Today we’d like to introduce you to Braxton Howard.
Braxton, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My journey with photography began before I was born. Many of my relatives have an affinity for photography and the arts, so my matriculation into the craft felt as natural as breathing. Once I made it into the world, disposable cameras were a part of my mother’s parenting starter kit. Having thousands of photos of myself growing up shaped my relationship with photography, laying a foundation of respect for it as an important form of record keeping and proof of life.
Like most only children who had to make their own fun, taking mirror selfies and videos of the world around me became the way I passed time. But photography was merely a recreational hobby until I dated a professional photographer in college and got to see the business up close. It was here that I learned just how much goes into crafting an image worth paying for. I saw how much time, energy and money goes into the pre-production and post production processes.
In 2015, I bought my first DSLR camera (a used Nikon camera kit I bought on Facebook marketplace) and booked my first paying client not long after. I began producing all of my own shoots and from that moment on I’ve been a one woman show–from developing concepts, scouting models and finding locations to styling wardrobes, hair, and makeup. Since then my photography has carried me through stints in Los Angeles, D.C., Atlanta, Houston, Albania, and Vietnam.
I’ve experimented with many styles of photography–events, corporate, fashion, editorial–but I’ve found my home in commercial work. I’ve begun a new chapter in life, so while I will occasionally accept a fashion or editorial project, I realize how much I value the slow-paced, detail oriented nature of building the world around a brand and its products.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Photography comes to me naturally but it hasn’t been a smooth road. Like most of us, I struggle with self doubt and imposter syndrome, and my biggest obstacle has been getting out of my own way. There were times people saw something special in me that I couldn’t see in myself and valued my work more than I did. There were a lot of missed opportunities, including being featured in Voyage LA in 2019, due to my inability to believe that my work was worthy of being seen on a large scale. I promised that if the opportunity ever presented itself again I wouldn’t miss it, and lucky for me it did. Sharing my story and allowing myself to be featured is a step toward building the foundation within myself to believing I am worthy of all of the blessings that come, have come, and will come my way.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I’m a hybrid shooter, (I shoot both photo and video) who specializes in highly editorial and conceptual commercial work. I have a background in advertising strategy, so half of the fun for me is developing concepts to solve problems using photos and video as primary mediums. I’m best known for my dynamic portraits that radiate energy through movement and tonality.
Is there anything else you’d like to share with our readers?
My biggest hiccup around creating has been in finding my flow. For a long time, I struggled to sustain momentum because I didn’t have a set process for producing my work. I was so concerned with whether I was doing something “right” or not that it kept me from doing anything at all. I often second-guessed my approach, myself, and my talents because my methods didn’t look the way others’ did. What helped me overcome this was listening to other artists speak about their creative processes. It showed me that everyone’s process looks different even if the end result looks the same. If I could share anything with artists that struggle with this, it’d be that there are a million different roads to get to an end goal, and a wise artist allows themselves the freedom to do what feels comfortable for them, regardless of how it looks to others. Give yourself permission to not only do what feels right, but also try new approaches, and you might feel less friction in your creative process.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://braxtonhoward.format.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/braxxattaxx/
