After two decades in the business, photographer and former porn performer Scott St. James has finally found his niche.
| Click here for gallery. |
“The future of my business is to become a custom content provider for people that have Websites and who don’t want to buy the same content that everybody else is buying,” he told AVN.com.
St. James got his start in the jizz biz as on-camera talent under the name of Mic Igan (“I found a jacket that said Michigan and ripped the ‘h’ off.”) but soon found himself seeking higher education courtesy of Santa Monica Community College, where he started studying photography in 1989.
“I came from a musical background but as soon as I started taking pictures, it just made sense to me. It stuck. I wasn’t drumming anymore and need another creative outlet.”
As he painted houses on the side and did occational fashion shoots, St. James got an opportunity to shoot the adult section of C.E.S. (Consumer Electronics Show), which led to shooting the F.O.X.E. Awards. “I got one picture from the show in Adam Film World and I was thrilled,” he said.
“Then I went to shoot John Leslie’s Chameleons for Adam Film World and got the call from VCA to shoot stills too, as their regular guy was out sick. They liked my work and started hiring me to be their production photographer. After that it started snowballing and I started working with Vivid, Zane, and others.
“By 1993, I was getting into shooting box covers and magazine layouts. I went to shoot some production stills and magazine layouts for Private in Costa Rica and hit it off with them. Private liked my work and asked me to sign a contract. Later I signed on with High Society magazine and started shooting for Club, Genesis, Fox, and Gallery.”
By 1998, St. James met the folks at Internet Supply (later sold to Shaw Internet and now found at FreshPhotos.com), who provided exclusive content for Websites. By 2000, he was working for another Internet content company One Lick Media, and was shooting for Club magazine. Finally he had found his forte and was balancing his two passions, magazine shoots and custom content provider shoots.
“I see this huge niche to have content only shot for Websites so it separates them from the rest of the pack,” St. James explained. “So now, in addition to the Internet-related stuff, I shoot assignments for magazines, and pitch girls or scenarios to them. I shoot it all. Fetish, girl/girl, boy/girl, couples, group work, young girls, whatever.”
In addition to his diversity, St. James believes, it’s his style that keeps customers coming back for more. “I have my own way of lighting and am in that pack with the top adult photographers out there.”
So what does the future hold for this old school lens-man with the new school talent?
“I see myself doing what I do for another 20 years. The Internet and magazine business is changing rapidly and I just want to stay in the game. The Internet is the future for this business.”
