My first attempt at the JusticeHoward.com Website was a joke. My second attempt was just as humorous, with its big-boobed devil girl icons borrowed from my artist pal Coop, with flames licking up and down the pages of the site. However, what that second attempt did teach me was this: If you put up something visually interesting and eye-candy alluring, people will want to come see it. And come see it they did. In droves. My counter took gargantuan jumps daily. These results made me want to take this new-found platform to a higher and more serious level. That's when I contacted Howard Griggs. And it was then that Howard and I got serious.
Howard built a backend administration page, along with the site. Now I'm my own Webmaster and I can add/delete/modify the content I specifically choose. I am not at the mercy of some other Webmaster's schedule, which is really nice, because if I want to add something immediately, I do it. If I want to add my own links, I do it. There's no waiting and no fooling around. Howard designed it so that I can add whole galleries if I want to, or just one image. I can add text over the image, or not. Since Howard works for directNIC at his day job, he most certainly knows his stuff. And he's one of the most talented and progressive graphic designers I've seen.
With my photos highlighted by Howard's graphic designs, JusticeHoward.com is a monster to be reckoned with. Once I saw the numbers that were coming in, I realized the strength of the Web and what a great showplace it could be for my photography. And JusticeHoward.com is just that: a showplace for my art, a visit to my portfolio.
I have broken the free part of the site down into four main galleries: Models, Glamor, Celebrities, and Erotica.
The Models gallery houses about 50 images, of both male and female models. I shoot so many new models per week that I am always adding to that gallery. For a while I had all of the female models first, followed by the male models. But now I mix them up, female followed by male.
The Glamour gallery houses straight-ahead glamour shots. Many of them are evocative of 1940s Hollywood glamour, when glamour was in its heyday: women lounging in satin dresses and white fox furs holding foot-long silver cigarette holders while smoke wafts around them like wispy white paramours; glamour reminiscent of George Hurrell, the finest glamour photographer ever.
The Celebrities gallery gives you a chance to see some of the celebs I've had in front of my lens: Marilyn Manson, Siegfried and Roy, Dave Navarro, Waylon Jennings, Rich Little, Billy Idol, Mamie Van Doren, Mickey Rourke, the Blue Man Group, and many, many more.
Erotica is just what implies: a small sampling of some of my finest black-and-white erotica. Although not lengthy, this gallery is tight and has some of my favorite erotica images. Out of thousands I have picked 18, which is not an easy feat. It is erotica in its truest form. I know "erotica" is a term being thrown around a lot lately by the X-rated industry. However true erotica in its purest form is seen in shades of Olivia, Sorayama, Herb Ritts, Helmut Newton, and Ellen Von Unwerth.
The more risqu� imagery on the site is hidden inside the members area, along with fetish and various other galleries. I don't make my living from this site, so I keep my membership price very low, just $25 per year. Most sites charge that for one month! For me it's all about "being able to see the art" vs. "not being able to see the art," and the bottom line is I'd rather many more people saw the art. The members area is really just a place to tuck the more risqu� imagery, so that kids can't access it. It's not a money-maker for me, and I don't actively campaign to recruit members.
The wild thing about just having received one million guests (at JusticeHoward.com we refer to them as guests, not hits, which we see as a more upscale way to view our visitors) is that I never set out to garner any of this. I never planned any of it either, so it just turned out to be a pleasant surprise. I just set out to do a nice site that was interesting to view and great to look at, a site that would show people what it is that I do. I have never paid for any advertising. I might have 10 banner trades with friends at most. I'm not in any of those "art rings," and I don't go to any chatrooms.
One million guests, and in less than a year. Who woulda thought?
Justice Howard began her career as a model/actress before moving behind the camera in the early 1990s. Her photos have received worldwide acclaim, and have been featured in numerous magazines, art galleries, and Websites. Her models have included such notables as Dave Navarro, Mamie Van Doren, Marilyn Manson, and many others.
