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Photograph by Skye Dunlap
Moses Poses: Photographer Joel Moses sits in his new Willow Glen studio, surrounded by the tools of the trade.
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Former tinsel-town shooter sets up shop in Willow Glen
Joel Moses got tired of the smog, so he abandoned Hollywood for the Bay Area
By Jessica Lyons
Joel Moses sits at the edge of his chair, camera in hand, posing for his first picture in almost a year. "I don't like having my picture taken," says the 33-year-old photographer. "That's why I chose to become a photographer." Moses sits in his new Willow Glen studio, at 1111 Willow St., above Bill's Cafe. It's modest, about 800 square feet, but he's nevertheless happy to be here.
"I'm looking forward to getting to know the people of Willow Glen," says Moses, who specializes in portrait, wedding and commercial work, and digital imaging. "I love being here. It's a tranquil place. Maybe I'll have my 5,000-square-foot dream studio when I'm rich and famous," he adds, laughing. "I've got that on my mind."
Moses and Greg McCracken, with whom he shares the studio, have been thinking about knocking one wall out. The studio is open for business now, but Moses is still in the process of moving in. He says he plans to hang his portraits on the walls, which are bare today except for a few landscapes. The studio will look different next week, he promises.
"Eighty percent of my work is on location," says Moses, who for the past three years worked out of his San Jose home, using his mobile photography van. "But I've been wanting a studio for head-shots and portraits. In California you have these beautiful locations and great lighting for shooting on location, but it's great to be able to do both."
At the moment, Moses is doing neither. In fact he's on the other side of the camera, in front of it--a rarity for the photographer. For someone unaccustomed to having his picture taken--he says his last one taken was a family portrait with his wife and two children that hangs in their living room--he sure has the pose down. Back straight, arm draped over the back of the chair, hand relaxed, it looks like second nature.
After nearly 15 years in the business, it should. After graduating from Oakpark High School in Agoura, Calif., Moses began working for Agoura Artist Studio, training under master photographer Steven Beller, who taught him the secrets of wedding and portrait photography.
"I got hooked on it," Moses says enthusiastically. "That's where it started. It's a way that I can express myself, both as a person and as an artist. The camera becomes an extension of me. Part of the image taken reflects who I am. They'll probably bury me with my camera."
A few years later, Moses trained under and worked with photographer Anthony R. Hall. During that time, he also took some photography courses at UCLA before opening Joel Moses Photography Studio in Woodland Hills, Calif., specializing in the entertainment industry, shooting photos for actors, models and musicians. In '93, he shot the Academy Awards.
"I was out there on the red carpet with the stars. My mom saw me on TV--that was exciting," he says. But the excitement and glitter of Tinsel Town wasn't satisfying for Moses. He grew tired of the smog, and three years ago, moved into his San Jose home, where he lives with his wife, Hilda, and their two children, 5-year-old Nereida and 11-month-old Daniel.
"Every time I get the camera out, my son wants to play with it," Moses says. "He's a next-generation photographer. My daughter's more into her Barbies. My son wants to take my equipment and my daughter wants to be in front of the camera. My wife is the mediator."
He is an active member of Professional Photographers of California and Santa Clara Valley. To view Moses's portraits online, check out www.jmphoto.net.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
