“My favourite subjects are people who want to be photographed,” he says. “People who have a natural ability to act and put their heart into their photo shoot. It’s exciting to work with people who share in my passion for creating outstanding images and share in the thrill of seeing their images come to life.”

Howell, known on Savvy as 323Photografix, joins January SECA winner Gemma Betts in the pool of people vying for a sole plane ticket to Sydney, Australia to act as one of the official photographers for the finalists in the Search for the Million Dollar Woman. Howell is Canadian and Betts is British.

“I was surprised, thrilled and excited, both about my work standing out enough to earn the February SECA and the possibility of making it to Sydney. I should thank the models in my images for their hard work and for looking so good as to get me noticed here. Thanks to Modelgraphy.com for the email in December that pointed me to this contest. And of course, I appreciate the Savvy team for this honour.”

Howell speaks with Savvy about his work and the competition:

Savvy: What’s your story?

Howell: There’s nothing too exciting to tell.

Savvy: Oh yeah? Maybe we picked the wrong guy! Just kidding. Where are you from?

Howell: I was born, raised and currently live in Edmonton, Alberta with no plans in the near future of relocating. Obviously, Edmonton is far from being a hubbub for photography, but I have a young family here and my growing reputation is gradually attracting clients from farther away who see the value in traveling to shoot with me. In time I hope to take more “working vacations” to shoot in more exotic locations.

Savvy: Exotic like Sydney?

Howell: I have never been to Australia, but would love to go! I’m a bit too humble to rant about my work in public so I hope my work speaks for itself and demonstrates my passion and talent for capturing beauty. Recognition is always nice, but I generally wouldn’t expect to get more recognition as a photographer. I accept that many people don’t care who took the photo they’re looking at in a magazine, calendar or advertisement. For most of us, recognition comes from those new clients who have seen our work somewhere and have sought us out because of it.

Savvy: When did you first become interested in photography?

Howell: For as long as I can remember, I’ve been a fan of photography. Like many, I got started at an early age with film as a hobby and evolved with the digital era to develop my own business as a professional photographer. Knowing that photography is a competitive field and that there are a number of “starving artists” out there, I made the decision twenty years ago to diversify my career to ensure that I could be a good provider for my family. Thus I went through uni to get a degree and establish a business in rehabilitation medicine, and once that was well underway, I started developing my photography business.

Savvy: Yes, it’s true that wives are a little more accommodating about their husbands shooting, ahem, curvy models when the family doesn’t starve as a result.

(Laughs)

Howell: As it turns out, I believe that my training and experience in rehab medicine has helped train my photographic eye to easily spot symmetry and asymmetry and the subtleties of posture and positioning in the human form. Right now I’m working 50/50 at both of my businesses, but I see that changing and it won’t be long before photography consumes the majority of my “work” time… I still have a hard time calling it work.

Savvy: Trust us, we can relate to that sentiment. Do you have a trademark style or philosophy?

Howell: Although most of my work falls into the category of glamour and beauty, it’s tough to label myself with a style. I can be working on moody monochromatic images one minute, then bright, colorful provocative images the next minute.

Savvy: I see former ISH winner Renee Prusak is one of your models. What are you like for these women to pose for?

Howell: I tend to challenge my models to bring out expressions and poses that can be fatiguing by the end of a shoot if they’re not accustomed to it, but I firmly believe in keeping them as comfortable as possible and making them an equal part of the creative process so that we’re always on the same page about the concepts and goals of the shoot.

Savvy: Some photographers treat models pretty badly, like mannequins, so we’re sure the models appreciate your polite attitude.

Howell: I think it’s important for everyone involved to enjoy what they’re doing while getting the job done. The single most important thing to remember whilst shooting is to not jeopardise the model’s safety. No image is worth putting the model in harm’s way.

Savvy: Right. Use Photoshop to get that shot of the model being eaten by a shark! Are there any photographers you admire?

Howell: Well… I could list a number of famous photographers like Ansel Adams and there’s a ton of talent out there right now that I admire, but one well-rounded team of modern photographers I quite admire is the duo of Markus Klinko & Indrani. Everything from their artistic and technical expertise to their business sense and success is admirable.

Savvy: Oh yeah, that famous picture of Beyonce is unforgettable. What’s the difference between a good shot and a great shot like that one?

Howell: A great shot goes beyond just achieving the usual parameters of composition and lighting with an interesting subject, good post-processing etc., but creates an emotional response from the viewer that holds their attention or draws them back for more. When I’m going through my images from a shoot to select the best to process, I’m looking for those images that go beyond being technically good to having something that comes from the model’s pose and expression to make it an exceptional image… one that has that capacity to evoke that emotional response from the viewer.

Savvy: Do you make your clients tear up?

Howell: I like for my clients to leave feeling that their shoot was a very rewarding experience and to let them see enough of their photos -- even if just on the monitor on the back of my camera -- that they already love their photos and can’t wait to see the rest of them.

Savvy: We certainly can’t wait to see the photos you add to your portfolio as you spend more time developing your photo business. Thanks for your time and good luck, Trevor.

Howell: Thanks Savvy!


On the Web:

http://savvy.com/profile/323photografix

http://www.323photografix.com