ames Welling (b. 1951, Hartford, Connecticut) has been a leading figure in American photography since the 1970s, known for an evolving body of work exploring the history and technicalities of the medium. Emerging at a time when photography centered on mimesis, Welling shifted focus to image construction, breaking with traditional approaches. His diverse series examine the "states of being" created by photographic images and how viewers interpret them.

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He studied at Carnegie Mellon University, the University of Pittsburgh, and the California Institute of the Arts, where he earned his BFA and MFA.