What do your images say?
Hi, I'm Joel, Horicon photographer and image craftsman. Nice to meet you!
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Look at the results I've created for my clients over the years. They've been on billboards, shopping carts, websites, in family albums and more. If you want to convey excellence, I'm your Horicon photographer. If you want the cheapest experience, there are countless people with cameras out there desperate for a booking, looking for a chance to copy what I do.
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It's not the booking that thrills me. It's bringing the craft to life in the real world to elevate others. Photography is in my blood. It's a second language (golf being my third, and personal finance perhaps my fourth). I've spent over 20 years lighting, crafting and refining photos the best I can possibly make them. I also enjoy teaching photography, whether you want to make money at it or not.
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What do you want your images to say? Let me know!
In the trenches
For over three decades, Joel has lived where the story happens—in the trenches of photography.
The spark hit at ten years old, when his dad finally handed him the family camera. From then on, Joel was hooked. He wanted to know why cameras worked, how light behaved, and how to make the image in his head appear on film.
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That curiosity became a career—over a decade as a full-time photojournalist and wedding photographer, chasing stories in real time, often with one chance to get it right. Tight deadlines. Unpredictable light. No do-overs. That experience shaped everything:
Do it right the first time. Do it high-end. No matter the conditions.
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Today, that same mindset drives every project he takes on. Whether it’s a corporate portrait, product shoot, event or one-on-one training session, Joel brings precision, creativity and calm under pressure.
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He doesn’t rely on filters or trends. His craft is built in-camera, with light, timing, and instinct guiding every decision. It’s a skill no preset can fake—and it’s what sets his work apart.
When you work with Joel, you’re getting more than a photographer. You’re getting decades of lived experience, hard-earned intuition, and a relentless respect for getting it right.
Joel behind the scenes at a business shoot for Alter-Ego Studio in Kewaskum. Photo courtesy Alter-Ego Studio.
Is your business in Horicon?
Since all of my work is on location, I've always operated from home to save the cost of renting a storefront.​​
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Do you do weddings?
I do weddings by my invitation only. Weddings are closed to the public. If you would like to be considered, please email joel@joelnisleitphotography.com.
Do you do family/senior photos?
Family and senior sessions are closed to the public. I gladly do business and corporate portraits, and portraits by special commission. If you have a story you think would be a great candidate for creative photography, please contact joel@joelnisleitphotography.com.
Do you do birthday parties?
Yes, birthdays are under the events category, which includes a wide variety of events. Please click here to see event pricing.
Do you do sports?
Yes, sports falls under event coverage, and I have several years of experience covering sports professionally and personally.
What are your publication credits?
I have hundreds of publications credits and bylines in the Mayville/Lomira News, Dodge County Pionier, Wisconsin Basketball News, Lakeland College Mirror, Local Leben, Horicon Bank and my photos have been seen on billboards and shopping carts and in family albums.
What’s your background?
I've trained with Jerry Ghionis (one of the top wedding photographers in the world), Doug Gordon, Bob Davis. I photographed six years with the Dodge County Pionier/Mayville/Lomira News, followed by six years of freelancing for American Wedding Group, Edward Fox Photography, various Wisconsin photographers, and my own business. Clients have included Widmer's Cheese Cellars, Mandel Development Group, Kathy Mykleby, Horicon Chamber of Commerce, Alter-Ego Tattoo Studio
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Do you do product photography?
Yes, I do product photography as part of my Horicon business photography services. Any size business can take advantage of my product photography. Please contact me for a custom quote.
Do you do corporate portraits?
Yes, corporate and business portraits, whether against a studio background or in your environment, are part of my Horicon business and corporate photography services.
Do you do Horicon area events?
Yes, from consulting to delivery, I’ll provide professional, timely results for any event that you need photographed as part of my Horicon event photography services. I cover just about any event, from community events, corporate events, sports and more.
Do you do website photography?
Yes, I can produce a variety of magazine quality images featuring your products or services for your website as part of my Horicon corporate photography services.
Do you do maternity or newborn photos?
No, maternity and fresh 48 photos aren’t part of my Horicon photography services. I don’t offer baby or children’s portraits.
Do you do boudoir photography?
No, my Horicon photography services don’t include boudoir photography.
Joel-isms:
A collection of photography mindsets I work by and teach.
“If you don’t like what you see when you push the button, don’t push the button until you fix it.”
“A photographer should be like a street magician. He should have the skills, tools and experience to create magic just about anywhere, any time.”
“Photography is the craft of recording what the light is saying about something. Every other element you enjoy in an image comes from light, or absence thereof.”
“The way you tell the quality of a light is from the shadows it makes.”​