Photography by Joé

Chicago, Illinois, United States

Photography by Joé is a Chicago-based glamour and portrait photographer who brings a sense of edge to a classic style. Joe has been developing his craft professionally for more than ten years, but has had a passion for making beautiful pictures his whole life.

Joe grew up in a very rough neighborhood in Chicago. Despite the hardships, he found beauty in life. He was determined to get out of the old neighborhood and take on larger challenges. Photography was a creative outlet that allowed him to connect to the community in whole new ways. He first took an interest in photography when he joined the high school yearbook staff and became a member of the Photography and Videography clubs at Wells Community Academy in Chicago’s East Village neighborhood. With his Ricoh 35MM film camera at his side, Joe seized the opportunity to document the delights of high school for his fellow classmates.

His greatest inspiration artistically came at the young age of 17. Keith Haring was visiting Chicago and Wells Community Academy. He took Joe under his wing for the week he was in Chicago. Joe helped with paintings that were put in place at Grant Park in Chicago and followed Keith Haring around to Rush University Medical Center where he was Painting a Mural in the Children’s ward. The encounter Joe had with Keith Haring would inspire him to create art in a photographic sense.

At 17, Joe made a serious decision to join the United States Marine Corps. By the time he was just 18 years old, he was already active in the 1st Persian Gulf War. While in the Marines, he continued to develop his picture-taking skills by documenting his travels through Spain, Ireland, Saudi Arabia, Panama, Thailand, Japan, Somalia, Peru and Iraq. Upon returning to the United States, he knew photography was more than just a pastime, so he began studying with his mentor, Luis Cabrera and Walter Malabehar where he learned the finer points of shooting portrait, glamour and wedding photos.

Professionally, Joe has worked as a photographer for the Spanish newspaper, “Chicago Ahora” as well as closely with the Puerto Rican Parade Committee. Some of his photos were published in a book called, Chicago Latinos at Work (http://goo.gl/F11uj), showcasing high-profile Puerto Rican leaders from Humboldt Park Community. He has also been published in Delicious Dolls Magazine and is currently involved in volunteering his photographic talents for the Child Advocacy Center.