Joey Lawrence is one of the most wanted commercial photographers in the business.  However, he also has a passion for  fine art portraiture around the world. One distinct quality in Joey’s photos is the clear emotional connection between subject and photographer. Joey concentrates on interacting with the subjects beforehand to make them more comfortable. Often, they are not accustomed to working with cameras, so Joey will spend a day just getting to know them and their culture. He describes these images as collaborations with the subjects, which result in much more powerful photos.
Check out his photographer excursion in the remote rain forest of Siberut, Indonesia http://youtu.be/6M6Txh-maKM
This was really inspiring! He is much younger than I was expecting! To see how young he was yet taking on such a difficult and demand task was really inspiring! He had to climb uphill for 8 hours. I mean that’s pretty serious! But also it was nice to see how this clan was so welcoming and open! It was also pretty sad when they said to come visit them now while they are alive, and before the next generation throws away the traditions. The photos also were stunning! The color saturation was lower and you would think that it would change how you look at the photo but it actually enhanced the photo! As I said I am inspired~
Joe’s photographic strategies are very similar to Arbus, because they create a relationship with their subject. Unlike Arbus, Joe does not make his subject appear as freaks or creepy; rather he tell a story of the persons culture and life. As I saw the video on you tube his work is amazing and catches the beauty of a culture by respecting it by not altering the image giving it a genuine look. One can see that pain the suffering and struggles of the subjects in his image. I agree that Joe’s photography shows the relation between the camera and its subject.