about
Justin Rives was born in 1980 in Jackson, Mississippi, and raised in Madison, Mississippi. He developed a passion for photography as a teenager after traveling to Alaska for a summer visit with family. That experience sparked a lifelong interest in observing and documenting the world through a lens.
Justin earned several degrees in the field of art, culminating in a Master of Fine Arts from Mississippi College. He currently teaches ceramics and photography at Ridgeland High School in Ridgeland, Mississippi. In addition, he has served as an adjunct professor at Copiah-Lincoln Community College and Mississippi College.
Father, husband, artist, and educator are all roles Justin embraces each day, and each has shaped and influenced the others in meaningful ways. His primary purpose as an educator is to provide both a framework and the motivation for students to use photography as a means of communication. He encourages others to discover what they value deeply enough to share with the world and to find their voice through the creative process.
Justin's work celebrates the small space he and his family share on this planet. He openly admits that he creates primarily for himself, without concern for audience reception. At the same time, he views his role as a photographer as that of a cultural curator and historian, preserving moments that might otherwise go unnoticed.
Thank you for taking the time to view his images.
