(Photographer) Joe Lavine

Photography has been part of my life for over thirty years. I remember being given a Pentax K1000 camera for my thirteenth birthday; that day changed my life forever. Truth is, I wish that I still owned that camera.

I am simply one of those people that love photography. Early in my life, I was told that if you can make your avocation you vocation, you’d have a happy life. This is the premise I have followed throughout my career, whether it was during my undergraduate and graduate studies, teaching, lecturing, writing, or working as a photographer, I have always believed in doing what makes one happy.

Two of my passions are food and attention to detail. This combination allowed me to build a commercial studio where I specialize as a food and beverage photographer. Years of focusing on the details, which generally involved much experimentation and problem solving, have made me an expert in understanding my subjects, and utilizing lighting techniques to bring my subjects to life. My clients range from small restaurants to Fortune Five Hundred companies. A partial client list includes: Coors, Betty Crocker, General Mills, Coca-Cola, Pillsbury, Coleman Foods, Good Earth Restaurants, and Celestial Seasonings. With the help of my great clients, I have won local and national honors.

Whether in school or as a young photographer, I know that if it weren’t for a handful of mentors my career would have never been as fruitful. It is for this reason that I became an educator and author. I began teaching photography at the collegiate level in 1998, and have held either an adjunct or full-time position ever since. Along with running a studio, teaching, and writing, I am a frequent guest lecturer at colleges and seminars around the country.

I have learned that there is no single method that works for all photographers. Heck, my wife is a professional photographer, and our approach, and styles are worlds apart, but that is okay; this is what makes photography great. Whether lecturing or writing, I want to give people the tools to achieve their goals in photography.

“How the hell do you make a hamburger look pretty? By learning everything I possibly can about it first. That upfront time being curious helps me to actually make my subject come alive. To capture the essence of a thing by knowing it inside and out so the viewer senses, on all levels, what they are technically not only experiencing with their eyes –but through my eyes.” Joe Lavine