What I like to shoot and why

My interest in photography dates back to 1973 when I studied architecture in Rome, Italy.  Rome's history and beauty stimulated my interest in photographing people and places, past and present.  My architectural education and working around the globe as an architect help me see differently than many photographers.  Unfortunately, I did not make time for photography during this time.  Now I am trying to make up for that oversight.

There has been a strong theme of "structure in environment" attracting me to capture the contrast between solid, sharp structures and the soft, flowing environment.  I view "structure" in its broadest definition and these ideas are exhibited in images of buildings in nature, mountain structures against atmosphere and boulders in flowing water. Capturing this "sense of place" and dynamic tension is what I seek.  I imagine this theme evolving toward a theme of "man in nature", which should be an interesting evolution to follow.  

My love of nature motivates me to capture landscapes and wildlife, especially in ways to document the need for environmental sustainability.  Many of these images are from my homes in southwest Florida and the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina.

After a long international business career, I have come to appreciate the global differences between historic architectures, customs and cultures.  I love to capture images and tell the story of these differences.  Many of these images are environmental portraits of workers and craftspeople from Europe and the developing countries of South Asia.

I like to surround myself both by natural beauty and interesting people. I use my camera to tell stories of the people and places I visit.  But capturing the image is not enough.  I like to share my images and allow viewers to enjoy the sense of place as I did.  My desire is to present an image that recalls my experience.

Through social media, occasional public exhibitions and photo books, I invite you to bring bits of these stories into your life and home.  Many of my adventures have been documented in books inspired by my travels.  These include titles such as Indochine: Khmer Memories, Indochine Past and Present.  First impressions of Southeast Asia, Myanmar: Burmese Daze, Bhutan: The Thunder Dragon Kingdom Land of Mountains, Valleys Flags and Dzongs, India: The Golden Triangle Past and Present, Apres Tout and Paris Too, and Mainly Maine. I have recently published a retrospective of 10 years of work in black and white titled Four Genres: Black and White.  And I am currently working on a new book of images from two recent trips to Japan.  These books can be reviewed in pdf format and ordered by custom printing and are a way for you to travel the world virtually.

I hope you enjoy your time on this site and return frequently.  I plan to keep the Recent Work page alive by placing there first, any new images before moving them on to a more permanent Gallery page.  I have built this site myself and so I hope to do a better job maintaining it and keeping it fresh.  In addition to adding images from trips in 2022 and 2023, I have made the selection of photo portfolio (i.e. a country) a visual process on the Gallery page.  Clicking a photo will take you to that country.  I am going to leave the Portfolio List up for a while until I get it all completed.

Please do connect with me by email or cell phone.  Let me know your thoughts on the images as well as any interest in purchases.  I do not market my work for sale.  In fact, in exchange for a contribution to a specific charity, I give my images away for free.  

Again, thanks for your interest and do stay in touch.

John Howard

Cell     +1.239.919.0124

Email  j.how@me.com

For inquiries into my work or my availability, please email or text me. I thank you for your interest, and I will do my best to get back to you soon!