EXPO: A Conversation with Joey L. (Hensel)
Join acclaimed commercial photographer Joey L. in an intimate lecture and conversation. Despite keeping busy with some of the world's largest advertising clients, Joey has continued to dedicate vast amounts of time to his personal projects. Discover how the blending of these two spheres of work (commercial and personal) have influenced Joey's enormous body of work, and how dedicating time to your own projects can help you evolve as a photographer. Joey believes that passion projects can be a catalyst both for creative and personal growth. You'll hear stories about Joey's travels in Iraq, Syria, Ethiopia, India and beyond.
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JOEY LAWRENCE is a Canadian-born photographer and director based in Brooklyn, New York. Since the age of 18, Joey’s work has been consistently sought out by a number of prominent advertising clients, including Lavazza for their 2016 calendar, National Geographic Channel, U.S. Army, Canon, Jose Cuervo, Summit Entertainment, History Channel, The Government of Abu Dhabi, and many others. He has photographed a number of recognizable faces including Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Robert De Niro, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Author John Green, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas to name a few. His work is regularly seen in magazines, subway advertisements, and billboards.His own curiosity for different ways of living have brought him to new and unfamiliar territories—from areas as far away as the holy lands of Varanasi—a trip that he first took as a teenager, which served as the catalyst for the self-titled film and foundation for his ongoing Holy Men series—to culturally-distinct neighborhoods tucked away between the graffitied-streets of Brooklyn—as depicted by his annual pilgrimage to document Halloween in Brooklyn—a favorite personal project.
A firm believer in fostering creativity and fulfillment through personal pursuits, Joey wrote and directed his first scripted film entitled People of the Delta. The film not only featured members of the Daasanach and Hamar groups of Southern Ethiopia as the actors, but also collaborated with many of them for creative input throughout the entire film.
Joey has traveled four times to Iraq and Syria to document the ongoing crisis. He has embedded with multiple sides of the war against ISIS, from the government-held areas in Damascus, to the Free Syrian Army opposition rebels, Kurdish fighters of the YPG, and American coalition partners Syrian Democratic Forces. His ongoing work from the region has contributed significantly to Oxfam’s fundraising efforts, and has been featured in Sunday Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair: Italia, the Atlantic and the Independent.
Joey has been listed as one of the “Most Influential Photographers on Social Media”; Complex Magazine named him one of the “30 Photographers under 30 to Watch”; and he has been recently featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery as part of the Taylor Wessing Prize exhibition.
Unique University® is the highly acclaimed education component of Unique Photo®, NJ’s only camera and video superstore. There is over 2000 sq. ft. of learning space, including our start-of-the art, 1000 sq. ft. main presentation hall. Unique University’s mission is to help our visitors “Create Better Pictures” by providing photography education for beginners to pros. With events daily, it is the place where photography groups such as local camera clubs, ASMP, PPA and others meet. We have a full curriculum of classes and seminars from world famous speakers such as Art Wolfe, Rick Sammon, Michael Yamashita, Tyler Stableford, Lindsay Adler, and Will Crockett. We offer photography experiences to such places as the Prudential Center for Seton Hall Men's Basketball, Meadowlands Horse Racetrack, Lakota Wolf Preserve, NJ Jackals Baseball, Rutgers Football, Botanical Gardens, Festival of Ballooning, and much more. Our technical classes include such topics as basic D-SLR photography, lighting techniques, Adobe Photoshop, Elements, and Lightroom, macro photography, composition, editing and printing, wedding photography, HDR photography, working with speedlights, how to use social media, digital organization, one-on-one instruction, and much more.
FAQ UNIVERSITY
Where are classes held?
Unless stated otherwise, classes are held in the Unique University classroom within the Unique Photo SuperStore (123 US Highway 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004).
What should I bring to class?
You're encouraged to bring your camera and a notebook and pen to most classes. Some classes will require additional equipment, so please check the class descriptions.
Will lunch or refreshments be included?
Lunch and refreshments are not provided for any classes under 6 hours unless noted.
How do I register for a class?
You can register online, in-store at the concierge, or by phone at either 973-377-6454 or 973-377-2007. Please note that you will need to provide payment information.
Can I register at the door?
For most classes, you're free to register at the concierge desk prior to the start of the class. Please note that there are some classes that offer "Early Bird Special" rates and others that have limited seating, so it would be in your best interest to register prior to the dates of such classes.
I wanted to register for ______ class, but it is now sold out. Is there a waiting list?
Please contact us at 973-377-6454 or [email protected] with the following information: your name, phone number, email address, and the class name and date.
My question has not been addressed here. Is there someone I can contact?
