About Tony Howell, Landscape Photographer

Tony Howell is one of England's best-known landscape photographers, and is based in Somerset. His style is instantly recognisable - simple, uncluttered compositions and an overall sense of peace and stillness borne out of his deep love of the land. His images have been used in countless books, calendars, magazines, on BBC TV, in a Hollywood Movie, billboards, brochures, catalogues, greeting cards, posters, postcards, websites, national newspapers, fleets of vans and much more. Tony's clients include National Geographic, The BBC, Christies, Royal Mail, The Tate, The National Trust, Penguin Books, Unicef, The Forestry Commission, and many more (see Client List) He uses medium format digital cameras For more information about Tony Howell, please see below  Camera Equipment Used | Note to Students

Tony Howell with his 39 megapixel camera Cameras Used

Tony Howell is represented by 8 photo libraries, Getty Images, Photolibrary.com, Flower Photos, The Travel Library, The Garden Picture Library, Alamy, Oxford Scientific and National Trust Photo Library

Tony Howell with his beloved Rolleiflex 2.8F in 1982

Why did you take up photography? 'First of all my father gave me a Kodak Instamatic at age 18. I took sunrises and sunsets, then a friend showed me a photography magazine. I looked at some of the images and thought 'I could have taken that' - so I got a better camera, and suddenly I saw the world with new eyes. I was hooked right from the start' Where were you born? 'In Plymouth, Devon, England on 13th January 1960' When did you start? 'In 1978, then I bought my first proper camera, a Pentax K1000 35mm SLR in 1980. In 1982 I bought my first medium format camera (Rolleiflex 2.8F, 6x6cm) and was bowled over by the quality of bigger transparencies. Next I bought a 5x4" camera - I've always wanted the best image quality. Now I use a 39 megapixel medium format camera'

What qualifications do you have? 'None. I'm self-taught, entirely trial and error with ideas from books and magazines. What has made me into a photographer is simply this - a real love of the natural world, plus plenty of practice and dedication. I also happen to be something of a perfectionist, which means a lot of my images are discarded. I found I had a natural eye for composition from the start; I never had to study or even think about it much, I knew when it was right instinctively'

When did you first exhibit your work? I had four images in an exhibition in Clifton, Bristol in 1985.

Was it easy to make it as a freelance? 'No. You need plenty of patience and more marketing skills
than photographic ones. You need to find your market and keep sending them top images. I spent several years on a low income. It was a difficult time for me, but I worked hard with real determination to succeed, driven by a passion for photography which remains undiminished to this day. Taking photographs is a real joy, and the business side of being a freelance I also enjoy, but it is hard work. Overall though, I love my job'

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Who are your main clients? 'Book, Calendar and magazine publishers, Design Agencies, Corporate clients
plus many print sales to business and the general public'

Which photographers have inspired you? 'Ansel Adams and Paul Strand, both legendary black and
white photographers inspired me at the start. I don't believe the life of anyone parallels another though,
and I found my own style and stay true to myself. 'It's what you see, and what you have to say about life that's important'. Photographers tell me I inspire them, and that's the greatest compliment, but you have to find your own voice - don't try and be like someone else. What do you have to say about the world?

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What cameras do you use now? 'I don't think the camera you use is that important, it's what you see that counts - and plenty of practice, but I use a 39 megapixel medium format camera which is excellent, and allows me to do very large prints, which some clients demand. It completely changed my workflow switching to digital, meaning I no longer had to rely on pro-labs to get my slides developed, and was able to fulfil clients work much faster, and upload new images to this website within hours of capture'

What camera would you recommend? 'I get asked this all the time, and it's not easy to answer. The best camera for you depends on so many factors. I've always been happy with both Canon and Nikon cameras if you're looking for a digital SLR. Buy the best camera and lenses you can afford. A good website where photographers review their own cameras may be useful to you: Fred Miranda - please don't contact me about it as I'm too busy!

What's the best thing about your job? 'I really enjoy the challenge of doing a great job when commissioned by important clients, love meeting new people, but my favourite time of all is when I have a
spare day, and I can then set off to take my own photographs'

What inspires you to take landscape photographs? 'I'm in awe of God's Creation, and try to express joy and peace in my images. I just love the natural world; anything beautiful speaks to me and says 'photograph me'. I love the creative process, and tuning in to my own interpretation of the subject; expressing my feelings about what I see. I hope to get my message across in my images: - peace and joy through beauty. Concentrate on beauty and it infuses your life. It's often a spiritual experience that lifts me higher; mostly when I'm photographing, but sometimes when I make a great print and relive being there'

What does a typical day consist of? 'If the weather report looks promising, I may get up before dawn and travel to somewhere local to photograph. Then I work in the office from 9am and reply to important emails which normally takes an hour. I may then have to send a few images to clients, then do a print for another customer. I always have a backlog of images to process, so I then start working on my RAW files. This could easily take the rest of the day. When I'm on a commission, I'll spend a few hours preparing my camera gear and researching how to go about the work, ready for the next day. One day I may spend 9 hours on the computer and hardly leave my seat. Another day I may be driving for several hours, then do lots of walking under pressure to fulfil a clients brief. Other times I could be on a beach, taking my own photographs, feeling exhilerated!'

