Joey Darwish
Photographer / Producer / Founder of Ahxmed Productions
Boston, MA
instagram @ahxmedproductions / @joeyadarwish
LinkedIn
Q What do you do?
“I am a multi-disciplinary photographer & producer.”
I have dabbled in fashion, event, branded, food & commercial work.
Q What steps did you take to get to where you are now?
Ever since I was a kid I’ve always loved holding a camera. My dad has a video of me when I was 3 years old crying to hold the camera while he films my sisters basketball game. When I was in elementary school I used to always film me & my cousin doing outrageous things like building snow ramps in my front lawn or doing tricks on our bicycles.
As I grew older I decided to take a corporate route but that would not fit my skills or personality. I kept being drawn back to the camera, so when I moved out of my hometown, of Syracuse, NY, I bought a DSLR camera & became obsessed.
I definitely did this ass backwards but I would spend hours taking photos in the city then the next day be on youtube for hours looking at tutorials on ISO, shutter, f/stop, color, composition, etc. I’d also connect with local photographers & do photowalks. I just kept trying things until they stuck. I did promotional video for an art gallery, I would do street photography & sell prints, I PA’d a bunch around Boston, took online classes via Greg Williams (highly recommend) or LinkedIn Photoshop classes. I really just let my obsession take over.
I just did everything I could in that space to network & gain knowledge. No job was too big or too small for me. No matter if it was PA’ing or producing a reel for a client, I took it & ran with it.
Now, when I take on commercial clients I feel more confident & well equipped to deliver because of all those opportunities I took as a beginner. My ability to network & connect with people allowed me to make those initial connections that bridged my career into the commercial space. It has expanded my photography to not only cities outside of Boston like New York City but also overseas to Europe.
Q How do you stand out in your field?
Since I am self taught I believe I bring different perspectives when I’m on set or directing a shoot. As a producer I am able to work with photographers really well since I am one & it helps with my ability to translate the clients needs to the production crew.
Since I worked in a corporate setting for a few years prior to making my career change, I bring a lot of professionalism to a creative setting, which stands out. I am very punctual with time, budgets & communication.
I can’t half ass anything so I become extremely interested in my clients business’s so it’s not just a job for me it’s an opportunity for me to learn more about an industry or a business. It allows us to create something truly unique & intentional. I take a lot of pride in my work & collaborations with my clients.
Q What are you working on right now?
Some of my recent work has been producing content for local New England food brands who had new products launching. I filmed a sizzle reel for a sports conference in NYC that summed up the two day conference filled with panel discussions & an awards ceremony.
Currently, I am working on creating a photo zine from my recent trip to Europe. The story of the zine is a story of enjoying disconnecting & finding creativity again. I’ve never made a zine so this will be an interesting experience.
I am also in the beginning stages of producing a podcast about coffee. I am excited about this one because it is a great opportunity to promote a local business & bring in my network of creatives together to collaborate & make some money for our businesses.
I also work with a local non-profit that is used as a resource for dog owners. I am in the process of producing & filming a sizzle reel for them to promote their services & raise awareness. I actually began by restructuring their brand identity then started producing content for them later in our relationship.
Q What’s your style?
I lead with intent & purpose. As a producer, I try to fully immerse myself in their brand identity so I can deliver an accurate product for that client. Aligning with my clients ethos is very important to me because I believe that high quality content reaches into the emotions of the viewers & consumers.
My style as a photographer is an ever evolving perspective but the consistent element I have seen in my photos over the years is minimalist lifestyle, sometimes with a little chaos.
An example of that is, I did a recent small production at my apartment with a few products I use & love. It was a book a friend of mine bought me called “La Dolce Vita” which translates to “The Sweet Life” in Italian, Peroni, Morretti (Italian beers), an espresso cup & a deck of cards I bought in Florence. They’re all products I use & the set design was very minimalistic & small.
Q Out of all your slashies, which one do you wish you could do more often?
I would love to be able to learn more about the tech side of running a business. SEO’s, perfecting my website (UX/UI) & social media.
Q What is frustrating you right now?
I am struggling with a lot of the operational tasks with running my business & marketing / social media.
Q If you could hire someone for $20/hour, what would you have them do to make your day easier?
Marketing & operational/administrative work. I also would consider naming my first born after them depending on how well they do. I want to focus as much on creative work as possible. I don’t mind doing that right now but of course having a dedicated resource will help so much.
Q What do you wish you could have told yourself, when, and why?
I would tell myself “It’s all going to work out. Trust yourself.” & “Your focus determines your reality” (Liam Neeson as Qui Gon Jinn). I wouldn’t change anything but I would definitely want to give my younger self assurance that I ended up becoming who I wanted to be.
Q If you could talk to an expert to gain more insight on something, what would it be about?
I’d love to talk to an old photographer who’s taken photos all over the world & get their philosophy on life.
Q What kind of opportunities/projects are you looking for?
I am looking to produce photo & video lifestyle content for food/drink, fashion brands & MMA fighters/brands.
Q Describe your ideal job/client/collaboration.
An ideal client for me is one who respects time & communication as much as I do. They have an idea for a budget & an idea of what they want. I always respond well to upfront & honest people & someone who can work in a team setting.
Q What is your rate?
For producing I charge industry standard rates so that depends on the budget. For commercial photography I also try to work with the producer or client as much as possible with how much they are prepared to spend so that is always an open conversation. There are variables that go into it like equipment, studios, licensing, etc but I can accommodate to various budgets with provided clarity.
Q How should someone approach you about working together?
Email me at jdarwish@ahxmed.com or DM on instagram @ahxmedproductions
Let me know what you need, how much you want to spend & when you need it done.
Q Who is a creative you admire?
A few that have helped me in my early journey are Sean Tucker (@seantuck) Mike (I don’t know his last name lol (@northborders) & Evan Ranft (@Evanranft)
A few that have been helping me recently: Paul Weaver (@Paulwheatthins) & Edward Lee (@edwardleefilms)
Q Oh! and… how do you stay creative?
“Dolce far Niente” sweetness of doing nothing.
This member profile was originally published in August 2023