Michael Joseph Photographics

01/01/2026

I was notified yesterday of Aidan’s passing…
Presenting Aidan’s portrait in color, made on the street in New Orleans in 2022. Aidan got to see his portrait in the Lost and Found book, a moment that made me proud to document his life and the life of so many others. Rest in Power.
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“Aidan”
New Orleans, LA 2022

11/23/2025

I’m often asked if I shoot for black and white or for color…
While Lost and Found was always meant to be a black and white project, I always shoot in color to capture what was seen in real time. Small detail, such as the blood shot eye can only be really seen in color. Pictured here is “Lost Boy” photographed on the street in New Orleans.
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“Lost Boy”
New Orleans, LA

10/05/2025

Find me TODAY at the where I will be signing copies of Lost and Found at 1:00pm at the table!

04/09/2025

A portrait from “Lost and Found” becomes a book cover…

02/26/2025

Thanks to for inclusion into this exhibition!
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lenscratch A Second Gaze | The Portraits Edition
“We all have found ourselves caught in that serendipitous moment when an old face becomes a new one,” says editor Vicente Isaías () at the link in bio. “This unexpected sight — changed by the passing of time and the happenings of life - reminds us that nothing is certain but our steady dissolution into oblivion.”
“The 20 talented photographers presented in this retrospective exhibition take us close to infinity-that illusory state of timelessness that we’ve all felt looking deeply into one another, and that only the most attentive photographers can conjure.”
We hope you enjoy this selection of images as much as we did re-encountering them!

11/28/2024

Happy Thanksgiving!!
Some photos from parades past in NYC
-MJ

10/22/2024

“Isaak”
New Orleans, LA 2024

10/05/2024

After years off the road…
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“Nobody talks about how hard it is to go from this to a ‘normal life. From being wild and untamed, and absolutely in your face about how unjust it all is, to treading around on tiptoes trying not to offend people with your resistance to this colonized way of life. Nobody talks about how hard it is to uproot your essence for a moments reprieve from being told everything you are is wrong.
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Having to watch people wage war against their natural selves, settle in to time structures that neglect rest and exploration as it calls to us, deny our curiosity to meeting others in the depths of their existence because we are so f^%ing afraid of everything. And it’s so f&$ing hard, it’s hard to want to be different but be just as afraid as everyone else, and to suck at figuring it out, and to not even know if you want to figure it out because none of it actually makes any goddamned sense.. but here I am, in spite of it all, overwhelmed every moment of every day because where did it all go so wrong and thank god it’s starting to finally go right again but is it though?
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Yes and no I think, and I’ll continue residing in that duality, torn between two worlds that aren’t meant for one another and dreaming about ways to be two very different people all in this one very singular life.”

- Ophelia

10/05/2024

After years off the road…
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“Nobody talks about how hard it is to go from this to a ‘normal life. From being wild and untamed, and absolutely in your face about how unjust it all is, to treading around on tiptoes trying not to offend people with your resistance to this colonized way of life. Nobody talks about how hard it is to uproot your essence for a moments reprieve from being told everything you are is wrong.
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Having to watch people wage war against their natural selves, settle in to time structures that neglect rest and exploration as it calls to us, deny our curiosity to meeting others in the depths of their existence because we are so f^%ing afraid of everything. And it’s so f&$ing hard, it’s hard to want to be different but be just as afraid as everyone else, and to suck at figuring it out, and to not even know if you want to figure it out because none of it actually makes any goddamned sense.. but here I am, in spite of it all, overwhelmed every moment of every day because where did it all go so wrong and thank god it’s starting to finally go right again but is it though?
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Yes and no I think, and I’ll continue residing in that duality, torn between two worlds that aren’t meant for one another and dreaming about ways to be two very different people all in this one very singular life.”
- Ophelia

09/28/2024

“I’m new to all of this. I travelled before and the last few years has definitely been the hardest. You see your friends collapse, meet some new ones. Some of the new ones suck and you end up alone. I have a gigantic fear of feeling alone. As much as this part of it has been hard, it brought me new beautiful perspectives.
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Travelling the way I do has made me more grateful than ever for every tiny beautiful thing that crosses my path and all i can think about writing is what I’m grateful for.
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I’m grateful for this life making me tougher everyday. I’m grateful for all the cars that stopped for me on the highway, for all the people who stopped to appreciate our music. I’m grateful for the lovers who come and go. I’m grateful for my mother who is a big part of me. I grow to be more like her as time goes by. I’m grateful to have inherited of her love for music and adventure. Despite not seeing her as often as i’d like, i have the chance of making family wherever i go.
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I’ve learned to never take anything for granted. I’m more aware of how it is to be a woman in this community. You come to realize that sometimes, you can’t always do what the boys do. You’ll get creeped on, get sh*tty rides and are constantly on edge with strangers. Don’t get me wrong, it can also be an advantage but i did learn that i need to develop my ability to defend myself if necessary.”
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“Lamya” New Orleans, LA 2024

09/04/2024