Please contact us at 973-377-6454 or [email protected] with any additional inquiries.
Unique University Class Cancellation Policy
- Classes costing less than $99 may be canceled up to 48 hours in advance for a full refund. For classes costing $100 or more, advanced notice of seven days before the class is necessary for a full refund.
- Requests for cancellation made after these deadlines will be awarded store credit in the amount paid for registration towards a future Unique University seminar or workshop.
- Cancellations made within 24 hours of the beginning of a class will not be honored and no refund or credit will be given.
- Cancellations of any class utilizing models will be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the purchased price (up to $100).
** Attention American Express cardholders: If you cancel a registration for a class costing $100 or more, there will be a 3% cancellation fee deducted from your refund or store credit.
Getting Started
How to Submit
Who Can Enter
Must be 18 years or older at time of entry.
Employees & affiliates of Unique Photo are not eligible.
Photos must be original work submitted by the photographer.
Content must be free of offensive or inappropriate material.
Judging Criteria
Entries are judged on creativity, originality, and adherence to the contest theme. The panel's decision is final.
Entry Requirements
Contest Rules
All photographers retain full copyright to their images. By entering, you grant Unique Photo permission to use your photos on social media for promotional purposes.
Please upload a JPEG image. Resize photographs to under 8MB per photo before submitting.
DO NOT include watermarks on photographs — images with watermarks will be disqualified from entry.
Winners will be announced one week after the deadline on Instagram @UniquePhoto.
Terms & Conditions
Submission Guidelines: Photos must be original and submitted by the photographer. Submissions must not contain offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content. Number of photos and submission deadline will be determined by the specific Creators Challenge contest.
Copyright & Usage Rights: All photographers retain full copyrights to their submitted photos. By entering, participants grant Unique Photo a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, and publish their submitted photos on social media and other digital channels for promotional purposes. No modifications will be made without prior consent, except for minor cropping or resizing.
Judging: Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and adherence to the contest theme. The decision of the judging panel is final and binding.
Liability: By entering, participants agree to release Unique Photo and its affiliates from any liability, injury, loss, or damage arising from this contest or any prize won.
Privacy: Personal information collected will only be used to administer the contest and will not be shared with third parties.
Modifications: Unique Photo reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the contest due to technical issues or unforeseen circumstances. For questions, contact [email protected].
Get a FREE $10 Token
with Purchase Of Class
Please note that there will be NO refunds or rescheduling for any Expo class.
JOEY LAWRENCE is a Canadian-born photographer and director based in Brooklyn, New York. Since the age of 18, Joey’s work has been consistently sought out by a number of prominent advertising clients, including Lavazza for their 2016 calendar, National Geographic Channel, U.S. Army, Canon, Jose Cuervo, Summit Entertainment, History Channel, The Government of Abu Dhabi, and many others. He has photographed a number of recognizable faces including Christian Bale, Matthew McConaughey, Robert De Niro, Danny DeVito, Jennifer Lawrence, Jessica Chastain, Author John Green, and two-time Olympic gold medalist Gabby Douglas to name a few. His work is regularly seen in magazines, subway advertisements, and billboards.His own curiosity for different ways of living have brought him to new and unfamiliar territories—from areas as far away as the holy lands of Varanasi—a trip that he first took as a teenager, which served as the catalyst for the self-titled film and foundation for his ongoing Holy Men series—to culturally-distinct neighborhoods tucked away between the graffitied-streets of Brooklyn—as depicted by his annual pilgrimage to document Halloween in Brooklyn—a favorite personal project.
A firm believer in fostering creativity and fulfillment through personal pursuits, Joey wrote and directed his first scripted film entitled People of the Delta. The film not only featured members of the Daasanach and Hamar groups of Southern Ethiopia as the actors, but also collaborated with many of them for creative input throughout the entire film.
Joey has traveled four times to Iraq and Syria to document the ongoing crisis. He has embedded with multiple sides of the war against ISIS, from the government-held areas in Damascus, to the Free Syrian Army opposition rebels, Kurdish fighters of the YPG, and American coalition partners Syrian Democratic Forces. His ongoing work from the region has contributed significantly to Oxfam’s fundraising efforts, and has been featured in Sunday Times Magazine, Rolling Stone, Vanity Fair: Italia, the Atlantic and the Independent.
Joey has been listed as one of the “Most Influential Photographers on Social Media”; Complex Magazine named him one of the “30 Photographers under 30 to Watch”; and he has been recently featured in London’s National Portrait Gallery as part of the Taylor Wessing Prize exhibition.
