charles howells
photographer
CHARLES HOWELLS’ passion for photography began at the tender age of 15. With dreams of being an artist, Charles was at an after-school life-drawing lesson when he decided to stick around for the next class, which just happened to be photography. He was hooked.
Charles won a scholarship to attend the Elam School of Fine Arts in Auckland where he studied for the next four years shooting mainly portraits and abstracts. Upon graduating however, he realized he needed to focus on the more technical side of photography, so he took a job at a photographic studio that specialized in catalogues, photofinishing and digital imaging. This gave Charles the opportunity to gain experience across all facets of the industry, from pre-production to post.
In 2001, Charles made the move to New York, working as first assistant, studio manager and retoucher on shoots with celebrities such as Britney Spears, Beyonce, Jay Z, The Black Eyed Peas, Kelis and Pharrell Williams, as well as advertisers such as L’Oreal Paris, Hugo Boss, Anna Sui and Pepsi.
After returning home three years later, Charles started shooting in his own right and firmly established himself as one of the top fashion and beauty photographers in the country shooting for the likes of Karen magazine, Singapore Harpers Bazaar, No magazine, Pilot and advertisers M.A.C, L’Oreal and Unilever to name a few.