A Wedding Portfolio Wedding Photojournalism by Howard Gale Ford
About Howard
Howard Gale Ford photographs people on location and in the studio with a personal, creative and penetrating vision.
Storytelling! That's his gift.
He works with clarity and takes powerful images, earning him two nominations for the Pulitzer Prize. He is well known for his photos
of Native Americans. What most people don't know about his work is the ease with which he photographs corporate chiefs as well as Indian chiefs. He is also requested by celebrities and world leaders who appreciate his candor. He has made photographs across the United States imparting a sense of place and spirit to his images.
Howard has over 30 years experience as a staff photojournalist for newspapers and magazines. He has served as a picture editor and Director of Photography, and as a wedding photojournalist he has photographed over 300 weddings for brides seeking exceptional wedding photography. In addition to his photographic work, Howard is also an experienced print & web designer.
Howard approaches his commercial, editorial, and wedding assignments with the same energy and creative vision as his documentary
and personal work. He takes the time necessary to see, learn, and understand the unique qualities of a subject before he photographs it.
He cares about his assignments, working quickly and efficiently to make perceptive portraits and decisive images.
Howard's photography has been exhibited internationally and is in the permanent collections of the Oakland Museum,
and the University of California.
Key Achievements
1998 University & College Designers Association Award of Excellence in Photography
1997 Council for the Advancement in Education Award of Distinction in Photography & Design
1992 Associated Press Executive News Council Sports Photographer of the Year
1992 Nominations for the Pulitzer Prize in Spot News Photography and Public Service
1984 Hearst Foundation: Greg Robinson Memorial Scholarship
Editorial & Corporate Clients
Time, Newsweek, New York Times, LA Times, Paris VSD, London Daily Mirror, Outside Magazine, AP, Agence France-Press, Reuters, UPI, San Francisco Chronicle, Guitar Player, Frets & Keyboard Magazines
CitiGroup, Citibank, Bay Area Business Council, The British Counsel General, Royal Bank of Scotland, The Royal Society of Chemistry, TOGOS, Fairmont Hotel, Mackenzie Communications, Golden State Warriors, National Basketball Association,
Paul Mitchell Salon Systems, SEVA Foundation, The City of Hayward CA, United States Department of Energy,
& the Oakland College of Law
History
1975 – 2011 | Freelance Editorial and Corporate Communications - Contract Photojournalist and Picture Editor
2001 – 2010 | The Wedding Bureau - Wedding Photojournalist
1996 – 2000 | The Oakland Tribune - Staff Photojournalist
1995 – 2000 | University of California - Contract Photojournalist and Picture Editor
1993 – 1998 | Citibank of California & Citicorp New York - Contract Photographer, & Special Marketing Projects
1992 – 1993 | The Oakland Tribune - Director of Photography
1988 – 1992 | Oakland Tribune - Staff Photojournalist and Picture Editor
1986 – 1988 | Marin Independent Journal - Staff Photojournalist
1985 – 1986 | Vallejo Times-Herald - Staff Photojournalist
Career Highlights and Exhibitions
2005 | Documentary The Whispering of Big Fly and Littlewind > 20 years of photography and reporting
on the impact of forced relocation and coal mining on the future of traditional life on the Navajo Nation, Arizona
From the documentary, The Whispering of Big Fly and Littlewind
2001 | Exhibition and CD-Rom > UC at the Century University of California & Santa Barbara Museum
Photos from the Exhibition and CD-Rom: UC at the Century
1998 | Award of Excellence in Photography > Museums of the University of California University & College Designers Association
Covers from the 1998 UC Berkeley Museums Calendar that received the
Award of Excellence in Photography from the University & College Designers Association
1997 | Award of Distinction in Photography > UC Berkeley Magazine Council for the Advancement and Support of Education
Covers and pages from UC Berkeley Magazine that received the Award of Distinction in Photography from the Council
for the Advancement and Support of Education
1997 | Group Exhibition > Art Against the Death Penalty Mission Cultural Center, San Francisco, Ca
1996 | Traveling Solo Exhibition > Traditional Stories of the American Indian Tokyo and Kyoto, Japan
1996 | Group Exhibition > The Photo Documentary Group Exhibition Cameraworks Gallery, San Francisco, Ca
1995 | Museum Collection > Oakland Tribune News Photography Oakland Museum, Oakland, Ca
1995 | Solo Exhibition > The SEVA Foundation Concert for Indigenous Peoples Berkeley Community Theatre, Berkeley, Ca
1995 | Group Exhibition > Native American Voices Sun Gallery, Hayward, Ca
1992 | Pulitzer Prize Nominations > Spot News Photography & Public Service Pulitzer Prize Foundation
Photographs from the Oakland Tribune coverage of the 1991 Oakland/Berkeley Firestorm that received
nominations in 1992 for the Pulitzer Prize in Spot News Photography and Public Service
1992 | Photographer of the Year > Sports Portfolio Associated Press Executive News Council
Oakland A's shortstop Walt Weiss scores on Rickey Henderson's 2000th career hit.
From the winning portfolio for the 1992 AP Executive News Council Sports Photographer of the Year
1984 | The Hearst Foundation Greg Robinson Memorial Scholarship > Portfolio
No War, No KKK, No Facist USA was the theme of
an anti-war protest in San Francisco that was part
of Howard's Hearst Foundation Greg Robinson
Memorial Scholarship Portfolio
Famous People I have Photographed
Kim Bassinger, Rae Dong Chong, Bill Cosby, Cindy Crawford, Richard Gere, Ali Macgraw, Sharon Stone, Jackson Browne,
Bill Gates, Lindsay Wagner, Alice Walker, Alice Waters, Phil Collins, KD Lang, Bonnie Raitt, Michelle Shocked, The Grateful Dead, Gov. Jerry Brown, President Richard M. Nixon, President George H.W. Bush, President Jimmy Carter, President Bill Clinton,
Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Ted Kennedy, Vice-President Al Gore, Rev. Jessie Jackson, The Dalai Lama
Kudos
"Howard brings a sensitive eye and caring heart to his wedding photography. His vast newspaper experience has trained him
to have a sharp,decisive eye that is always on the lookout for the little moments that are often missed."
- Alan Weiner, CEO, The Wedding Bureau
"Howard is a great photojournalist. I have worked with many and I've always felt that he was one of the most committed to the profession and ethics of journalism."
- Charles Jackson, City Editor, Oakland Tribune
“It’s interesting that Howard, in the world of photojournalism, is doing some radical news photography. He’s either going to make
a name for himself or find himself unemployable. It winds up as a style of photography that old school photographers don’t respond
to very well. His stuff is so fresh and different, that it’s interesting six months later. That’s the real strength of Howard’s work.
There’s times I would have died to have work like Howard’s."
- John Burks - Dean of the Department of Journalism, San Francisco State University
IMAGINE YOUR DREAMS!... copyright 2011 A WEDDING PORTFOLIO - ALL RIGHTS RESERVED | ALBANY, CA | howardgaleford@aol.com | 510-526-4276
WEDDING PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, WINE COUNTRY, CARMEL, YOSEMITE, LAKE TAHOE, AND BEYOND