Even though his work revolves around war-torn zones, Joey does not consider himself as a war photographer. Talking about his first trip to Iraq and Syria, he shares, “I was afraid of everything. I was paranoid. But over time, I began to trust the people I surrounded myself with. I don't really consider myself a war photographer, but rather a portrait photographer, first and foremost. For this reason, my project in the Kurdish regions of Iraq and Syria was more of a cultural study than anything else.