We’re looking forward to introducing you to Joe Scarnici. Check out our conversation below.
Joe, it’s always a pleasure to learn from you and your journey. Let’s start with a bit of a warmup: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
Most mornings start with a mental negotiation. I wake up and immediately begin debating whether I’m actually going to the gym. After a few minutes of procrastination disguised as reflection, I decide to go. I mix some pre-workout into a to-go cup, fill my water bottle, and continue silently questioning my life choices until I’m halfway through my warm-up. Then, somewhere between sets, the internal resistance fades and I think, “Okay, fine…this feels good.” The struggle vanishes and I’m left wondering why I fought it in the first place.
On rest days, it’s a different rhythm: I’m up first, making coffee within roughly seventeen seconds of standing upright. Then I sit in the quiet kitchen with my Sudoku book – just me, caffeine, and a puzzle before the household wakes up and the calm dissolves into the morning chaos of kids, breakfasts, and backpacks.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m a photographer and director based in Southern California, mostly working in the sports, lifestyle, and commercial space. My work lives at the intersection of athleticism and style. It’s that mix of grit, polish, and personality that makes an image feel both cinematic and real. I’ve photographed Olympic athletes, world champions, and major brands like K-Swiss and Team USA, but what I really chase is that in-between moment, the split second where performance meets humanity.
Lately, I’ve been focused on projects that lean into the evolution of sport culture. I’ve been shooting campaigns for K-Swiss’ pickleball line and Gradual G’s performance apparel, both blending storytelling with a sense of ease.
Appreciate your sharing that. Let’s talk about your life, growing up and some of topics and learnings around that. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
I was always me. The world never had to tell me who to be. I’ve been a photographer for as long as I can remember literally since I was about five years old. My dad once took a photo of my toy dinosaur and army man in the grass, then told me there were dinosaurs in the backyard while I was at school. That moment stuck. It made me realize how powerful a photograph could be and that it could create a whole world.
If you’d asked me as a teenager in the ’90s what I wanted to do, I’d have told you exactly this: I want to be a photographer and travel the world. I still feel lucky that I knew my path so early. Not everyone gets that kind of clarity.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Covid was tough on photographers. For a moment, I really questioned whether I was making the right choices especially with so many people leaving the industry and moving out of California. But that doubt didn’t last long. I came to my senses pretty quickly and reminded myself that even if I had to develop black-and-white film in my bathroom, I’d still find a way to keep shooting.
It was just a fleeting thought in a rough time, the kind of moment that makes you check your foundation. And mine has always been the same: I was born to make images, no matter what’s happening in the world.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. Is the public version of you the real you?
The public version of me is pretty much the real me. I’m sarcastic, I swear way too much, and I’m brutally honest so if you ask me something, you’d better actually want the answer. I’m confident in what I do, and I try to carry that same energy in both my public and private life.
That said, I’m not always “on.” When I’m home, I like quiet nights. I’m the guy who puts in headphones on a plane and hopes no one tries to start small talk. Working on the road can be mentally taxing when you’re constantly performing, connecting, creating. So when I get a break, I genuinely enjoy the silence.
Okay, so before we go, let’s tackle one more area. If you knew you had 10 years left, what would you stop doing immediately?
If I knew it was all going to be over in ten years, there’s not much I’d stop doing. I love my job, my wife and kids, my life. My work fulfills me as a pater familias, and my wife and kids fulfill me as a human being. Honestly, I’d probably just double down on what I’m already doing like take more pictures, spend more family time, surf more.
If I had to stop something immediately? I’d probably quit trying so hard to be healthy. I mean fuck it, if I’m on the clock anyway, bring on the food. I love eating… sometimes it’s hard not to.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.joescarnici.com
- Instagram: @joescarnici
