"Taken in Los Angels backstage at the infamous Kodak Theatre in 2001, while the audience would see a show an hour long, the rehearsals and preparation took many days and nights and often into the early hours of the morning. This candid shot of Adriana at the outset of her career struck me as a very honest reflection of the world behind the stage." RUSSELL JAMES

In 1999, James was invited to shoot backstage at the infamous Woodstock remake during a performance by the legendary James Brown. It ignited a new passion and genre for him, and in the years since, James has had all-access to some of the world’s most iconic live events.

Combining his deep connections in fashion and music, James became the lead photographer at the global phenomenon, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show. He states, “I have often likened my extraordinary backstage access to being the janitor in the closet at the White House— constantly witnessing and capturing an extraordinary evolution in a first-hand account.”

The Backstage series features Ariana Grande, Alessandra Ambrosio, Barbra Streisand, Justin Bieber, Gisele Bündchen, Lady Gaga, Black Eyed Peas, Cara Delevingne, Toni Garrn, Elsa Hosk, Selena Gomez, Bella Hadid, Gigi Hadid, Taylor Hill, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Miranda Kerr, Kendall Jenner, Seal, Heidi Klum, Abbey Lee Kershaw, Karlie Kloss, Doutzen Kroes, Adam Levine, Adriana Lima, Bruno Mars, Stella Maxwell, Barbara Palvin, Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Rihanna, Behati Prinsloo, Lais Ribeiro, Josephine Skriver, Sara Sampaio, Ed Sheeran, Romee Strijd, Jasmine Tookes, Candice Swanepoel, Taylor Swift, The Weeknd, Justin Timberlake, Liu Wen and others.