Unique University® is the highly acclaimed education component of Unique Photo®, NJ’s only camera and video superstore. There is over 2000 sq. ft. of learning space, including our start-of-the art, 1000 sq. ft. main presentation hall. Unique University’s mission is to help our visitors “Create Better Pictures” by providing photography education for beginners to pros. With events daily, it is the place where photography groups such as local camera clubs, ASMP, PPA and others meet. We have a full curriculum of classes and seminars from world famous speakers such as Art Wolfe, Rick Sammon, Michael Yamashita, Tyler Stableford, Lindsay Adler, and Will Crockett. We offer photography experiences to such places as the Prudential Center for Seton Hall Men's Basketball, Meadowlands Horse Racetrack, Lakota Wolf Preserve, NJ Jackals Baseball, Rutgers Football, Botanical Gardens, Festival of Ballooning, and much more. Our technical classes include such topics as basic D-SLR photography, lighting techniques, Adobe Photoshop, Elements, and Lightroom, macro photography, composition, editing and printing, wedding photography, HDR photography, working with speedlights, how to use social media, digital organization, one-on-one instruction, and much more.
FAQ UNIVERSITY
Where are classes held?
Unless stated otherwise, classes are held in the Unique University classroom within the Unique Photo SuperStore (123 US Highway 46 West, Fairfield, NJ 07004).
What should I bring to class?
You're encouraged to bring your camera and a notebook and pen to most classes. Some classes will require additional equipment, so please check the class descriptions.
Will lunch or refreshments be included?
Lunch and refreshments are not provided for any classes under 6 hours unless noted.
How do I register for a class?
You can register online, in-store at the concierge, or by phone at either 973-377-6454 or 973-377-2007. Please note that you will need to provide payment information.
Can I register at the door?
For most classes, you're free to register at the concierge desk prior to the start of the class. Please note that there are some classes that offer "Early Bird Special" rates and others that have limited seating, so it would be in your best interest to register prior to the dates of such classes.
I wanted to register for ______ class, but it is now sold out. Is there a waiting list?
Please contact us at 973-377-6454 or [email protected] with the following information: your name, phone number, email address, and the class name and date.
My question has not been addressed here. Is there someone I can contact?
Please contact us at 973-377-6454 or [email protected] with any additional inquiries.
Unique University Class Cancellation Policy
- Classes costing less than $99 may be canceled up to 48 hours in advance for a full refund. For classes costing $100 or more, advanced notice of seven days before the class is necessary for a full refund.
- Requests for cancellation made after these deadlines will be awarded store credit in the amount paid for registration towards a future Unique University seminar or workshop.
- Cancellations made within 24 hours of the beginning of a class will not be honored and no refund or credit will be given.
- Cancellations of any class utilizing models will be subject to a cancellation fee of 50% of the purchased price (up to $100).
** Attention American Express cardholders: If you cancel a registration for a class costing $100 or more, there will be a 3% cancellation fee deducted from your refund or store credit.
Getting Started
How to Submit
Who Can Enter
Must be 18 years or older at time of entry.
Employees & affiliates of Unique Photo are not eligible.
Photos must be original work submitted by the photographer.
Content must be free of offensive or inappropriate material.
Judging Criteria
Entries are judged on creativity, originality, and adherence to the contest theme. The panel's decision is final.
Entry Requirements
Contest Rules
All photographers retain full copyright to their images. By entering, you grant Unique Photo permission to use your photos on social media for promotional purposes.
Please upload a JPEG image. Resize photographs to under 8MB per photo before submitting.
DO NOT include watermarks on photographs — images with watermarks will be disqualified from entry.
Winners will be announced one week after the deadline on Instagram @UniquePhoto.
Terms & Conditions
Submission Guidelines: Photos must be original and submitted by the photographer. Submissions must not contain offensive, discriminatory, or inappropriate content. Number of photos and submission deadline will be determined by the specific Creators Challenge contest.
Copyright & Usage Rights: All photographers retain full copyrights to their submitted photos. By entering, participants grant Unique Photo a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, reproduce, and publish their submitted photos on social media and other digital channels for promotional purposes. No modifications will be made without prior consent, except for minor cropping or resizing.
Judging: Entries will be judged based on creativity, originality, and adherence to the contest theme. The decision of the judging panel is final and binding.
Liability: By entering, participants agree to release Unique Photo and its affiliates from any liability, injury, loss, or damage arising from this contest or any prize won.
Privacy: Personal information collected will only be used to administer the contest and will not be shared with third parties.
Modifications: Unique Photo reserves the right to cancel, suspend, or modify the contest due to technical issues or unforeseen circumstances. For questions, contact [email protected].