Savannah Guyer @SavannahMGuyer [Feature Editor]

Senior photos are a tradition a lot of students look forward to commemorating towards the end of their high school experience, and is most people’s first time participating in a real photoshoot. That was not the case for Austin Howe, senior, who began modeling for upcoming photographers in the summer of last year.

Howe’s first encounter with professional shots was with Von Presley photographer Elizabeth and her best friend, who needed a face to start his own photography business with. After a couple of weeks of development, the photos were used for company, and some of them even ended up on Vanity.com, “I don’t have any control over the photos because I signed a model release form which means he can sell them to any company or person he cares to, and I don’t have any say,” Howe clarified. Valentine Studios was next for Howe, but there wasn’t really any usage of the photos taken there.

Though Howe has been used as a focal point for photographers for a while now, he hasn’t received anything for his work. “I’ve never been paid, but I do get to keep all of the pictures. I like modeling for photographers because it makes me feel really good about myself, and that’s reward enough,” Howe stated. While Howe loves modeling, he’s not going out and trying to find jobs to work. “We live in Marion, Iowa, you know? There’s not a lot of opportunities around here, and I’m not really promoting myself; I don’t think I’m hot enough to be a model,” Howe added, “I would love to be a runway model, but I’m not tall enough. I’d just like to continue to model for photographers.”

Howe has just begun his love affair with the hobby of modeling, and hopefully there will be a lot more experiences with him and photographers to come.