James Knightly grew up in rural Maine, making movies with his parents' VHS camcorder. In junior high he created a series entitled Cat Hunting, in which he stalked the family's cat, Joe, with a rubber band gun. While attending Oxford Hills Comprehensive High School, he developed an interest in graphic arts and photography. In June 2005, he graduated tenth in his class and chose to study film production at Messiah College. In 2007, he was inducted into the Lambda Pi Eta Communication Honor Society.
That same year, he studied abroad at Temple University and the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, England. While in England, he relentlessly pursued street photography, exploring the work of various photographers and shooting whenever he could. James has worked as the director of photography for numerous films including Wood & Steel (16mm), Greenhorn (digital video), The Blind (Super-16mm). Currently residing in South Philadelphia, he works at Jamie Moffett Media Design & Production. He is passionate about the visual arts and aspires to become a professional cinematographer.
