Dennis Howard

My pursuits in the arts include photography and acting for movies. In both endeavors, I consider myself a devoted amateur who enjoys exploring the creative process and striving to improve expressiveness and meaning through art.

Much of my photographic work tends to be “solitary in nature.” Frequent subjects include landscapes, flora, and fauna. I especially enjoy capturing small natural wonders. The camera sometimes leads me to scenes I would otherwise overlook, such as the translucent underside of a fallen leaf or the flight paths of moths drawn to light. I also like to capture cityscapes, such as quiet foggy parks or buildings cast in unusual light. One of my favorite structures to photograph is Tallahassee’s Saint John’s Episcopal Church… the historic sanctuary offers a graceful litany of light, color and shadows, grand design and detailed subtleties. (My involvement with St. John’s has also enabled me to travel a number of times to the rural countryside of Cuba, a land full of remarkable people and photographic subjects.)

In recent years, several of my photographs have been selected to appear in COCA’s Artport shows. These photos were prepared with a minimum of post-processing. I admire photographers who are talented at post-processing, but this is not yet a gift I can claim. (Recently, I was privileged to serve as a judge for an Artport exhibit; it afforded me the opportunity to learn more about the amazing works of local photographers.)

In contrast to the relative solitude I find in photography, my endeavors in acting for film are socially supercharged. Since 2009, I have appeared in more than 30 films produced by undergraduate and graduate students in the FSU College of Motion Picture Arts. My roles have varied from playing extras and bit parts to supporting roles and leads in dramas and comedies, alike. I’ve also acted in FSU classes for student directors and cinematographers taught by accomplished professionals from FSU and Hollywood. I greatly enjoy working collaboratively with these creative and energetic film students, with fellow amateur and professional actors, and with Film School faculty.

A fringe benefit of these film projects is having the chance to learn more about how light and camera can be manipulated to establish mood and tone. I’m looking forward to applying some of that knowledge in future photographic endeavors.

Thanks for your interest.

Dennis Howard