James Breeden - Photojournalist

Pair of PocketWizard Plus III's just arrived

James — Mon, 07 May 2012 23:14:47 +0000

Tornadoes rip through Dallas area

James — Wed, 04 Apr 2012 02:46:21 +0000

Multiple tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. As many as 18 tornadoes are reported to have hit the ground, causing widespread damage. Arlington, Forney and Lancaster were the hardest hit in the Dallas area, with the Red Cross estimating that 650 homes were destroyed.

I weathered out the tornado heading right for my house in Dallas at home. Then, when I heard that a tornado had hit the ground in the Diamond Creek area of Forney, I took a gamble and headed straight out there. It was getting dark so I quickly took a few frames of the awful scenes.

A series of violent tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today causing widespread damage. The Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, just east of Dallas, was hit particularly hard. Copyright: James Breeden

A school speed limit sign lies uprooted in the Diamond Creek area of Forney, TX, after a series of violent tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today causing widespread damage. The Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, just east of Dallas, was hit particularly hard. Copyright: James Breeden

A wrecked Toyota Prius sits where it was dumped after a series of violent tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today causing widespread damage. The Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, just east of Dallas, was hit particularly hard. Copyright: James Breeden

A man surveys the damage to houses in the Diamond Creek area of Forney after a series of violent tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today causing widespread damage. The Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, just east of Dallas, was hit particularly hard. Copyright: James Breeden

A police officer searches a house in the Diamond Creek area of Forney after a series of violent tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today causing widespread damage. The Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, just east of Dallas, was hit particularly hard. Copyright: James Breeden

Cars are strewn all over the grass in front of Crosby Elementary School in Forney, TX, after a series of violent tornadoes tore through the Dallas-Fort Worth area today causing widespread damage. The Diamond Creek subdivision of Forney, just east of Dallas, was hit particularly hard. Copyright: James Breeden

London Town

James — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 12:38:14 +0000

US-Mexico border fence

James — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 00:52:55 +0000

Texas races

James — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 22:49:45 +0000

Driving along the US-Mexico border

James — Sun, 04 Mar 2012 21:28:14 +0000

Hollywood sign from a helicopter

James — Thu, 01 Mar 2012 04:40:55 +0000

Red sky at night

James — Fri, 24 Feb 2012 00:41:56 +0000

Dallas, Texas.

‘View’ magazine, shot on Fuji X100

James — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 16:18:36 +0000

One of my photographs of Anthony Chapel has just been used as a double page spread in Germany’s View magazine. The chapel is a stunning glass structure set in the picturesque Garvan Woodland Gardens in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

This was the first time I’d used my Fuji X100 for an actual job, and the superb quality of the images it produces was good enough to run this as a double page.

Anthony Chapel, Garvan Woodland Gardens, Hot Springs, Arkansas. November 11th 2011.

We Bought a Zoo

James — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 00:08:23 +0000

‘We Bought a Zoo’ is a movie based on the real-life story of Benjamin Mee, who along with his family sold up everything they owned and bought a dilapidated zoo in Devon, England. The movie was released in theaters across the US just before Christmas and it is set for release in the UK on the 16th of March.

Although in the film the zoo is set in California, when I was at the Western Morning News I covered the plight of Dartmoor Wildlife Park (known as Sparkwell Zoo to locals), which was struggling to stay in business. The place was completely run down and didn’t have enough visitors coming through the gates to cover the expensive upkeep of exotic tigers, jaguars, bears and monkeys. Ellis Daw, the owner since the park opened in 1968, was facing criticism over the welfare of the animals and the conditions which they were kept in. Animal cruelty groups called on the local council to revoke the zoo’s license, which the council was reluctant to do as there were fears the animals would have to be put down.

Here is one set of pictures I found from early 2006, around the time when Ellis Daw was desperately hoping to find a buyer for the park so that the animals would be saved. In August that year the Mee family bought the zoo, the animals were saved and the zoo reopened to the public after undergoing a major refurbishment. I haven’t been back since the new owners took over, but I look forward to seeing Matt Damon and Scarlett Johannson in the film and visiting the re-named Dartmoor Zoological Park the next time I’m back in the UK.

Former Dartmoor Wildlife Park owner Ellis Daw pictured in April 2006 as the zoo faced closure and the animals faced an uncertain future. © Western Morning News.

Ellis Daw looks out over the threatened Dartmoor Wildlife Park which was facing an uncertain future. © Western Morning News.