Today we’d like to introduce you to Joseph Seif.
Hi Joseph, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
My artistic foundation actually began with classical piano, but deep down, I always knew I wanted to tell stories visually. My career properly started in San Francisco during the mid-2000s indie music scene. I was working at a high-end camera store and rental shop, which was a blessing because it allowed me to borrow equipment I couldn’t afford. I spent my off-days assisting advertising photographers and my nights and weekends shooting music videos and photoshoots for friends’ bands. Being in an up-and-coming band at the time also gave me unique access to document that freewheeling era from the inside out.
One night, I dreamt I was photographing dancers underwater. I couldn’t shake the idea, so I got scuba certified and turned that dream into reality. The resulting underwater series received national press and opened the door to shooting advertising campaigns. Simultaneously, I was traveling the world as an in-house photographer and filmmaker for a major San Francisco tech company, building a solid portfolio, which included work with celebrities.
In 2014, I moved to Los Angeles to refine my craft at the Global Cinematography Institute, training under legends Yuri Neyman, ASC and Vilmos Zsigmond, ASC. That experience sharpened my skills and propelled me into the entertainment industry; I joined Local 600, signed with an agency, and began working on projects for major artists like Sting and Metallica.
While my commercial career grew, I never lost the drive for personal expression. In 2019, I published ONWARD, a fine art book of images taken with my Leica M6 over 12 years on the road. The book was picked up by the Leica Gallery LA and Leica NY, Hennessy + Ingalls, and many other high end bookstores. Recently, my music journey has come full circle. I returned to the piano, releasing two solo vinyl records (Works for Solo Piano I and II) and scoring music for a global New Balance campaign with the NBA player Kawhi Leonard.
Today, my focus is on the intersection of art, nature, and community. A 2022 National Geographic Expeditions assignment in Antarctica and subsequent work in the Arctic resulted in my upcoming book, Midnight Sun (Daylight Books, May 2025), and led me to co-found the expedition storytelling nonprofit Creative Climate Lab. I’ve also taken up painting by training in oil painting with LA artist Julia Diller for over two years, and I serve on the board of the American Photographic Artists (LA Chapter), helping our community of photographers navigate this time of immense industry change.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has definitely been a winding road. Like many creatives, the “highlight reel” of my career hides the nonstop grind behind the scenes.
Early on, the biggest struggle was simply access. Photography and filmmaking are expensive mediums. When I was starting in San Francisco, I didn’t have the capital to own high-end equipment. I had to be resourceful. Working at a camera store and rental shop was my lifeline to borrowing the gear I needed to shoot and it allowed me to meet and learn from the best working photographers in San Francisco. I spent years hustling, assisting photographers and shooting music videos for my friends, trying to build a portfolio that could allow me to take things to the next level, and eventually building a name for myself in the Bay Area.
Another major hurdle was the transition to Los Angeles. Moving here is a “leveling up” moment that comes with a lot of pressure. You go from being a known entity in a smaller pond to swimming with the biggest whales in the industry. It took resilience to navigate the competitive landscape of the entertainment industry and find my footing in a city where everyone is talented. Getting signed with an agent and joining the union has certainly helped, but ultimately it’s on me to build and maintain the connections needed for a career in this city.
Currently, the struggle is existential. The industry is going through a profound disruption with the rise of Generative AI. It challenges the value of human creation. That anxiety was actually the catalyst for me to start painting. I felt the urge to make things with my hands again. It’s also why I joined the board of the APA; to help my peers navigate this uncertainty. The road hasn’t been smooth, but those bumps are exactly what forced me to evolve from a photographer/filmmaker into a more complete multi-disciplinary artist who is “medium-agnostic.”
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I function as a multidisciplinary visual artist, working primarily as a commercial photographer and cinematographer. My work sits at the intersection of high-end commercial production and long-form visual storytelling with fine art aesthetics (think editorial photo essays and coffee table books).
I specialize in visual storytelling that emphasizes atmosphere and mood. Whether I am shooting a global campaign for a brand, or capturing landscapes in Antarctica, I am known for bringing a cinematic quality to still images and a photographic sensibility to motion.
What sets me apart is my background as a classical pianist and composer. I don’t just “look” at a scene, I lock into its tone. This influences everything from how I move the camera to how I light a scene. Being able to release solo piano records while simultaneously working as a Local 600 cinematographer and photographer gives me a unique perspective on visual storytelling.
I am most proud of my upcoming book, Midnight Sun (Daylight Books, May 2025). This project was born from an assignment with National Geographic Expeditions in Antarctica and expanded to the Arctic, Svalbard, and East Greenland. It represents a shift in my career toward work that matters on a planetary scale. It was the catalyst for me to co-found Creative Climate Lab, a nonprofit dedicated to expedition storytelling focused on the poles and ocean research.
I am also very proud of my role on the board of the American Photographic Artists (LA Chapter). In an era where AI is rapidly changing our landscape, being able to serve my community and advocate for human creativity is incredibly rewarding.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
The most important lesson I’ve learned is to trust what excites you, even when it doesn’t seem to make immediate business sense.
For a long time, there was pressure to “pick a lane.” I felt like I had to choose between being a musician, or a photographer, or a cinematographer, and between commercial work and fine art. But looking back, my biggest breakthroughs came when I ignored that advice and followed a gut feeling.
When I had that dream about underwater photography, it would have been easy to dismiss it as a distraction. Instead, I got scuba certified and got right to it, and that body of work launched my advertising career. When I felt the urge to return to the piano, I didn’t suppress it; I released two records, which eventually led to scoring a major commercial for a global brand campaign.
The lesson I’ve learned is that diversification is not a distraction; it is a superpower. Especially now, with the rise of AI, having a unique, human perspective that spans multiple disciplines is the only thing that cannot be automated. By allowing myself to be a photographer, cinematographer, composer, painter, and a nonprofit co-founder, I’ve built a career that is adaptable and generally resilient to industry shifts because it is entirely my own.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.josephseif.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jseifvisuals
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joeseif/
Image Credits
(Main/bio photo of me) Photo by Philip Cheung
