About

"Sunday in Jicin"

James Fassinger has spent most of his 20 years in photography walking the streets of big cites and small towns photographing the interesting and often overlooked lives of ordinary people and the places that surround them. These scenes, whether humorous, mundane, romantic or tragic, lend themselves to the most important aspect of his work – to capture images that reflect the emotion and humanity in all of us.

After obtaining his B.A. in Journalism from Central Michigan University, James gained most of his early photography experience at newspapers in the U.S. before traveling to Prague in 1992. There, he worked as staff photographer and photo editor for Prognosis, the first English language newspaper of the Czech and Slovak Republics and after, as a freelance photographer in the region.

The post communist era in former Czechoslovakia provided many opportunities for James to capture social and political changes during and after its split into the Czech and Slovak Republics, and to juxtapose the region’s rich history with remnants of communist rule, as well as the emerging market economy. Many of his images depict the everyday life of Czechs and Slovaks living among some of the most beautiful and well-preserved examples of their cultural heritage.

After more than 15 years living in the Czech Republic, James has returned with his wife and two children to live near Detroit, where he was raised. He continues to photograph assignment work and also directs the Imagine Photo Club at Children’s Hospital of Michigan, a program which gives children cameras to document their lives at home, giving them an outlet for expression while providing hospital doctors and staff insight into their lives at home.

James’ photographs have appeared in various publications worldwide. Limited editions of his photographs can also be found in collections throughout the United States and Europe.