Joel Kitchens was born in Birmingham, Alabama, and grew up in several small towns in the northern part of that state. At a young age he became fascinated by cameras and their ability to preserve history with an image of the present for the future. A basic art photography class during his senior year at college taught him the fundamentals of working with black-and-white film and printing in a traditional wet darkroom (no digital in those days).  His fascination with the past led him to pursue multiple degrees in History as well as a graduate degree in Library Studies. In 1997 he relocated to Texas, where he joined the faculty at Texas A&M University and spent nearly twenty-five years in the university libraries.

Joel’s artistic interests in the aesthetics of historic sacred architecture directly influenced his academic interests in the Spanish missions of San Antonio, Texas. This confluence of interests resulted in his 2016 doctoral dissertation, multiple presentations, and a forthcoming book from Texas A&M University Press, as well as an ongoing portfolio of mission-related images. While engaging in photography as an avocation for many years, it was not until he retired from higher education that he has been able to explore more varied types of photography on a much deeper, and more personal level. His artistic career has greatly accelerated through working with Alan Ross, a former assistant to renowned artist, Ansel Adams. Joel has long been captivated by 20th-century masters such as Adams, Ross, Edward and Brett Weston, among others. The power and timeless beauty of their black-and-white images inspired Joel’s choice in artistic medium and techniques.