Joe Kois
Nearly 40 yrs old... uhg.

All information and images are copyrighted by Joe Kois and Your Average Joe Photographer and cannot be used or reproduced in any form or media without express written consent.

Here's a little bit more about me. Beginning with the most recent image of me. I like the first one.... my wife likes the second one better.

I gained my classical education in photography from Richard LaVelle of Cleveland. It was accidental. I ended up in Ohio living with my dad when my hopes of proposing to my girlfriend changed... found her with another guy. I needed an job. A studio needed a receptionist/assistant for a photographer. I figured, "Hey! I like pictures."

Richard was working at the studio because his wife had asked for a divorce. He told her that if she wanted to leave, she could take whatever she wanted. She did. House, car, cat, cameras and all.

So... in all the wisdom affordable, Richard and I were paired together and sent on the road. Two men, recently dumped by love.... out to photograph mostly couples, families and children.... which neither of us had. I can only begin to imagine how wonderful we must have been to be around.

But way back in the beginning....

Here is the picture that launched my first interest in photography.

Of coarse, we printed it as cheap as could be in the '70's so it's terribly faded and pathetic. But I was lying in the backyard with my 110 instamatic and took this picture of the sun partially framed by the maples with just enough texture from clouds and deep, deep blue sky and my parents were so impressed, they had an 8x10 made and hung it up. And I thought, "Wow! I did something right!"

So I took photography in 4H. Unfortunately... my project was so horrible, I got the lowest ribbon possible. Had there been a black ribbon with the Jolly Roger (skull and crossed bones) on it, that would have been mine. I did not have a leader who liked photography nor explained what was expected of me. I lost interest in photography.

After high school... I needed to do SOMETHING with my life. So I joined the Army.

sorry for the poor image of my first commendation... it was given to me.

Here, I purchased my first 35mm. It was a Pentax K1000, the most manual camera on earth. It was fun, but that was about all... just fun.

I had the time of my life in the Army. Join the military and see the world! I went to New Jersey.

But I loved and valued my time there. Made the best friends I've ever had. And got money to go to college. (NOT an advertisment... just the way it was)

Richard Marshall and I were photographed by a waitress at Friendly's restaraunt in Cherry Hills. He was such a good violinist, that I found a thank you letter in a pile of junk on his dresser from Ronald Regan, who had invited Richard to play for a White House dinner party. I told him that when normal people receive a letter from the President, they frame it and hang it up. His response was, "Why should I? The guy didn't tip me."

Kelly (left) and Mark were roommates of mine in the barracks. Best guys in the world! I have lots of good stories about them... but I choose to protect the mostly innocent. I do miss the days of surfing on the hood of my car while Mark drove it across the parade field. That's Warren walking by my Nova used to hood surf across post and "puddle jump" on the tank trails. I loved that car!

Now to back up again.... Check some of the very, VERY few action images of me from my youth.

From one of the many relays I ran. I had the dubious honor of running the 4x800 at the beginning of every meet, the 400m then used the 300m hurdles as a break for me, got back out for the 800m, and finished the meets with the 4x400. I enjoyed playing frisbee in between each event at larger meets!

Mom never let me play football because she had seen a kid speared in the back when she was in high school. So she let me join soccer because she didn't know what it was. She just thought we kicked a ball around. Since she worked 2 jobs, she never saw any of my first year... which included being knocked out twice. My Italian coach had a simple philosoply: "Why are you blowing the whistle when no one is dead?"

By the time she was able to come watch, I had already made MVP for the league, so it was impossible to pull me out. Everyone else saw an offense and defense with plays and strategy... my mom saw 21 people attacking her baby boy in a net.

Meanwhile.... I spent much of school days studying and working. When I was 16, I got saved and spent the rest of my time in church after that.

Man... did I go from one bizarre look/hair style to another, or what?

I'm not sure if that's me or Louis lossing the tube, but Camp McPherson in Ohio was one of the greatest memories I cherish. It was church camp loaded with plays, camp fires, football in the snow, 3' snow drifts, sledding, Lauren eating a live spider long before Fear Factor and about 3am asking our counselor if there were dinasours on the ark.

