ha Ha Tonka State Park near Camdenton and Sam’s Throne in Mount Judea, Ark.

The pictures are presented in simple black and white reminiscent of Ansel Adams, though without taking your breath away. (Adams, by the way, would have turned 108 on Feb. 20; he died in 1984.)

James’ images are more reflective, allowing us to internalize the scene, wondering how things came to be that way and who else had claimed the site. They cause us to walk across a bridge, step into an abandoned house, shiver in a snow-covered forest or dip our toes into a trickling stream.

Ultimately, “Aux Arcs” inspires an appreciation of the past as nostalgia meets creative art.
James’ creativity is a byprodcut of his 40 years as an architect, mostly with Warren & Goodin Inc. In fact, the company could be credited with starting James down this path to photography.

“I bought my first 35-millimeter camera with some money Warren & Goodin gave me and my wife when we got married,” James recalls.

Thirty-one years later, his hobby has turned into a profession in retirement. James signed off from the architecture business in 2007, with Pellham-Phillips Architects and Engineers at the time, due to Parkinson’s disease.

“This has been my life since then. I’ve had some of the best times,” he says. “I wasn’t going to let (Parkinson’s) get me down.”

Eye-catching architecture emerges in the book, aided by James’ photo compositions.

“Designing a balanced building and shooting a well-balanced photograph are not much different,” says James, who worked on designs of more than 20 John Q. Hammons’ hotels during his career.

James kept “Aux Arcs” truly local by working with Springfield publisher JEC Publishing Co. to release the book late last year.

Some of the reproductions of photos left much to be desired. That may be the case because James dug deep into his portfolio to a time before high-resolution digital images. Still, a quality scanner should have been able to clearly capture the original prints. It also may be a function of printer quality.

Either way, James’ images bring us back to the simple life in the Ozarks. “Aux Arcs” reminds us that there are so many places to go and things to see.

And James is not slowing down, having just returned from Edinburgh, Scotland, where he took 500 photos in six days. He’s working on another black and white book, and his works will be on display during the First Friday Art Walk on March 5 at Global Fayre downtown.

“You cross the line from hobbyist to professional when you start selling stuff,” James says.