Jamey Stillings’ name is synonymous with excellence.  Each project that he takes on, whether it be in the commercial, documentary, or fine art arena is completed with intelligence, technical prowess, and a high level of seeing. Jamey has a passionate interest in people, world cultures, and social and environmental issues that are guiding forces in his photography and life. His incredible series, The Bridge at Hoover Dam received several awards: 2010 CENTER Editor’s Choice Award, First Place; International Photography Awards, 2nd Place Architecture; American Photography 26; Best of ASMP 2010; PDN Photography Annual 2010; Photolucida Critical Mass Book Award Finalist 2010; and a 2012 Prix Pictet nomination. The book won the 2013 Gold Quill Award.

His new series, Changing Perspectives: The Evolution of Ivanpah Solar, has already received First Place in the 2013 International Photography Awards (IPA) in the Editorial Environmental Professional category.  First published in June 2012, by Kathy Ryan, Director of Photography at The New York Times Magazine, the work has since been published around the world, including: Australian Public Broadcasting, B&W Magazine, Le Monde, Neue Energie, New Scientist, Newsweek Japan, NPR, The Picture Show, Orion Magazine, Time and Wired. Photographs from the project been exhibited in the United States, the Netherlands, and Colombia. The Evolution of Ivanpah Solar will become both an exhibition and a book.

Jamey grew up in Oregon, received a BA in Art from Willamette University (1978), and a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Rochester Institute of Technology (1982). Over three decades, Jamey built a commercial photography business, integrating both fine art and documentary work.

Jamey “continues to seek new opportunities to integrate his aesthetic interest in the human-altered landscape with concerns for environmental sustainability. In October 2010, he commenced aerial photography over the future site of the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System in the Mojave Desert of California.”

Changing Perspectives: The Evolution of Ivanpah Solar

I am fascinated by the visual energy and tension created at the intersections of nature and human activity. Uniquely as a species, we consciously modify and use the environment for our perceived needs or enjoyment. Sometimes we consider the future consequences of our actions. More often, we focus myopically on the short-term utility of land and resource use. We are at a critical juncture in the evolution of our species. How we choose to live on Earth in the next few decades, with a rapidly growing human population and expanding consumption patterns, may determine not only our prospects for survival, but also the ultimate viability of the global ecosystem.

The focus of my work over the past three years has been on the development of large-scale renewable energy in the American West. I began this work in October 2010, with a flight over the future site of Ivanpah Solar in the Mojave Desert of California, USA. Now complete (February 2014), Ivanpah Solar is the world’s largest concentrated solar thermal power plant, producing 392 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 140,000 American homes.In our inexorable quest for energy to meet the growing demands of a consumption dependent culture, we are transforming our natural, rural, and urban landscapes at an accelerating pace. The need to examine such transformations with an aesthetic and critical eye is compelling and necessary. To think consciously about the decisions we make, or have imposed upon us, we need to see these changes. As an artist, aerial photography is a principal component of my work. I explore perspectives distinct from those found on earth’s surface, revealing information and insight otherwise concealed.Ultimately, the issues surrounding energy production are global in nature. Renewable energy projects are being built around the world at a remarkable pace. Over the next few years, I intend to transform Changing Perspectives into a project of global scale. By observing these contemporary changes, I am creating imagery relevant both to our present-day collective consciousness and to our eventual historical perspective of this era on Earth.In partnership with BLUE EARTH, a 501c3 non-profit organization, CHANGING PERSPECTIVES actively seeks the generous support of individuals, corporations and foundations, who recognize the important role of renewable energy in our future. Contributions from individuals and corporations are tax-deductible. Thank you!