“I’m a big advocate of having a vision and seeing it through. If that leads to work, then so be it.”
I’m stoked to bring you today’s guest, Joey L. He’s what I like to call a prodigy in the photography world. He’s in his young 20’s now, but he shot the Twilight movie posters when he was 17 years old. He began his photography career and making videos a year or two before that. He’s one of those kids that makes me feel like I didn’t start my career soon enough.
More than that, he’s amazingly talented, and today we get to dive deeper into talking with Joey about how important the development of your personal work is to developing your visual brand and attracting commercial clients. Joey’s personal work is amazing and inspiring to me because he treks out to the beyond reaches of the world to photograph beautiful portraits of tribal people. A lot of his trips, he treks 3-4 days each way just to get out to the tribes he photographs. He then spends 3-4 weeks at a time with them (which we’ll hear more about).
Not only has Joey photographed these people, but he’s also created a documentary showcasing the making of the prints, hanging a show in new york city, then taking the show back to the people of the tribe and presenting it to them. Joey is a huge inspiration.
So lets get into it, hear about Joey’s adventures, and how his fine art has fueled not only his passion, but the commercially sustainable side of his business.
“The best way to grow is to hang out with people that you admire.”
[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/nickonken/joey-l-personal-work” title=”Joey L – How Personal Projects Fuel Commercial Success” image=”https://nionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/15_JoeyL_NIONradio_02.jpg” color=”de4b9b” ]
Some things we learn in this podcast:
- About working as a professional creative
- What it was like working on the Twilight Series poster and how an artists work can be turned into something completely different when working on big projects
- Humble stories of how world class photographers get started
- The importance of personal work
- The first big personal trip to India that inspired Joey L
- How travel shapes artistic skills and life perspective
- How to get started as a freelance photographer
- The power of photography to get the artist comfortable with discomfort
- How to survive financially as a freelancer
- The number one thing in business from Joey L
- How to excel with like-ability on big, stressful photography sets
- The source of inspiration for tutorials
- Social media importance for top photographers
- Joey L’s favorite project to date
Connect with Joey: Instagram | Twitter | Website | LearnFromJoeyL
LET'S CONSPIRE & CREATE
CULTIVATING YOUR VISUAL UNIQUENESS AND STREAMLINING YOUR BRAND'S EVOLUTION
“I’m a big advocate of having a vision and seeing it through. If that leads to work, then so be it.”
I’m stoked to bring you today’s guest, Joey L. He’s what I like to call a prodigy in the photography world. He’s in his young 20’s now, but he shot the Twilight movie posters when he was 17 years old. He began his photography career and making videos a year or two before that. He’s one of those kids that makes me feel like I didn’t start my career soon enough.
More than that, he’s amazingly talented, and today we get to dive deeper into talking with Joey about how important the development of your personal work is to developing your visual brand and attracting commercial clients. Joey’s personal work is amazing and inspiring to me because he treks out to the beyond reaches of the world to photograph beautiful portraits of tribal people. A lot of his trips, he treks 3-4 days each way just to get out to the tribes he photographs. He then spends 3-4 weeks at a time with them (which we’ll hear more about).
Not only has Joey photographed these people, but he’s also created a documentary showcasing the making of the prints, hanging a show in new york city, then taking the show back to the people of the tribe and presenting it to them. Joey is a huge inspiration.
So lets get into it, hear about Joey’s adventures, and how his fine art has fueled not only his passion, but the commercially sustainable side of his business.
“The best way to grow is to hang out with people that you admire.”
[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/nickonken/joey-l-personal-work” title=”Joey L – How Personal Projects Fuel Commercial Success” image=”https://nionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/15_JoeyL_NIONradio_02.jpg” color=”de4b9b” ]
Some things we learn in this podcast:
- About working as a professional creative
- What it was like working on the Twilight Series poster and how an artists work can be turned into something completely different when working on big projects
- Humble stories of how world class photographers get started
- The importance of personal work
- The first big personal trip to India that inspired Joey L
- How travel shapes artistic skills and life perspective
- How to get started as a freelance photographer
- The power of photography to get the artist comfortable with discomfort
- How to survive financially as a freelancer
- The number one thing in business from Joey L
- How to excel with like-ability on big, stressful photography sets
- The source of inspiration for tutorials
- Social media importance for top photographers
- Joey L’s favorite project to date
Connect with Joey: Instagram | Twitter | Website | LearnFromJoeyL
4/02/14
15: Joey L – How Personal Projects Fuel Commercial Success
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masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
masterfully aligning perception and reality through personal branding
“I’m a big advocate of having a vision and seeing it through. If that leads to work, then so be it.”
I’m stoked to bring you today’s guest, Joey L. He’s what I like to call a prodigy in the photography world. He’s in his young 20’s now, but he shot the Twilight movie posters when he was 17 years old. He began his photography career and making videos a year or two before that. He’s one of those kids that makes me feel like I didn’t start my career soon enough.
