Joe began his professional photography career at 16, taking environmental portraits of alumni for the high school development office. After high school, he apprenticed with glamour and editorial photographers before opening his own studio in Los Angeles. His work appeared in Geo, Time, Paris Match and People. He photographed everything from natural disasters to Hollywood actors before switching careers and earning his Ph.D. in Political Science. After nearly two decades as a professor at the UCLA School of Law, Joe has returned to his roots as a photographer, this time focusing on nature. He has taken workshops with Jim Stimson, Elizabeth Carmel, Jerry Dodrill and other notable photographers.