TurnerForte Photography is the shared passion of husband-and-wife team Courtney Turner Forte and James Forte. Photography has taken them around the world, above and below the surface, giving them the opportunity to experience and capture places, moments, and perspectives that few people ever see.
For Courtney and James, photography is more than a profession—it’s a way of life. Half the year is spent traveling and immersed in the adventure of creating new images; the other half is spent at home carefully editing, printing, and curating their ever-growing collection. Every photograph tells a story of a place they’ve explored, a moment they’ve experienced, and something they simply couldn’t resist capturing.
James is a California native and was raised in Chico, an outdoor enthusiast college town at the base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains in Northern California. James grew up exploring the outdoors by frequently hiking and biking throughout the area.
In 1990 he moved to Santa Barbara, CA to attend college and found his new surroundings above and below the coastal American Riviera, full of adventure and visual beauty.
James soon discovered the Channel Islands Marine Sanctuary while scuba diving and immediately became inspired by its natural intrigue. Hiking in the Santa Barbara Foothills, he explored the beauty above the waterline of local floral, fauna and scenics. James then purchased a professional 35mm camera to capture his adventures and images of nature. It did not take long for James to get photographs and stories published in magazines launching him into a freelance photographic career documenting his travels locally and afar.
Over the last 25 years, he has visited many distant locales and explored much of the U.S. documenting his travels both photographically and with digital pro video cameras. James’ images have appeared in numerous magazines, web pages, television series, and are sold as fine art. He continues to use his skills in photography and cinematography to capture new images for assignments and to educate others of the beautiful and unique places on earth he visits.
James has a Marine Technology Degree and a UC Research Diver Certification. Underwater photography is James’ specialty, and he is a qualified scuba instructor and rebreather mixed gas diver.
To see James’ personal site, visit www.jamesforte.net
Courtney is a native Texan and has always had the curiosity and drive to explore new places, learn about new cultures, and try anything adventurous. While attending Tulane University, her interest in photography was set in motion roaming the New Orleans French Quarter with camera in hand. After graduating, she worked for a top advertising agency, and then her spirit for adventure and challenge got the best of her and she moved to Sydney, Australia.
In the year to follow, Courtney car-camped for three months around Australia and then bought a one-way ticket to Bangkok. Her adventures took her from the heights of the Himalayas and the mossy ruins of Angkor Wat to the reefs of Thailand. The images she captured in these travels and her passion for photography led her to Santa Barbara, CA where she graduated with honors from Brooks Institute of Photography. During this time, Courtney worked for five plus years for travel photographer Macduff Everton.
Places Traveled: British Virgin Islands, Dominican Republic, Costa Rica, Mexico, Spain, France, England, Ireland, Holland, Germany, Italy, Canary Islands, Greece, Czech Republic, Austria, Portugal, Switzerland, Fiji (lowest place), New Zealand, Cambodia, Vietnam, India (highest place), Nepal, Laos
Places Lived: Australia, Costa Rica, Spain (yo hablo espanol), New Orleans, Texas, Georgia, and California.
To see Courtney’s portrait work visit www.turnerfortephotography.com
The imagery collection contains worldwide travel, adventure and nature, including underwater images from many destinations. We are avid hikers, kayakers, campers, skiers and scuba divers and have our cameras in hand while participating in these activities. Deserts to tropics and under the sea- most of the library comes from nature and it’s beauty. Leaping, running, swimming or just hanging out, we also provide lifestyle photos of people doing activities they enjoy!
Turner Forte stock photography is also with Getty Images, Panoramic Images, Cavan Images, and The National Geographic Image Collection.
U.S.: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine, Texas, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming
International: Australia, Austria, Baja, Belize, Canada, Costa Rica, Fiji, Italy, Grand Cayman, India, Italy, Solomon Islands, Saint Lucia, Spain, Thailand
TurnerForte Photography is the shared passion of husband-and-wife team Courtney Turner Forte and James Forte. Photography has taken them around the world, above and below the surface, giving them the opportunity to experience and capture places, moments, and perspectives that few people ever see.
For Courtney and James, photography is more than a profession—it’s a way of life.
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