About the photography of Jeffrey Paul Howard
I have always considered myself an artist. In my youth, my artistic medium was drawing.

What I would draw, varied from just trying to capture things that were around my home, from the photo of a President on the binder of a history book on a shelf in my room, to the way the light of a candle lit a simple flower still life. Later, my drawing came to be used as a creative outlet to express feelings and emotions I was having and wanting to share. To growing also to focus more on details, lines, shapes, and form.

Photography started for me back in my early double digits with a little Haminex Mini 110 camera. The earliest photos taken, were of my pet dog, to icy scenes taken while wandering through the woods behind my house... early shots of the life being presented to my young eyes.

In my mid-teens though, as a birthday present, I received something that would change my artistic future - a Fujica AX-3 35mm camera, equipped with a 50mm lens and flash... and the rest as they say, is history. Photography began to become my new artistic medium, my new outlet for my creativity.

For the remainder of my high school years, it was used mostly for Journalistic purposes, being a Photographer for our school yearbook and paper, before becoming Photo Editor myself, my senior year.

After school, my camera became more a documenting tool of me and my life, of the places seen and visited. It was during this period that photography became more a personal, peaceful joy of mine. Something just for me, to go out and do. Exploring this life and world around me, taking in the beauty I was encountering. Photography became more a relaxing love, that I could always turn to when I needed a personal or creative escape from the realities of this life/world.

In the late nineties though, my trusty ol' Fujica began to malfunction and no longer accurately work, so I hung up my camera in late 1998, and for the next three years, not a camera was touched, nor a single photo taken by me.

That all changed dramatically in 2001, when I purchased the Nikon N90 35mm camera, SB-28 Flash, 35-70mm f2.8, and 80-200mm f2.8 lenses. The start of the following year, I also threw myself into giving photography a whirl professionally, with the start of my JPH Photography business.

I grew a lot from doing my photography professionally, acquiring photos that I never would have taken unless I was hired to try and capture them. However, four years later, in 2006, I gave up doing shoots for hire. I had lost what photography originally was to me, instead becoming more this chore to me, by trying to bring home a buck with it. Not at all what I had ever wanted it all to come by to be. So, to reclaim my photography back for me, I gave up JPH Photography in 2006. Now I am poised to finally head forward into the future with my photography being back towards an artistic peaceful joy and pursuit.

Film versus digital
I am a traditionalist and still purposefully shoot film, and will most likely continue to until it is just no longer possible to shoot film anymore. As of May 2008, I purchased, and now have as my main camera, my dream camera from twenty years ago - Nikon's F4 35mm film camera. I have sold the 35-70mm lens, replacing it with the Nikkor AF 85mm f1.8 lens. I have retired the 80-200mm, and soon will be purchasing more prime lenses: the Nikkor 24mm f2.8, 50mm f1.4 in the near future... and then we'll just go from there... Eventually, someday when I win the lottery, would also like to get the Nikkor 105mm micro f2.8, 200mm f2.8, and a 400mm f2.8.

My choice for still shooting film so is twofold. One reason, is the inherent lack of exposure latitude that digital presents, where the gradation of highlights is very shallow until you receive completely blown out whites, with no detail. The same for shadow areas, minimal gradation in darker tones, until complete falloff to black, with details lost, though that is at a much lesser degree than with highlights.

Now, technology is getting better and growing in leaps and bounds even as I type, and your high end, manufacturer digital flagships are producing exceptional results barely discernible from those images created with film, if not better in detail attained. But those are a little far out of my price range for me to consider presently.

Second reason though, and the more important reason of all, is my love of black and white photography. Going out with the ol' camera loaded up with black and white film, a handful of color filters... that to me is how black and white photography is done and made. Digitally capturing a color image and converting it to black and white in post ... that ain't black and white photography to me. Though I am certainly no stranger to do so myself, and can point to more than a handful of black and white images on my site here, that were originally color images.

