Q&A with Photographer Justice Howard
Why did you choose photography as your form of artistic expression?
In a way photography chose me. Originally I just started taking pictures of my girlfriends for fun – for the hell of it you know. But people were really wowed by the outcome and everyone told me to move forward with it. I never tried to become a photographer – it’s not something I picked it just happened.
Do you remember your first camera?
Yes I do – a Pentax Spotmatic 2 - what a horrid name! It had a spot meter but other than that it was totally manual and very basic. After that camera I fell in love with Nikon and it’s been a great love affair ever since.
What (or who) are your influences?
I’ve always liked and revered Helmut Newton – I think he was very ahead of his time. Right now I really like the work of Mark Selinger. Mark’s not really well know but he does great stuff for Rolling Stone, People and Us Magazines. He is very current and has done some great shoots with celebrities. He did a cool set of Rob Zombie with a pig’s head and another great series with the X-File stars laid-out on stainless steel tables with toe tags reading “Scully” and “Mulder”.
How has the digital world affected your craft?
It’s made it amazingly wonderful – no more chemicals! I also love the digital workflow – everything is so much easier and faster: processing and delivery it’s really fabulous. I was a dark room holdout purist for a long time but once I decided to switch it was just a question of the huge learning curve. A brilliant guru helped me get there - without his help it would have been a struggle – I still call him once every couple of months. My camera has something like an 800 page manual and 70 or 80 settings!
Would you rather be inspired or inspire others?
I would rather be inspired for sure. I care about my art but I’m not really concerned about the effect it has on people. It’s from me and primarily for me.
What are the three most important things in life?
Hmmm, I can come up with two: the relationship I have with my boyfriend and my art.
What’s coming up for you Justice?
Recently I’ve been hosting my Diva Doll events in the Los Angeles area – there’s another one coming up soon. I’m doing some filming with VH1 and I’m doing a shoot with Elvira. I have been preparing for another gallery show in Los Angeles on gallery row near Wilshire and La Brea.
If you weren’t a photographer what would you be?
Bored.
www.justicehoward.com
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