Interesting Islanders: The Picture Man

Some children inherit their father's eyes. Jim Montanus inherited his father's camera.

Actually, he inherited something even more intimidating—a father who happened to be one of the world's legendary Master Photographers. Jim’s dad, Neil Montanus, was hired by Kodak as a portrait specialist and spent decades creating many of the images that appeared in the company's advertising campaigns, product literature, and billboards.

His assignments took him to more than thirty-two countries where he photographed from mountaintops, in jungles, underwater, beneath the ice, and on night dives. He photographed everyone from Walt Disney to runway models, created President Gerald Ford's official portrait, and just to make everyone else feel inadequate, he was also a tenor soloist.

That's a pretty tough act for any son to follow.

Born in Rochester, New York, where he still lives today, Jim grew up in both New York and Greece. As a youngster attending school in Hilton, he had absolutely no interest in photography.

In fact, he often found it downright annoying.

Now, having a world-famous photographer for a dad sounds glamorous until you're the kid being told, "Smile...now turn your head...chin up...hold that... "Hold still...just one more."

Of course, "just one more" was never just one more.

Because Neil specialized in underwater photography for Kodak, he taught Jim and his brother to scuba dive and occasionally recruited them as assistants—and, more often than not, as reluctant models.

Some fathers coach Little League.

Neil taught underwater photography and occasionally nude photography.

That made career day at school a little awkward.

Then came the turning point.

During a paid two-week voyage aboard a fifty-foot yacht, sailing and photographing in some of the Caribbean's most beautiful exotic locations, Jim experienced a revelation.

"Hey...this is actually pretty cool."

Sometimes that's all it takes.

At SUNY Brockport, Jim majored in journalism and began writing for the student newspaper, The Stylus. Before long, he found himself behind the camera instead of behind the keyboard and became the paper's chief photographer.

Unlike many college students, who considered a twelve-hour week exhausting, Jim devoted nearly forty hours each week to photography while carrying a full academic schedule. Apparently, sleep was considered optional.

Most students survived on pizza and caffeine. Jim survived on pizza, caffeine, and camera film. He expanded his interests into fine art photography, landscapes, and portraiture, completed several internships, and photographed just about anything that stayed still long enough.

His dedication paid off.

His first job after graduation was as staff photographer for the University of Rochester's Public Relations Department. Out of more than two hundred applicants, Jim got the job and remained there for eight years. His photographs appeared in the university's major publications, including The Rochester Review, Currents, undergraduate and graduate bulletins, and the university prospectus.

His assignments took him throughout the university system—from Strong Memorial Hospital and the Simon School of Business to the College of Arts and Sciences.

His favorite assignment, however, was the Eastman School of Music, where he had taken piano and trombone lessons as a boy. Returning years later with a camera instead of a trombone seemed somehow fitting.

Over the years, Jim's work appeared in many of North America's most respected publications, including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, The Chicago Tribune, Science, Discover, Newsweek, Popular Mechanics, Sports Illustrated, and many others.

Never one to limit himself to a single skill, Jim also spent seventeen years expanding into writing, graphic design, and desktop publishing. Then life threw him one of those curveballs that no one sees coming. Following a merger within the Unity Health System, Jim was involuntarily laid off.

Sometimes the worst day turns out to be the best thing that ever
happened. The very day he lost his job, Jim decided to return to his first love—photography.

In the brutally cold winter of 2014, while most sensible people were staying indoors with hot chocolate, Jim was standing on the frozen shores of Lake Ontario in minus-35-degree wind chills, photographing a landscape that changed daily as ice formations grew into spectacular sculptures.

His extraordinary images captured the imagination of viewers across New York and eventually across the country. The Weather Channel interviewed him about his work. Time Warner Cable featured his photography in a television news segment. Newspapers, magazines and social media quickly spread his remarkable winter images.

One thing led to another. As demand for his work grew, Jim opened his own gallery in Rochester, which also serves as a photography studio and classroom.

Today, he is semi-retired, doing photography mostly for fun while still doing some professional photography including portraits, fine art print sales, photography classes/private lessons and excursions.

Jim’s ties to the Thousand Islands run deep. Every summer, he and his partner Danielle, boat, fish and explore the area while staying at the Otter Creek Inn in Alexandria Bay. Many of the pictures he takes are featured on Facebook.

Looking back, it's hard not to smile. The little boy who spent years trying to avoid his father's camera eventually became the man everyone else wants behind theirs.

Maybe Neil Montanus knew exactly what he was doing all along.

After all . . . every great photographer knows that the best pictures take time to develop.

By Michael Laprade

Michael Laprade and his wife Janice are retired Californians, who spend the summer at their “Honey Bee Island” property. It is located in the International Rift, between Blacksnake Passage at the mouth of Lake of the Isles and the stone span of the US / Canadian Customs Bridge. Michael is a former prison administrator, and also is a Professional Magician. In October 2013, Michael and Janice wrote Honey Bee Island’s Little Free Library for TI Life. Now Michael has joined our regular team of authors and I encourage you to see his past articles here and here. His articles are both interesting and fun!