Joe Lewis
Photographer Joe Lewis was born in Winter Haven, a small central Florida citrus-producing and tourist community. He took up photography in college and immediately gravitated toward abstract, architectural and figure work. At the time, he recalls, the dark room was a place to create deviations from the "normal" black & white imagery of his classmates. Even then he wanted his work to stand apart. With the advent of digital processing he came to rely more on the subject matter, composition and emotion to satisfy his desire for individuality.

His current work is more focused on the human figure, but he still uses architectural features and abstract forms to express his vision. As he notes, " In my youth I was influenced by late night re-runs of classic black & white film noir, horror and science fiction. I find myself including darkness, doorways to nowhere and anonymity in my recent work, often incorporating harsh lighting, grain and distorted colors." His exhibition of Haily (see below) perfectly exemplifies these intriguing qualities; a beautiful, shapely nude model showcased inside a minimalist interior, a barren wall and an uncluttered wooden floor. Simple lines, sensual shapes, captivatingly beautiful!