Name:
Joe Martinez
Aka:
Joe Focus, J-money, Joe Martinez Photography
Website:
www.joemartinezphotography.com
Where are you from?
Always an interesting question. My parents are in the Navy, so I don’t have a “hometown” per se. We moved up and down the east coast for a while before heading out to Okinawa, Japan for 8 years (our longest deployment), so I guess technically I’m from Okinawa (aka, THE ROCK!)
Who do you work for?
I’m a freelance photographer so it varies, but I guess my biggest clients are Atlanta Magazine, Yahoo! Music, Converse, and Decrypt Productions.
What are your Current Project(s)?
I just finished up shooting a couple assignments for ATL Magazine which should be in the October & November issues. Before that, I was in Europe shooting some press kit images for international singer-songwriter, Ana Free, and my good friend, Blake Brandes. We shot for two weeks in the Greek Islands; white sands, crystal clear water, and amazing weather. All in a hard days work! Next up, I’m looking to continue some personal projects and get some new promotional pieces out. Gotta stay grinding!!
Who would you love to work with?
I’d love to shoot for Monocle Magazine and GOOD Magazine. Love their design and the organic look to all of their photography. I’d also like to do some collaborative documentary work with some of my fellow young shooters here in the ATL.
If you had to give all your sneakers away to charity except for one pair, which ones would you keep?
My BRONZE Nike R9 soccer cleats. They’ve been all over the world with me, and even though the soles are finally starting to fall off, I’ll keep taping them up until they literally fall off my feet.
What’s on your iPod right now?
Ryan Leslie, Third Eye Blind, Phoenix, Maximo Park, Soulfire, Blueprint 3, J. Cole, Janelle Monae, Little Brother, Outkast, Kid Cudi, Common Market, Blu, Blue Scholars, Mos Def, Fabolous, Donnis, Frank Sinatra and John Mayerz, haha.
What’s your Favorite ATL food?
Western omelette from the Majestic for breakfast, Brick Burger from Brick Store for lunch, anything from 2 Urban Licks for dinner. Oh, and R. Thomas for a late night snack.
What’s your Favorite ATL hangout?
Every time I think I’m over El Bar, I show up and fall in love all over again.
What are your Pet Peeves?
Dook University, the Cowboys not making the playoffs, dudes in super skinny jeans, Comcast, tourists, past due invoices, bad photography from good photographers, cheap labor from bad photographers.
Shout outs?
Big shout out to THE Wake Forest University, all of my fellow Demon Deacons, Coach Buck and the LuHi Crusaders, the Huge Mules, DJ Decryption (Yo Mookie!!) , Ana Free (Greecey!), Juliet & Ed, The Soulfire fam, ALL of the A.I. JOE SUPPORTERS, Treehouse crew, EC, The Graduates, Innuendo, the Columbus crew: Swellica (and Babo!) & J-Shores, Furlough Creamery, Ross “Rossome” Martin Photography, Jamie “J-Hops” Hopper Photography, Emily “E-Drizzles” Dryden Photography, Special K (Die first, then quit!), the whole Oki crew (Which Foo??), all of my OZ/NZ friends, to my little sis who just graduated from college and is already making more money than me, and to my mom (HAPPY BIRTHDAY MAMA!!) and dad…this will all be worth it one day. Hang in there with me.
