March 12, 2009

Almaden resident, photographer Jim Nelson dies

Jim Nelson, a fixture in South San Jose since he opened his photographic studio in 1968, died Feb. 15 at the age of 76.

A few years ago, Nelson and his son, Steve, were photographing students at the Willow Glen High School senior ball when the group asked Jim to join them in the picture. From baby pictures to family portraits to team photos, most of them had known the Almaden Valley photographer all their lives.

Jim Nelson

“The legend, Jim Nelson!” Steve remembers them saying. It’s the way he feels today, just a month after his father’s death. The man may be gone, but his work will live on as a treasured part of his subjects’ lives.

“I cannot tell you how many times a high school senior is having his picture taken and his parents say, ‘Did you know your father took my pictures when I was a kid?’” he said. 

Nelson was hospitalized in Redding earlier this year. During his stay, he got to chatting with a male nurse and found he’d shot his school photos years ago in Cupertino.

Born in Chicago in 1932, Nelson took his first photographic job with a family photo business in 1952 in South Bend, Ind. Interrupted by the Korean War, and two years of service in Germany with the U.S. Army, he returned to California after his discharge and took a job with George S. Nolte, a civil engineering firm that assigned him to aerial photography, shooting pictures of the proposed Silicon Valley freeway system. 

Nelson began working with his brother, Harold, also a photographer, in the mid 1950s. He left Nelsons’ Studios in 1968 and with his wife, Annette, opened his own shop, becoming one of the founding tenants in Almaden Plaza. Known for his wedding and yearbook photography, Mr. Nelson actually specialized in photographing small children.

Over the years, Jim Nelson Photography chronicled celebrity memories. “He was so proud to tell people he’d photographed Henry Kissinger,” Steve said, remembering the other famous faces including NFL coaches Don Shula and Monte Clark, Kristi Yamaguchi’s family and Joe DiMaggio at the opening ceremony for Little League.

Family legend recalls the time John Wayne’s agents called to shoot his appearance at Frontier Village, a San Jose theme park. Mr. Nelson, on vacation at the time, told his answering service the call must be a prank. A few hours later, a call to the studio from the Duke himself confirmed the request was legitimate, but due to the short notice, he was unable to make it back in time and had to decline.

“My dad got the biggest kick out of that, he turned down John Wayne to spend time with his family,” said Steve.

After retirement, Steve said, he tried to encourage his father to redirect his interest to nature photography. His father shrugged. “I like photographing people,” he said. 

This man of honor, dignity and gentle humor will be deeply missed by his family and all who knew him. Services will be held in Redding on April 6.