Praise & Worship: An Editorial by CRWNMUSE O'Shane Howard

A Q&A WITH O'Shane Howard

Written by: Ashley Johnson
Olivia Shay &  Deja Sloley as seen by Oshane Howard
MUA: Malvarose Beauty
Director: O’Shane Howard
Cinematographer + Editor: Tristan Barroks
Hair: @sobuttaababy
BTS: Denzel Clarke

Ashley Johnson: Tells us about yourself as a creator. Where are you from? Who do you build for? What are you passionate about?

O’Shane Howard: I’m a photographer, videographer, and creative director based in Toronto, Canada. I specialize in shooting commercial, editorial, and products. I’m passionate about creating timeless art that will live on decades from now. I want my work to be a part of the conversation even when I’m not presently there. I would say I’m building for my last name. It’s important for me to foresee the process when I’m working on a passion project or for a client. Every creative decision I make is to ensure I’m building my foundation on concrete and not sand.

O'Shane Howard | CRWNMUSE

AJ: Wow so tell us about the “Praise & Worship”. What is the creative process behind it and why is it important to you?

OH: Praise & Worship is a series that explores different mediums of praising and worshiping Jesus Christ through dance and music. In Christianity, “Praise” is the joyful recounting of what God has done for us. “Worship” is to glorify, show our loyalty and build an intimate relationship with God. Being an artist and a Christian, it became important to merge my editorial expertise with my faith to highlight and tell compelling Christian stories. I took it upon myself to ensure the end product didn’t come off corny and tasteless.

I planned this series the same way I would approach shooting a fashion campaign for a client. It needed to have an editorial feel and the story had to make sense. It also had to represent the church, and I wanted my team to reflect my beliefs. Most importantly, it had to be timeless. Once all these areas were satisfied in pre-production, we prepped for two months, finalizing outfits and securing locations that would complement the story in the best way possible.

Nonetheless, just because you plan doesn’t mean everything will go accordingly. We encountered a few hiccups which lead to certain pieces not being captured, and although my team and I did an overall fantastic job, the project still felt incomplete. I sat on this series for almost five months, and would consistently fall in and out of love with it. Not until a few weeks before April, God had rested it on my heart to revisit the project, and that’s when I completely fell in love with it all over again.

I had my own plans for the project, but God had something greater for it. His timing is like no other. Seeing what’s happening in the world today, it couldn’t have been a better time to release this project and spread the gospel with others across the world. I hope my story teaches artists that it’s better to have something done, than to have it be perfect. The work or the idea that you’ve been sleeping on could be your breakthrough, and you won’t even know it until you put it out there. You’re doing your creativity a disservice by not sharing your art. The world needs your ideas and most importantly it needs you to express them. 

AJ: And can you tell us about your experience and creative career?

OH: I’m a photographer, videographer and creative director who has been published in City Life, Splendor, and Blanc Magazine. I was one of the top 5 artists highlighted in Ollie Quinn’s ‘Create Your Own Vision’campaign and have been seen on Vogue Italia, L’Uomo Vogue, CNN Africa, and Amplify Africa Inc. I’ve collaborated with brands including CBC, Red Bull Canada, Joe Fresh, Simon Marcus, Dan Kanter, Tedx Toronto, and New York Times bestselling author Rupi Kaur.

AJ: What responsibility do you feel you have as a creative to sharing images of or creative alongside or for black women?

OH: In my late teens and early 20’s, I was a signed model. I got to see first-hand how difficult it was to get booked for gigs if you didn’t look a certain way. I would scope all the modeling agencies to see what their roster looked like, and most of the time there were very few black models or none. Since making the switch to being a photographer, I took it upon myself to photograph black men and women. I just think it’s crucial for us to see ourselves in different mediums of media and entertainment. 

The CRWNMUSE Program spotlights the exceptional taste, art and magic of creators from everywhere. Interested in being a CRWNMUSE? Submit a body of work or a mix of your work here!