As a digital journalist and thought leader, Joe constantly searches for the next story to tell. Joe’s passion for visual storytelling began with his love of punk rock music and culture.

“Joe is a creative force of nature.”

- Astrid Lark, CEO of Fire On The Moon

Based in Richmond, VA, I work as a freelance producer, editor, director, camera operator, DIT, camera assistant, and photographer. My keen eye for capturing beautiful moments and engaging content make me the ideal Director of Photography or Editor for your next project. I’m experienced working with big brands and small businesses, nonprofit and government organizations, loving families and individuals, and musicians of all genres. I bring my positive mental attitude and creative passion to every project I get to work on. I’ve worked with clients directly through my personal brand and with production companies, such as Fire On The Moon and digital marketing companies in Richmond, including Enso Media Firm and Filmspire.

In May 2021, I graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University’s post-baccalaureate Advanced Media Production Technology certification taught by professionals in film and sound production. In the program, I learned how to apply professional techniques in film and sound to my work. I created work for musicians and nonprofit organizations can share with their audiences.

As a teenager, I loved listening to punk rock music and consuming alternative music magazines on a daily basis. I admired the art and advertisements in the magazines and covered my bedroom walls with their contents floor to ceiling while blasting the music of my favorite bands through my stereo’s speakers. Fascinated with the photography and live shows, I desired to participate in the music scene. After taking my first photography class in 2005, I attended Christopher Newport University where I earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English with a journalism concentration and contributed articles and photos to the school newspaper, which gave me access to my first DSLR camera. By taking photos at shows, I created friendships with local bands playing in the Hampton Roads music scene and expanded my network to Richmond and Northern Virginia. Excited by the access gained to shooting shows and interviewing artists I looked up to, I reveled in the opportunity of contributing to the scene as a music journalist. In 2007, I launched my personal brand as Joe Fitz Photography and later rebranded to Joe Fitz Media. In addition to taking photos of live performances at local shows, I started pursuing freelance work as a portrait photographer. I also contributed to nationally-circulated alternative music magazines Hails & Horns Magazine, Amp Magazine, and New Noise Magazine. This was a dream come true for me that gave me greater exposure to bands I loved and leaders of the music scene. A major highlight included taking photos at the 2010-2014 Vans Warped Tour.

In 2011, I moved to Northern Virginia, and while living there, I started Dominion Collective, which featured long-form interviews with people in bands and businesses that formed the music and culture in Virginia and Washington, DC. I collaborated with a team of 20 contributors to create content for the website and social media, and I established branding and style guidelines adapted from my experience contributing to the music magazines. Without any monetization, my passion for creating a positive community to support local music and culture kept the website going until 2016. I created the website as a way for me to create content for my portfolio that would help me to get job opportunities as a full-time content creator, promote music and culture to a wider audience, and provide an outlet for other aspiring creative individuals to develop their skills. In all of these ways, the brand was successful.

After moving to Richmond in 2016, I changed my focus to creating video content under the lifestyle brand Path to Life, which featured short documentaries about individuals making positive impacts in their community through their work.

I also started sharing my own story and the lifestyle changes I made including changing to a plant-based diet and focusing on improving my health and wellness.

While creating content for my YouTube channel and sharing stories on Instagram, I’m seeking out freelance or full-time video production and post-production opportunities in Richmond, or virtually. I just want to work on rad projects that have a positive impact and tell great stories.

I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for my career and continuing to develop my skills in video production and content creation while staying true to the spirit of punk rock and PMA that got me started.