Jim was born in Los Angeles in 1943 and has been growing up ever since. As a young boy, Jim
enjoyed looking at pictures in National Geographic magazine. This early pastime had a major
influence on his attraction to and involvement in the world of photography.
Having received a camera as a gift after high school and not having the grades to enter college,
Jim began taking pictures of whatever caught his mind's eye. Reading, yes reading, and looking
at pictures in as many photography related books and magazines as he could get his hands on,
he became drawn to the magical, mystical spirit of the camera. Every now and then, Jim would
get one of those gratuitous images that seemed to come from someplace else.
Deciding not to make a career of waiting tables and bartending in restaurants, Jim searched
out jobs assisting professional photographers. In 1981, after a few years gaining the
experience needed, he opened his own commercial photography studio making pretty pictures
for advertising agencies, magazines, catalogs and actually anything that would bring in a buck.
During this time he continued creating photographs of his own vision for himself, mostly
photographing people in public situations in everyday life or what Jim calls, social landscapes.
Jim closed his studio in 2010.
Always packing a camera, Jim is still deeply immersed in photography scanning negatives of
the past, editing, working in Lightroom/Photoshop, printing and occasionally coming up for air.
During the past forty-five years, Jim has exhibited in some group and one person shows, been
written about in a few magazines and newspapers and won or placed in photography contests.
He considers himself extremely fortunate to have been involved in several fine art photography
workshops across the nation learning from and working with an "A-list of creative photographers
of the time." Homage to Peter Schlessinger and Apeiron. (link) Thank you Peter and all
Aperionites.
Besides writing about himself in the third person, Jim likes to body surf and go hiking with his
Cocker Spaniel, Wilson. Jim is still seeking those elusive points in time and is ever so grateful
for the adventures, opportunities and “friends along the way” the camera has provided him.
PRINT SALES: All images in the “Personal” albums are for sale and available for license.
Please get in touch and we'll work something out.
FORMER COMMERCIAL CLIENTS INCLUDE: ARCO • Ashton-Tate Corp. • Atomic Curve • Bijan
Fragrances • Carlson Marketing Group • Comprehensive Care Corp. • Cerno LLC • Danica
Furniture • Del Amo Fashion Center • Dillards Department Stores • Environ • Fluor Corp. •
General Telephone • Hobbs/Herder Advertising • The Irvine Company • La Opinion • Microtek
Inc. • Nils Skiwear • Plummers Furniture • Sandy Corp. • Sprint PCS • Surf City Garage •
Swinerton Builders • Taco Bell • William Lyon Co. • Zee Medical
COPYRIGHT: All Images © 1968 – 2022 Jim Koch. All rights reserved. All photographs
appearing in this Jim Koch Studio website are the exclusive intellectual property of Jim Koch and
are protected under United States copyright law. Photographs are not to be downloaded,
reproduced, copied, stored, manipulated or used whole or in part of a derivative work without
the written permission of Jim Koch. No content is within public domain. The use of any image
as the basis for another photographic concept or illustration is a violation of copyright.
The photographic images in this site are not royality-free.
STUDIED:
1970
Ansel Adams Yosemite Workshop
Yosemite, California
1972
University of California, Santa Cruz
The Making of a Book Workshop with Beaumont Newhall
1974
Apeiron Photography Workshops, Millerton, New York
Winter Resident Program
1975
University of California Los Angeles
Creative Photography Seminar with Van Deren Coke
1975
Apeiron Photography Workshops, Millerton, New York
Resident Staff Member, Summer Program
1976
Apeiron Photography Workshops, Millerton, New York
Resident Staff Member, Summer Program
2002
Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, California
Imaging With Photoshop
Digital Media Arts & Design
Advanced Digital Printing
AWARDS:
1972
Nikon International Photography Competition
Third Place Award
1992
Art Direction Magazine
Consumer Advertisement, single
Bijan Fragrances, Inc.
1993
Art Direction Magazine
Consumer Advertisement, print
Bijan Fragrances, Inc.
1995
Orange County Ad Awards
Distinguished Merit Award
United Way of Orange County
EXHIBITIONS:
1970
Camera Work Gallery
Newport Beach, California
Group Exhibition
1973
Laguna Beach Museum of Art
Laguna Beach, California
All California Purchase Prize Competition Exhibition
1974
Newport School of Photography
Newport Beach, California
Group Exhibition
1974
Southern Illinois State University
Carbondale, Illinois
Apeiron Photography Workshops Winter Artist-in-Residence Exhibition
1975
Community Darkrooms Gallery
Syracuse University, New York
Presented by Light Work
Apeiron Photography Workshops Staff Exhibition
1975
Laguna Beach Museum of Art
Laguna Beach, California
First All–California Juried Photography Exhibition
1975
Newport School of Photography
Newport Beach, California
Two Person Exhibition
1976
B.C. Space Gallery
Laguna Beach, California
Group Exhibition
1996
B.C. Space Gallery
Laguna Beach, California
Committed To The Light - Group Exhibition
1997
Light Writing Studio
Santa Ana, California
Group Exhibition
2007
Amorviejo Art Gallery
Santa Ana, California
Group Exhibition
2008
2nd City Council Art Gallery + Performance Space
Long Beach, California
California Visual Artists Juried Exhibition
2008
Orange Coast College Art Center
Costa Mesa, California
Orange Coast Review Artists Exhibitition
2009
2nd City Council Art Gallery + Performance Space
Long Beach, California
2009 Members Exhibition
2010
Irvine Fine Arts Center
Irvine, California
Photographer’s Exchange Exhibition
2010
2nd City Council Art Gallery + Performance Space
Long Beach, California
2010 Members Exhibition
2015
B.C. Space Gallery
Laguna Beach, California
Group Exhibition
REVIEWS:
1979
Artweek, October 20
1997
Los Angeles Times, Calendar Section, February 25