Jim Scheiner Releases BVI Retrospective Book
Renowned British Virgin Islands photographer James "Jim" Scheiner is set to release a comprehensive new retrospective book capturing nearly five decades of life across the territory. Titled "British Virgin Islands: A Photographer’s Retrospective," the publication features an extensive visual archive of underwater, aerial, and landscape imagery. The work chronicles the Virgin Islands' cultural and environmental evolution from the early days of recreational diving to the modern era.
Acclaimed photographer James "Jim" Scheiner is preparing to release a landmark visual archive documenting nearly five decades of life, landscape, and marine beauty across the Virgin Islands. His forthcoming book, "British Virgin Islands: A Photographer’s Retrospective," offers an expansive collection of images that chronicle 47 years of the territory's evolution from beneath the sea to high above the islands.
Scheiner first arrived in the British Virgin Islands in 1979 during the formative years of the local recreational diving industry. Initially working alongside pioneer dive operator George Marler at Aquatic Centres, Scheiner navigated the demanding, hands-on environment of early dive expeditions before applying his technical precision toward professional underwater still photography and videography.
In the early 1980s, Scheiner and his late first wife, Odile, founded Rainbow Visions. What began as an underwater imaging venture and international dive expedition service quickly grew into one of the territory's most recognizable visual production brands. Alongside colleague Paul Hubbard, Rainbow Visions expanded into full-scale commercial photography, corporate productions, real estate showcases, and tourism campaigns that helped define the BVI's global profile for decades.
Beyond his commercial assignments, Scheiner continuously built an expansive personal archive. His lens captured vibrant coral reefs, changing coastlines, boating events, island architecture, and local traditions. Mastering technical shifts from fully manual Nikonos underwater film cameras to digital platforms, helicopters, and modern drones, his portfolio represents an irreplaceable historical record of the territory.
The downtime following Hurricane Irma and the subsequent global pandemic gave Scheiner the opportunity to sift through thousands of preserved slides, negatives, and transparencies to curate the retrospective volume. Now retired and living in Tortola with his wife Sybil, Scheiner’s upcoming release offers both residents and international visitors a deeply personal look at the islands he has spent a lifetime documenting.
Primary source: VI Property&Yacht