I know the day will come when my photo workflow will entirely be digital from beginning to end... again, more likely it becoming so from my no longer having a choice in the matter to do otherwise. For the past half dozen years, although my work has originated on film, it ends up digital, and haven't created a print from a negative, in I don't know how long, but straight from a digital file.

Digital does have some very attractive pluses attributed to it - the instant gratification to know if you have really gotten a shot or not. The environmental and economical impact of not purchasing and developing film... believe me, I am not adverse to the whole digital thing... just not fully there yet. Though, I am sure, the day is not far off, and when I may, will probably still utilize a two camera system, a digital for all my color work, a film camera for black and white.

Looking ahead
As of 2008, I still no longer am marketing myself for hire as a Photographer. However, if I was to ever be approached to shoot something for someone, and I was interested in doing so, then I definitely will do so. When I was working professionally, I loved documenting special moments, and people, for my clients. The creative challenge of artistically capturing what I was hired to shoot, I would welcome the opportunity to do so again.

Still currently up in the air for 2008, is seeing if I will start offering my photographic prints for sale... stay tuned for the answer to that.

I enthusiastically look forward to my present heading of getting back to my artistic roots, and once again shooting for me, and for the joy and love of it. Of photography once again being this personal, as well as peaceful and relaxing, pursuit of mine. I look to working at creatively exploring with my photography, to channel through images, expressions, feelings, emotions. As well as capturing the beauty, life, and the this world as I see it. I am excited to begin this new/old journey, and I hope that you will be interested also, and tag along as I navigate through this life/world, capturing it in all that it is.

Thank you for visiting, and I hope you enjoy what you see. All the best to you, and happy shooting.
         
Please feel free to drop me a line, I would enjoy hearing from you!

I no longer work as a Professional Photographer.

However, if you enjoy my work, and would be interested in having me photograph for you, I may consider, and be happy to do it. Below is the terms I used when I worked professionally, and will just continue to use if I were to be your Photographer for you:

Hiring information
 There is a one time, flat Hiring Fee of $300.00. The $300.00 Hiring Fee entitles the client to one full session/day of shooting, with unlimited shots, and locations, within the Omaha, Nebraska - Council Bluffs, Iowa metropolitan area.

 Hiring Fee of $300.00 is due up front, in full, prior to the day of the scheduled shooting session. If more than one session/day of shooting is scheduled, an Additional Fee of $150.00, will also be due per, and prior to, each additional session/day. The $150.00 Additional Fee(s), also entitles client to unlimited shots and locations, per any additional full session(s)/day(s).

 For shoots outside of the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area, traveling expenses will be accrued. If the shoot is to last more than one day, and the location is also out of the Omaha/Council Bluffs metropolitan area, additional charges will be had for accomodations and food expenses.

 Proofs from the shoot, will be made available on a special page on www.JeffreyPaulHoward.org that is only accessible from the client. Turnaround time for proofs is three days from the end of the shoot.

 Included in the Hiring Fee, is a CD containing low resolution (for email, web) and high resolution files (for prints) of all of the images from the shoot. Jeffrey Paul Howard retains all ownership and copyrights to the negatives and photographic images. However, through the CD provided, Jeffrey Paul Howard grants permission to the client, unlimited distribution and display (emails and web), as well as unlimited reproduction/copies (prints) of the photographic images contained on the CD. Clients may also choose to go through Jeffrey Paul Howard for professional photographic print services (see below for pricing).

 JPH Photography does provide an Optional Payment Plan whereas the $300.00 Hiring Fee may be broken up into two payments: $150.00 due up front, prior to the day of the scheduled shooting session, the remaining $150.00 to be paid after the shoot, at the client's earliest convenience. If client has chosen the Optional Payment Plan, CD of images will not be given, and/or no photographic print order will be placed, until the final $150.00 balance is paid in full.

Print Services Pricing
 The Photo CD provided in the Hiring Fee, clients may go and acquire their own prints at any photo location they desire. If clients may choose to also go through me for print services, the prices are as follows:

Purchase custom photographic prints

This service is coming soon!