Joe is an award-winning travel photographer, changed by the solitude of the pandemic. As travel became restrictive and many people canceled their travel plans, Shelly and Joe continued theirs. They spent ten days driving through New England, to the most northeastern town in America, Lubec, Maine and all the way to the southern tip of Florida. They drove 3,500 miles of the Pacific Northwest and walked nearly 200 miles of it.  

Joe and Shelly normally travel thousands of miles every year, exploring back roads, hiking trails, sandy beaches and sidewalks but this was different. Time and time again they felt isolated and it felt good. The gently moving waters; the lone bird; the silence of roadways. The chaos of “normal” life had quietly melted away. What remained are these quiet, calming images of life without friction. Joe started using his photography to slow life down, using negative space and minimalism to emphasize tranquility.

In addition to minimalism, Joe is growing a body of work which focuses on whimsical scenes created by hand, a photography technique that requires an entirely different set of skills. These two unique disciplines set Joe's work apart from others.

"I look for scenery that is naturally minimalistic, to reduce the amount of editing needed or eliminate editing altogether. I use a very dark neutral density filter on my camera and make a long exposure of my subject, causing water to look like flat land and clouds to blend in the daylight sky. I personally print my photographs on paper, using archival quality inks and paper. Those on aluminum are first printed on paper and then heat-pressed under heavy pressure to become one with the metal, through dye sublimation. I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark IV camera." - Joe

Joe earned a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration from Furman University after 8 years of evening studies.  He isn't all-business, however, having once jumped from an airplane 10,000 feet over Ohio corn fields; swam with manatee in the warm waters of Florida; and even participated in the Nintendo World Championships.

Together, Joe & Shelly can be found at art events throughout the year from Ohio to Florida; trying a favorite Thai dish at whatever city they happen to be in; or listening to the Avett Brothers while swaying in side-by-side hammocks on a mountainside.  

Above: Proposing at Taggart Lake in Grand Tetons National Park

 Below: Trying to capture the wildly magnificent Redwoods

Above: Exploring Washington Pass at North Cascades National Park

 Below: Climbing Smugglers Notch in Vermont

 Below: My finest moment, modeling my waterproof Randy Sun socks at Cannon Beach, OR (filming site of the Goonies end scene)