James Pearson-Howes is a photographer and director whose fashion and portraiture work is complemented by personal projects that explore youth and subculture. James’s ability to connect with people from celebrities to everyday individuals allows him to create images that are both authentic and engaging, a quality that shines through in both his personal and commercial work. He has received accolades for his distinctive reportage style in both personal projects and commercial campaigns.
Projects to date have included British Folk Trilogy, which examines obscure folk traditions in the UK through a trilogy of limited-edition books, stocked worldwide. He was commissioned by Tate Britain to direct a short film for the British Folk Art exhibition and directed Silence is Broken for Channel 4, collaborating with designer Liam Hodges on a project merging grime music and folklore.
He won the Creative Review Annual Photography award for his project in Ghana, Chale, Mate. His latest book, WHEN iM ERE, draws on years photographing over 30 MCs and crews from the early grime scene, creating a tribute to the pioneers of a sound that reshaped British music and youth culture.
James has shot editorial work for The Guardian, The Times, Vice, i-D, Dazed and Confused, Hypebeast, Highsnobiety, and GQ, and commercial work for brands like Adidas, Apple, BMW, Ford, Levis, Nike, H&M, and Stussy, including three seasons of global campaigns for Dr. Martens.