Jim Wright was born in 1947 in Atlanta, Georgia, and raised in Decatur, Georgia. He first took photos at the age of nine on vacation, using his family’s box camera. Jim attended Georgia State University from 1965 to ‘69 and graduated with a major in psychology. While in college, he worked part-time as a darkroom technician and developed a more serious interest in photography.

After college Jim got a job as a staff photographer at the Sentinel-Star newspaper in Orlando, Florida. Over the next eleven years, he worked for three newspapers as a staff photographer and picture editor. He also received numerous awards from the National Press Photographers Association. After that, Jim worked as a freelance photographer doing commercial photography and magazine photojournalism. He then worked for the Illinois Medical District as a photographer, graphic designer, and desktop publisher.

In retirement, he joined the Lemon Street Gallery in Kenosha, WI, where he displayed and sold photos for about 10 years. In 2020 Jim moved to Springdale, AR, and in 2022 became a represented artist at the Art Ventures gallery.