James, Dr. Don (1921 – 1996)

Laconic and durable surf photographer from Los Angeles, California; the sport's most widely published lensman during the 1960s. James was born (1921) and raised in Santa Monica, California, and began surfing in 1935. Influenced by pioneering surf-photographers Doc Ball and Tom Blake, James started taking surf photographs the following year, mainly at Santa Monica Bay and San Onofre. James built a waterproof mahogany housing for his camera in 1938, and began shooting from the surf zone; he'd r...