What do you think about digital photography? 'Most Digital SLR cameras are now sharper than 35mm film, and full frame pro SLR's compare with medium format cameras. The best thing about digital is the workflow - much better. I love Photoshop, it opened up a whole new creative side to my photography in 1996 when I first got it. The downside is that I spend far too much time on the computer'

What's your favourite film? ''One flew over the cuckoos nest' but you probably mean camera
film, which was Fuji Velvia - strong, vibrant colours and excellent quality'

Do you use filters? 'Hardly any. I use a polarising filter to reduce reflections and glare; also to darken blue skies and increase saturation. I occasionally use neutral density filters to reduce the shutter speed'

You seem to like Abstract images - why? 'Abstracts make you think more about texture, lighting, colour and other aspects that are easily overlooked with a 'standard' view. Abstracts enable you to concentrate the viewers attention on one aspect, like the texture of a leaf for example'

Is your work affected by policital or social issues? Nowadays I may consider ways of showing climate change in my images, but I try to make my landscape images as good as possible, so that people who like them may care a little more about our planet

Do you feel there is a deeper meaning to your photographs? For instance any significant landscapes containing personal memories or emotions? Most of my images contain personal memories and emotions of the joy and challenge of photographing them. As for deeper meaning, I try to do justice to God's Creation and express peace and tranquility, to hopefully move the viewer into a peaceful state, more appreciative of the beauty in nature, and maybe even spiritually uplifted

What are you inspired by? beauty and great light

How long do you spend photographing each landscape? anything from 5 minutes to several hours, then often I'll return several times in different lighting conditions

Do you spend a great deal of time using photoshop? Yes, from 20 minutes to 2 hours on each image

You also like flower images - why? 'I've always loved flowers, plants and trees, and enjoy gardening when I get time. Gardening is a bit like photography in that it gets you outdoors more often. When I first bought a macro lens, my flower photography really took off - the range of colour, form and textures in the plant world is amazing, and easily overlooked, which is why photographing plants has given me so much pleasure. It really opened my eyes to the smaller details in life. When I first photographed flowers I really looked at them for the very first time'

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Do you take pictures of people or animals? 'I like doing portraits in natural light, but never get the time. There are a few animal pictures here: - Animals - I particularly like photographing cows and sheep'

Do you travel abroad to work as well as in the UK? 'I specialise in photographs of the South-West of England, and there are more than enough pictures here for one lifetime. I went to Ireland this year commissioned by Royal Mail, but rarely go abroad to work'

What is your favourite image of the ones you've made? 'Maybe this one (click for larger version): -



...but all of my pictures remind me of where and when I took them, so they're like a document of my life.
My memory isn't too good, but my visual memory remains sharp thanks to photography'

What advice would you give to beginners? 'You have to do what you love, and be true to yourself. Specialise in your chosen subject, get plenty of practice, know your camera well - then learn about marketing if you want to succeed as a freelance! Read books and magazines for tips, but put it all into practice. Like most things in life, practice makes perfect, and I learn more from mistakes than successes, which is why practice is so important. Practice builds your experience and confidence to greater levels. Be realistic. Being a landscape photographer is the best job in the world, but it doesn't make much money. If you want to make money, do fashion or advertising photography, or if all else fails, get a proper job!'

Would you recommend a career in Landscape Photography? 'Only if you absolutely love it and are
prepared to earn low wages for a few years. It is hard work, but to me, it's the best job in the world; however, it doesn't pay well, so if you want a big house become a doctor or a lawyer. It may not make you happy though, and I'm happy'

Any other tips? 'There are thousands of good photographers out there. You have to do something different or better than them. Also, learn all you can about technique - but break the rules sometimes. Strive to be different, and specialise in a subject you're passionate about' See also Photography tips

What are your future projects? 'I'll always love photographing the South West of England, so will do that until I can't. If I ever get the time, I'd like to do a series on old people. They deserve much more respect than they get from todays society. They're just us in an older form - wouldn't you want to be respected?'

NOTE TO STUDENTS
Tony gets requests for information on a daily basis, and much as he'd love to answer all your emails in depth, he simply doesn't have the time. He's tried to answer your questions above. He hopes you understand, and wishes you good luck with your photography. If you'd like to find out more about becoming a photographer and improve your techniques at the same time, try some Tuition

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