More than that, he’s amazingly talented, and today we get to dive deeper into talking with Joey about how important the development of your personal work is to developing your visual brand and attracting commercial clients. Joey’s personal work is amazing and inspiring to me because he treks out to the beyond reaches of the world to photograph beautiful portraits of tribal people. A lot of his trips, he treks 3-4 days each way just to get out to the tribes he photographs. He then spends 3-4 weeks at a time with them (which we’ll hear more about).
Not only has Joey photographed these people, but he’s also created a documentary showcasing the making of the prints, hanging a show in new york city, then taking the show back to the people of the tribe and presenting it to them. Joey is a huge inspiration.
So lets get into it, hear about Joey’s adventures, and how his fine art has fueled not only his passion, but the commercially sustainable side of his business.
“The best way to grow is to hang out with people that you admire.”
[smart_track_player url=”https://soundcloud.com/nickonken/joey-l-personal-work” title=”Joey L – How Personal Projects Fuel Commercial Success” image=”https://nionlife.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/15_JoeyL_NIONradio_02.jpg” color=”de4b9b” ]
Some things we learn in this podcast:
- About working as a professional creative
- What it was like working on the Twilight Series poster and how an artists work can be turned into something completely different when working on big projects
- Humble stories of how world class photographers get started
- The importance of personal work
- The first big personal trip to India that inspired Joey L
- How travel shapes artistic skills and life perspective
- How to get started as a freelance photographer
- The power of photography to get the artist comfortable with discomfort
- How to survive financially as a freelancer
- The number one thing in business from Joey L
- How to excel with like-ability on big, stressful photography sets
- The source of inspiration for tutorials
- Social media importance for top photographers
- Joey L’s favorite project to date
Connect with Joey: Instagram | Twitter | Website | LearnFromJoeyL
4/02/14
15: Joey L – How Personal Projects Fuel Commercial Success
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It’s an ongoing creative partnership focused on bringing your personal brand identity to life.
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All shaped as a direct extension of who you are. The work also includes a bespoke process of identifying and aligning the right experts when needed, so nothing gets built out of sync with your core.
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What happens when your inner transformation meets visual expression? When Caoimhe Harrison came to me, she wasn’t just looking for new photos. She was mid-evolution. Her coaching practice had deepened. Her energy had shifted. And the version of her that existed online no longer matched the woman she was becoming. She didn’t need a rebrand. […]
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A Free Download for Aligned, Effortless Shoots Most photoshoots fail before the camera ever comes out. Not because of lighting.Not because of gear.Not because of posing. They fail because of misalignment. People show up hoping the camera will figure out what they haven’t clarified yet.And the result is predictable. Good photos.Wrong signal. This checklist exists […]
2026 Packages This isn’t coverage. It’s coherence. An Elevated Realism™ shoot isn’t designed to give you more photos.It’s designed to give you clarity, consistency, and authority across your entire brand ecosystem. Every element of the experience exists to solve one problem:Your current visuals no longer reflect who you’ve become. Here’s exactly what’s included in an […]
Q1 isn’t about starting over. It’s about being seen correctly. The new year doesn’t create momentum.It reveals who prepared for it. Q1 is when visibility resets.When attention sharpens.When people decide who they’re listening to this year. And the fastest way that decision gets made isn’t through words.It’s through visuals. That’s why Q1 is the most […]
TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post This Is More Than a Photoshoot These aren’t generic content sessions. Every photoshoot is individually crafted — built around your unique narrative, your energy signature, and where your brand is heading. We call these Emanate Photoshoots intentionally. The purpose is to capture not just who you are […]
TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post AI Isn’t Optional Anymore If you’re running a business in 2026 and not using AI, you’re already behind. That’s not hype. It’s just the reality of how fast things are moving. Whether you’re a coach, creative, consultant, or brand builder — AI is how you stay lean, […]
Because this isn’t just a photoshoot. It’s a portal. If you’re here, you already know this isn’t about taking “pictures.” It’s about capturing essence. Crafting identity. Transmitting the frequency of who you are becoming. This is more than a brand refresh. It’s a visual rite of passage. And it begins with a simple, sacred step: […]
TL;DR – What You’ll Learn in This Post Your Brand Lives in a Specific Universe A personal brand isn’t just what you offer — it’s the world you create around your work.That universe gets defined through imagery. Not only your presence, but the environments you inhabit. The textures that surround you. The quality of light […]
You’ve probably seen both. You might even think they’re the same thing. But there’s a fundamental difference between headshots and brand photography that changes everything about how your audience perceives you. One simply shows your face. The other tells your story. What Headshots Are Actually For A headshot has one job: identification. Think of it […]
About the Blogger
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
I was born in a low middle class conservative religious family in the suburbs of Seattle. Art was and always has been my passion, and more than that a way of life. Starting as a graphic designer, I taught myself photography, built a commercial/editorial business shooting for the worlds biggest brands like Nike, Coca-Cola, Adidas and more. I've also had the opportunity to photograph the world's biggest celebrities like Justin Bieber, Usher, Jessica Alba and more. I've curated a lifestyle around creativity and have learned a lot along the way which I get to share here.