The "water slide" was not at camp, but it was one of the trips we took to Pennsylvania. It was actually a river that narrowed to a natural water slide. GREAT ride!

The award was from JA (Junior Achievement). It was a great experience... a bit bizzare, but cool as all get out. We built "trouble lights", sold stock, paid dividends and all sorts of stuff. I was the top sales for my district and 2nd in the region. I actually sold my stuff door to door... I was told that the guy who beat me didn't even sell anything on his own, his dad was a big shot at a large corporation and sold almost all his stuff for him at the various plants. There's my "fine whine from 1985".

From there to the Army.

I was a Chaplain's Assistant. Not ordained or anything. Basicly, the church secretary with "body guard" duties since the chaplains are not allowed to carry weapons. As you can see, wearing the uniform did not do away with my silly side of life. I was so ridiculously dedicated, that I spent my "off time" loading my ruck sack with 80lbs. of gravel and joining companies on road marches, running one of the obstacle coarses or rappelling with friends.... even if my fashion sense was 3 degrees of horrible.

Pap & Gram were pretty proud of me when I enlisted. Dad was pretty upset, but came to terms with it. He had been drafted for Vietnam and didn't like the idea of me going into the Army.

One of the few guys who could out run me on some days. It was a beautiful October day and one heck of battle for first place from gun to tape. Not sure who won that day.... we seemed to trade off each time we met. Judging from my posture... I'm guessing he got that one.

Living in the military had some good times associated with it. Being on the East Coast had some good things, too.

Anyone who's been there recognizes the night fire. That was fun... as long as it was practice and no one was firing back.

Although these pics are from Florida and Chain O'Lakes, that bike and I spent a LOT of time together in the woods covered in dirt, sweat and mud. I wasn't too afraid of much on the bike....

Didn't always make it to the bottom of every cliff... as seen in the middle pic. That white spot in the lower right is me eating dirt. But that was my play ground. I took a friend and a camera and asked for the person to take pictuers so I could show that I really was that dumb. I told him, "I don't care if you hear bones breaking and metal ripping.... keep taking pictures until I'm at the bottom or dead. After all.... you're not going to make it to me quick enough to catch me, but everyone will want to know what happened."

I made good friends while in Nebraska for NCOPLDC (military leadership school). Amazingly, they were instructing us way back then that the USSR would no longer be a threat, but rather .... the middle east.

I wish the middle image was in focus. This college football player and I were belly sliding down the grassy hill in the rain. You can't see it in this, but the grass sliced our skin up something terrible! We had fun for an hour and 4 days of healing from about 10,000 tiny, itchy cuts.

Speaking of cuts.... While living on the East Coast, I actually had clothes tailor fitted. While it may have been a bit weird to be measured and marked and remeasured, I liked the final product. Don't worry... nothing important got cut in the making of this suit. And yes... the tailor was very upset with Richard for taking this inappropriate picture.

After the Army, I went to college. Much of that time went undocumented due to lack of time. I took too many classes and worked too many hours. But I had a good time.

Grand Canyon. As usual, out where no one should be at all. I had done a fair amount of rock climbing, so I had no fear of running out on this ledge.

California. Yea... Gigi was cute, but I thought I actually looked pretty good here!

Florida. I spent some time getting my general education in the sunshine state. Loved it.... but never want to live there.

Best man and photographer at my best friend's wedding. I miss those days sometimes.

Bunch of friends about to go sliding down a river and off a 10' drop. Just nuts, I tell ya!

Not sure who shot this pic of me at the river.... but I thought it was kinda cool.

I'm in front of the person in white waiting my turn to slide down "Bust your Butt" in a North Carolina river. It was a long, fast ride down the smooth river rock fall with a BIG bump at the end that hurt your rear and dropped off into a large pool. Fun and slightly painful.

Caught that fish in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan at the base of a small water fall. Dawn's dad had been after that fish for a couple of years and I got it. Not the impression I meant to make while there.

Helping to restore a house on a mission project. Work.

Still jumping off cliffs and stuff.

More to come later.... if so desired.