Joe Howard
Photographer
Please introduce and share a little about yourself.
My name is Joe Howard and I’m a photographer based in London, U.K. A Lot of my work is centered around observational landscapes and travel.
When did you first pick up a camera and what caused you to keep at it?
Back in 2008 I started shooting on my Dad’s old Pentax ME Super, at that point people were practically giving film away as they didn’t see any future in it. Since then I have been shooting on and off, but it's only in the last 5-6 years that I have been doing it professionally and taking my personal work more seriously.
What kind of things did you first photograph?
Like most people I started off by taking photos of friends and documenting different periods of my life. When I first started developing a style it felt very organic, at that point I hadn’t spent any time learning about the photography greats so I had no real reference point. I always found inspiration in the everyday, little corners of the world that may otherwise go unnoticed, I liked the idea of making something out of nothing.
When you go out to shoot, do you have an idea of what you want to capture, or do you go out and see what captures your eye?
I usually go out and get lost, wondering until I see something that catches my eye. Sometimes I'll decide on a location and then slowly walk there, taking my time to explore different areas as I go. I’ve spent a long time doing this all over London and I've made some of my favourite images doing this.
The majority of my work is driven by light and colour and the narrative is almost a byproduct. It’s funny because I know people would assume the opposite from looking at the work I make, on beaches in Greece for example. I tend to swing between subjects, sometimes I just want to make landscapes and then sometimes I’m shooting street. That’s why I would put myself into the Observation Landscape category, it’s somewhere in between I guess.
Did you have any artists or photographers who have influenced your photography journey?
Now I have learnt more about the history of photography, I have photographers that I would say are an influence to me. However it was people on Instagram or friends saying that my work reminded them of different photographers that led me to discover new work. The first show that ever had a profound effect on me was Gursky, going to see his huge works in the Hayward Gallery gave me huge inspiration. On top of that I would say Harry Gruyaert, Alex Webb, Paul Graham, Larry Sultan and Luigi Ghirri have all been big influences on my work. With artists like Gruyart and Webb it was always their use of colour and contrast that first appealed to me. Their frames are dense and so perfectly considered, everything is there for a reason. It’s all about the balance of the image.
Are there any photographers, classic or current, whose work you think are must see?
As far as classic I would take a look at any of the ones I referenced previously, that’s a pretty perfect place to start. When it comes to current photographers, I’ve found that as much as it sometimes pains me, Instagram can be a wonderful source of new inspiration. Yes, at times it is an echo chamber of “film photography” which I have always struggled with, but sometimes you find gold. I would highly recommend any of the following:
Rosie Foster, Georgie Gibbers, Marco Di Stefano, Louis Bever, Mark Anthony Fox, Taylor Simpson,
Paul Hempstead, Robbie McIntosh, Sophie Hustwick, Bradley Waller.
