Meet Joey…

I’m a fan.  His work is simple, inspiring… beautifully composed and nicely balanced.  Meet Joey, a 17 year-old photographer who has an eye for artistic scenery and striking beauty.  His camera of choice?  The iPhone 4.

The above photo recently won “Honorable Mention” in an art exhibit and contest sponsored by The Boston Globe.  As best I can verify, it was the only photograph honored that was taken with a cell phone camera.  In case you’re curious, the subject was a tray of glasses taken in a restaurant.

The above image above contains petals and leaves in a shallow puddle on a downtown sidewalk.  The photo below was taken during sunset as the subject reached down to collect a sea shell or piece of sea glass.  Simple scenes, beautiful art.

2 Guys Photo had a chance to connect with Joey recently and ask a few questions:

2 Guys Photo: Joey, how did you become interested in photography?

I remember one Easter when I was younger, I wanted to take pictures of my family so that I could remember how much I enjoyed the day.  My dad bought me a Nikon film camera and I’ve been taking photos since.  I rolled with that and as time went by, I became not only interested in taking pictures for the memories, but also for taking pictures as a form of art and as a way to express myself.

2 Guys Photo: How did you learn photography?

It’s hard for any master to remember his first steps, but I’ll do my best…. [Joey laughed heartily and continued…]

In all seriousness, it was probably a combination of learning from my mistakes and working with what I thought was good and trying to build off of that.  For example, I remember the first time I tried to take a photo of a moving car at night.  In my first attempts, all I could see was a color washed mess.  Through many trials and sticking with it, I was able to find out how to use my camera better and ultimately figure it out.

I will always be learning more and more about photography.  Nobody is ever done learning.  I was asked to participate in my high school’s advanced placement studio art class next year, even though I’ve never taken any formal art classes.  I’m excited to get some real training and learn more about photography.

2 Guys Photo: Why, when you have a better camera, do you choose to shoot only with an iPhone?

As a teenager, I don’t always have the opportunity to be lugging around a big SLR with a couple of lenses everywhere I go.  Unless I’m on a specific ‘photo jaunt’, I rarely have my camera readily available.  The pictures I sent you I took in the spur of the moment; I saw something beautiful so I wanted to capture it.  In my opinion, that’s what photography is all about.

For more of his work, see… uhm… well, Joey hasn’t posted any photos on-line just yet as he’s a typical, busy high school junior.  But stay tuned to 2 Guys Photo.  As soon as there’s a gallery for this emerging artist, we’ll provide a link.

Posted by Rey

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