Joe Goldberg sees the world from a unique perspective, traveling around the globe capturing his astonishing experiences through the eyes of his lens in both photography and videography. A DC native, Goldberg first discovered his lifelong passion at 11 years old on a trip to Costa Rica and has been making moves in the industry from that moment on with adventures and memories to last a lifetime. Never letting his age get in the way of his success and journey, Joe has made experiences that his peers would only dream of, from touring with rap superstar Lil Xan, getting his work published in major media platforms such as Playboy Magazine, the Today Show, and Fox News, and exploring numerous parts of the globe shooting for Swiss Tourism. Additionally, Joe is a founder of his family's lifechanging charitable organization Hope For Henry in memoriam of his brother Henry who passed away from cancer. Since its startup in 2003, Hope for Henry has improved the lives of over 50,000 children through its revolutionary programs allowing sick children and their families to alleviate the stress of being at hospitals. I talked to Joe about his journey in becoming a professional photographer, his experiences touring with Lil Xan, and much more:

James: How did your love of photography and videography first start and how did that transfer over to concert photography and shooting shows?

Joe: My mom and I traveled to Costa Rica when I was 11 where I first fell in love with photography. At 13, I saved up my Bar Mitzvah money to buy a camera and since then I never looked back. I have kept my camera with me everywhere I go capturing memories that I can hold onto forever.

When I was fifteen, I realized I loved listening to music, taking photos, and creating videos so I thought I should mix those passions together. I had a connection to shoot Lollapalooza 2017 in Chicago and with those photos, I made my portfolio which would get me into lots of other shows.

James: Starting off, how did you make sure that people took you seriously and wouldn't take advantage of you given your age?

Joe: I didn't know when I was younger that I needed to know my worth and receive more money for my work. At the same time, I'm happy I took those opportunities even though I wasn't paid well because I learned so much being around certain people and got a better understanding of certain aspects business-wise.

I had some of the greatest moments of my life on those assignments and got a lot of practice in the game before the serious money was in the question.

I never let my age come between me and my work. Ever since I was young I was always finding ways to make money. I sold shoes and clothes all the time. In the summer, I had lemonade and snow cone stands.

James: How did you go from someone who loves photography to becoming a professional photographer?

Joe: After making my website when I was 13, I quickly started emailing companies, trying to get sponsorships and work with the brands I love wearing. I would only get a couple of responses but a couple of those changed my life. Companies began paying me for my work and I started getting packages every day with suitcases, clothes, gifts, and shoes. That's when it started to get real.

I got into Outside Magazine and my photos were on the Today Show, Yahoo News, and many other outlets. It registered to me that everything was starting to come together.

James: How did you first meet Lil Xan and get the opportunity to work with him? What has the experience been like for you?

Joe: I met Lil Xan in DC. I DM'd his DJ, Kinfolk Jon, and he told me to come to the hotel before the show. I met Xan and we became close. I sent him photos and a recap video that night that I worked my ass off to get done as quickly as possible. He loved it and invited me to the Firefly Music Festival the next week. I shot that and it was a movie. We had over twenty thousand people in the crowd. I got to bring my cousin to shoot with me and he drove us over to Delaware.

I went out to LA and Xan told me to come play video games with him at his apartment. Ever since that day, he's been like an older brother to me. He's taught me so much and was making my dreams become reality at such a young age. It was a special thing he did for me. He called my parents the day I arrived at his place in LA on my phone and said he'd take care of me. He was smiling the whole time and my parents trusted him knowing the morals they taught me and knew I'd stay working. They were proud of me.

James: You've had the opportunity to shoot shows for tons of big artists. What are some of your favorite performances that you've seen and who are some artists that hope to see perform live in the future?

Joe: A$AP Rocky is the one who first got me into rap music so his shows in DC and his Rolling Loud NYC performance are my favorites. That show was a movie. The performance is on my YouTube and by the footage, you can tell it was insane.

Yachty, Carti, Uzi, Tyler, the Creator, Travis, Young Thug, and Brockhampton always put on incredible shows too.

I'm upset I couldn't see Pop Smoke perform before his passing. He is one of my favorite artists, rest in peace. In the future, I'd love to see Frank Ocean, Skepta, Lucki, Chief Keef, Youngboy and many others perform.

James: What was the hardest obstacle you had to face on your journey to becoming a photographer?

Joe: People doubting me of my skills.

James: What's your ideal camera equipment set-up?

Joe: A working camera that can capture my vision.

James: What's the biggest thing you learned about the business that you did not realize before?

Joe: Know your worth. People need creative work so never sell yourself short.

James: Walk me through a typical day in the life of Joe Goldberg.

Joe: I'm usually hanging out with my best friends in DC. We enjoy exploring, eating food, and having fun along the way. I love to have my cameras on me capturing video and photos of our memories together every day.

James: What do you look for in artists that want to work with you?

Joe: Passion. People who love to make music and down to earth artists are always chill to work with.

James: What keeps you motivated and driven to keep producing content?

Joe: My love for life.

James: What advice do you have for up and coming photographers starting off?

Joe: Follow your dreams. Do your own thing. Create your own path and don't be a follower. Find inspiration and use that to your own vision.

Follow Joe on his Instagram: @joe_goldberg

Subscribe to Joe's YouTube: Joe Goldberg

Visit Joe's website to check out his growing portfolio and purchase a photograph for any occasion: www.JoeGoldberg.com

Make a donation to Joe's charitable organization and make a difference in children's lives who are fighting cancer and other illnesses: Hope for Henry