Tony Howel

About

I’m a professional landscape photographer with over 40 years’ experience based in Truro, Cornwall. I’ve written three Photography books and my images have been used in over 15 books, over 70 calendars, countless magazines, on television, billboards, brochures, greeting cards, newspapers and much more. I also teach photography in workshops
Clients include National Geographic, The BBC, Christies, Royal Mail, The Tate, The National Trust, Penguin Books, UNICEF, The Forestry Commission, & many more (see Client List) I’m represented by various photo libraries; Getty Images, Flower Photos and National Trust Photo Library
I have many happy customers in the following countries: – Argentina, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Scotland, South Korea, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, UK and USA 
‘When I started using a camera in 1977, I really started seeing the world properly for the first time. I take photographs because I’m interested in anything beautiful, but particularly the natural world. I just love nature; I love the creative process, and tuning in to my own interpretation of the subject; trying to express 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 can be a spiritual experience that lifts me higher; mostly when I’m photographing, but also when I make a great print and relive being there. Taking photographs makes me seek out beauty, which then uplifts me. I’m not just doing it for myself; I’ve received many thank you messages from people over the years. My work has uplifted them too, and many say it inspires them. This is surely the greatest compliment, and spurs me on to to capture more fine glimpses of this ever-changing world’. ‘The camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera’ – Dorothea Lange

Why did you take up photography? First of all my father gave me a Kodak Instamatic at age 17. 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 in (ahem) 1960

When did you start? In 1977, then I bought my first proper camera, a Pentax K1000 35mm SLR in 1979.
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 5×4 inch camera – I’ve always wanted the best image quality. Now I use very high-quality digital cameras.

What qualifications do you have? None. I’m self-taught, entirely trial and error starting with ideas from books and magazines in the 1980’s. 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. 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

Who are your main clients? Book, Calendar and magazine publishers, Design Agencies, Corporate clients
plus print sales to 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’ – Paul Strand. People say I’m a talented photographer, which I am, but you only get somewhere by working hard. 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.