James has been either cinematographer or director of photography on more than thirty films since 1973 when he worked on the Australian film Avengers of the Reef. In 1999, James was inducted into the Australian Cinematographers Society Hall of Fame for having "made a substantial contribution to the industry and the Society, as well as having left a legacy of fine work and having been responsible for training and influencing others".
James has won Australian Cinematographers Society"s (American College of Surgeons) Milli Award four times, Australian Film Institute"s Award for Best Achievement in Cinematography three times and was nominated for the award for Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or Movie at the 56th Primetime Emmy Awards for his work on the 2003 television film And Starring Pancho Villa as Himself.
James is a member of the American Society of Cinematographers (ASC), an organization that offers membership to directors of photography only "by invitation, based on an individual’s body of work".
