Joe studied art and design in Malta and Florence, Italy where he was awarded scholarship in 1983.

He has been in photography since 1979. He is a member of the Malta Photographic Society of which he won the coveted Photographer of the Year Award in 1995 and also a Fellow of the Malta Institute of Professional Photographers. He is often called upon by both organisations to judge competitions and give lectures. In 1995 he was made Associate of the Royal Photographic Society of Great Britain and later Artist of the International Federation of Photographic Art. In 2001 he was the first and only Maltese photographer to achieve Fellowship status of the Malta Institute of Professional Photographers. In November of the same year he was also made Associate of the Master Photographers Association of the UK. He has been responsible for the design of various postage stamps, logos of established companies, brochures, packaging and CD sleeves.

Between 1991-1992 he was art director of the in-house design and packaging studio of a cosmetics manufacturing concern

His preference is for monochrome photography especially those depicting the performing arts and his name has become synonymous with pictures of Jazz musicians who performed in the Malta Jazz Festival of which he has been the official photographer since the first edition in 1991. Many of his Jazz pictures can be found on the websites of renowned musicians who played in the Festival

He has also spent five years as the resident photographer of the experimental theatre group Politeatru between 1987 and 1993 with whom he travelled to Moscow in 1991 and staged an exhibition of theatrical photography at the Russian Federation Museum of Decorative, Applied and Folk Art. He still uses conventional film for his work but this is then scanned and output digitally.

In October 2002 he was awarded the prestigious Overseas Master Photographer Award of the Master Photographers Association of the UK.

Joe has exhibited extensively locally and abroad and has had work published in various publications. He is also frequently called upon to judge local and international competitions and also to lecture on the subject.

All photos copyright © Joe Smith. All Rights Reserved.

Chick Corea - with his Akoustik Band in 1991 featuring John Patitucci on bass and Dave Weckl on drums

Michel Petrucciani - The Michel Petrucciani Quintet during the first edition of the Malta Jazz Festival in 1991.

McCoy Tyner - The McCoy Tyner Trio featuring Aaron Scott on drums and Michael Brecker on sax (1996).

Diana Krall - Diana Krall Trio with Russel Malone on guitar and Paul Keller on bass (1998).

Michel Camilo - playing in a duo with guitarist Tomatito (2001).

Carla Bley - Carla Bley 4+4 with Andy Sheppard on tenor sax, Wolfgang Puschnig-alto sax, Gary Valentine-trombone, Lew Soloff-trumpet, Larry Goldings-organ, Steve Swallow-bass and Victor Lewis-drums. (1999).

Alan Broadbent - directing the string section with Charle Haden's Quartet West also featuring Ernie Watts on sax and Larance Marable on drums. (2001)

Eliane Elias - with Mike Manieri and Steps Ahead in 1999. Bob Berg on sax, Peter Erskine on drums and Marc Johnson on bass.

Herbie Hancock - Gershwin's World with Terri Lynn Carrington on drums, Ira Coleman-bass, Cyro Baptista-percussion, Eddie Henderson-trumpet and Eli Degebri on sax. The Italian singer Georgia also featured on some numbers on this occasion (1999).

Rachel Z - with Mike Manieri and Steps Ahead in 1995 featuring Steve Smith on drums, Donny McCaslin on saxes and Kai Eckhardt on bass.