The outside world that Jim Hansel sees is not the one we see. At an early age, Jim was diagnosed with an eye condition called Stargardts. This eye condition, which has stabilized, left Jim legally blind from an early age. Despite his disability, Jim has learned to overcome his visual limitations. Through the use of magnifiers and low vision aids, Jim brings his work into focus. Jim also relies on his camera to capture his ideas. Like many other artists, Jim uses photographs of his wildlife models to bring the landscapes he sees back to his studio. At this point, Jim will enlarge the images if it is necessary, for him to see them more clearly.