Joseph De Sanze

I fell in love with creating art at the age of nine, after my father gifted me my very first camera. That was truly the inception of my creative journey.

As a homegrown Californian, I felt an innate desire to photograph surfing and began following along and capturing the action of the sport. During this time of creative exploration I connected with Richard Messeroll, my mentor and photo editor at Eastern Surfing Magazine.

Richard empowered my vision for capturing quality shots of the sport. Allowing me to cultivate meaningful relationships among local surfers, and get published in magazines, surf rags, newspapers, and journals throughout my college education.

My vetted experience in the arts began in 1997 when I enrolled as a student at the Savannah College of Art and Design - I concentrated my efforts to build more technical experience as a photographer. But I quickly developed a deeply rooted passion for painting. This newfound interest led to my graduation in 2000 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photographer with minors in both Art History and Painting.

After graduation, I found myself back in the southern California community where I’ve continued to work in the photo / film industry. And of course - I still occasionally find myself back on the beach - taking surf shots and refueling my passion for capturing the sport that got me started on this creative journey.