Jim Armstrong, Jr. grew up in Holyoke, MA, attended local schools and graduated with an AB in Philosophy from John Carroll University. After a brief career as a high school Psychology and Humanities teacher, Jim started his photography career at Image Photography in 1975, and later became a partner at Epstein & Armstrong Commercial Photography. In 1980 he joined The Greniers as the manager of their Commercial Photography department. At the end of his 10 year career at The Greniers, he started Jim Armstrong Photography in 1990. By 1992 business was good enough to move from his Southampton, MA apartment to the current location at Historic Ames Privilege in Chicopee, MA.

Armstrong has worked for such diverse clients as Smith & Wesson, Lego, Holyoke Medical Center, Palmer Paving Corporation and Westover/WestMass. Specialties of the house include Aerial Photography, Photo Restoration, Firearms Photography, Medical Photography and Business Portraits.