We recently connected with Joe DeSanti and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Joe thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

Success means different things to different people. For me, it’s about reaching a place where you genuinely love what you do and feel at peace with it.

When I was just starting out as a photographer, I was pretty self-conscious about my work. I didn’t have a big following on social media, and I often questioned whether I was good enough, but I got a big break when I was selected as one of the approved photographers for a major music festival in California.

At the festival, I met a lot of other photographers, but one encounter really stuck with me. There was this one guy I kept seeing all over the place—onstage, backstage, in the photo pit, even out in the crowd taking photos. He was clearly experienced and super passionate about what he did.

Before one of the performances, we struck up a conversation and decided to follow each other on Instagram. At the time, I had about 275 followers. When I looked at his profile, I saw he had over 90,000. I was immediately embarrassed and thanked him for following me.

What he said next changed the way I saw things. He told me never to be ashamed of how many followers I had. He said what really matters is the quality of your work, not the numbers. “It doesn’t matter if someone has 10 followers or 100,000,” he said. “Those people are there for your work. They care about your content.”

That moment meant a lot to me. He was clearly successful, and yet he took the time to encourage me. That one conversation gave me a confidence boost I still carry with me today.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

My name is Joe DeSanti, and I’m the owner, photographer, and content manager of The Review Junkie, an online publication dedicated to concert and special event photography and reviews. I’ve been passionate about photography for years, but it wasn’t until 2019 that I decided to focus more seriously on entertainment photography.

I started by shooting whatever events I could, building experience and honing my craft. Eventually, I became a contributing photographer and writer for GoVenue Magazine, an opportunity that gave me both the confidence and the experience I needed. In 2020, I took the leap and launched my own publication, The Review Junkie.

What sets me apart is that I’ve never boxed myself into one specific genre. Whether it’s a concert, a special event, a political protest, or anything else that I feel is worth capturing, I make it a point to be there with my camera. That versatility has helped me grow both creatively and professionally.

What makes me most proud is when artists or individuals I’ve photographed share my work, like my posts, or repost my content for their own followers. That kind of support is the ultimate validation—it tells me they truly appreciate what I’ve created.

What do you find most rewarding about being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding part of being a photographer is the ability to document history. Every photo I take captures a moment in time—something real and unrepeatable. In an age where content is constantly being shared across social media, from videos to vlogs to phone snapshots, there’s still something uniquely powerful about an image captured with a professional camera.

It’s also incredibly fulfilling when someone compliments my work or shares it with their own audience. That simple act tells me that at least one person connected with what they saw—and that kind of recognition means the world to me as a photographer.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Getting to where I am today has taken a lot of resilience. For every “yes” I received, there were probably a hundred “no’s.” When I was first starting out, I applied for media credentials to just about everything—major concerts, comedy shows, sporting events—you name it, but because I didn’t have much of a following at the time, I was often denied.

Still, I was determined to break into the world of bigger shows and events. That meant starting small, working for free, and covering things that others overlooked—just to get my name out there and build a solid portfolio. Slowly but surely, I gained more followers, built strong relationships, and started earning more opportunities.

There are plenty of photographers out there who are more formally trained or have larger followings—but one thing I’ve always promised myself is that no one will outwork me.

One of my biggest goals was to photograph a WWE event. After years of trying, I was finally granted a media pass in January 2024 for a televised WWE show—and I captured some of the work I’m most proud of to date.

I’ve also been blessed with the opportunity to photograph some of the biggest names in music and entertainment, including Jelly Roll, P!nk, Zach Bryan, Chappell Roan, Benson Boone, Cirque du Soleil, and many others.

Hard work and persistence really do pay off.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thereviewjunkie.com
• Instagram: @thereviewjunkie
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thereviewjunkie

Image Credits

All photos:
Joe DeSanti for The Review Junkie