Michael Joseph
Michael Joseph
Lost & Found
Cloth hardcover with tipped-in plate
26 x 33 cm
168 pages
Kehrer Verlag
2023
About the Book:
Lost & Found documents a contemporary American subculture of young Travelers through raw, striking portraiture and intimate storytelling. These Travelers abandon home to move around the country by hitchhiking and freight train hopping in a nomadic, transient existence outside of mainstream society. Along their personal journey driven by wanderlust, escapism, or a search for transient jobs, they find a new family in their traveling friends. The high of freedom, however, does not come without consequence. The black and white portraits are made in public, on the street, using natural light. Individual stories, as a collection, form a greater narrative. Over ten years in the making, Joseph’s portraits reveal the human condition. They capture courage, tenderness, and determination in his subjects that have been largely ignored and unseen.
Book review by Dana Stirling |
Michael Joseph's Lost and Found unveils a somewhat hidden, nomadic community living on the fringes of society through ten years of striking black-and-white portraiture. The book documents the lives of young Travelers, people who move across the country by hitchhiking or hopping freight trains, propelled by a search for freedom, a rejection of convention, or a desire for a different way of living. Rather than seeking to glamorize or judge, Joseph's photography offers a raw, unfiltered look at individuals who have found a sense of belonging not in traditional communities but in the family they've created with one another on the road.
What stands out in Lost and Found is Joseph's intimate portrayal of resilience and vulnerability. The black-and-white format lends the photographs a timeless quality, evoking American tales of freedom and exploration, but also hints at the grit and hardship that shape the lives of these modern nomads. Faces weathered by sun and time, and bodies adorned with tattoos and makeshift clothing, tell a striking visual story. Each portrait captures not only the physicality of life on the road but also the marks—emotional and literal—that this lifestyle imprints on the people who live it.
His works, feel like some of the old classic photography we learned about in school. Black-and-white photography strips away distraction, bringing the viewer's attention to the emotions etched into his subjects' faces, the textures of worn clothes, and the contrasting play of light and shadow. This aesthetic choice aligns Joseph’s work with a history of socially engaged photography, where the absence of color underscores the universality of the human experience. His portraits feel both of the present and of the past, bridging generations of photography and reminding us of the enduring power of black and white to tell human stories that resonate across time.
One of the most powerful aspects of this work is its exploration of what “home” can mean and how deeply subjective that notion is. When we think of people who lead a life on the move, we often assume they lack roots or a sense of home as we traditionally understand it. For many, the idea of living without the stability, comfort, and reassurance of a single, familiar place feels daunting, even unthinkable. But for the travelers in this series, home is a fluid concept—an evolving part of their identity that they find in each new place they rest. Their many temporary homes collectively form a rich tapestry, each one significant and essential, offering a sense of belonging in its own way. In this way, Lost and Found reveals home as an idea as much as a location, something chosen and created rather than inherited or fixed. The accompanying stories add a layer of realism to this vision, capturing both the beauty and challenges of this lifestyle, reminding us of the resilience it demands and the rewards it offers.
Joseph’s work goes beyond mere portraiture; it stands as a testament to a lifestyle that defies societal norms. Through his lens, people who might otherwise remain unseen or unheard share their stories, offering us a rare window into their lives, their struggles, and their resilience. Rather than inviting judgment or imitation, Joseph’s portraits encourage us to simply witness—to see these individuals as they are, living their truth. Much like all of us, they are navigating life in a way that feels authentic to them, reminding us of the many ways there are to exist meaningfully in the world.
In Lost & Found, Joseph’s portraits are both an invitation and a reflection—a chance to step into a world that operates outside the boundaries of conventional living. His work doesn’t offer easy answers but instead celebrates the complexity and individuality of each traveler’s path. Through the raw honesty of his images and the voices that accompany them, he lets us encounter lives defined by freedom, vulnerability, and an unconventional sense of home. Ultimately, Joseph’s work reminds us that there is beauty and dignity in seeking one’s place in the world, wherever—and however—that journey might lead.
