Not only that though, he also became a pretty good friend of mine, so when I invited him up to our office in London for a coffee and a chat, I could see straight away why Joe's work captured the attention of so many. Known as Gingerjoe on Instagram, he's got over 26,000 followers.
That's the thing about Instagram, I find it fascinating following the lives of others and it's nice that people want to follow mine.
The thing I like most about Joe's work is that he is constantly noticing things that people just don't seem to see. Something everyone else would walk straight past in the street, Joe will snap a shot and put it right in front of your eyes. He's all about the little things - a break in the fence or a cat on the train, it's the stuff that really makes you stop and smile...
Just about to graduate from The University of Creative Arts in Rochester, I caught up with Joe again to talk about his work, inspirations and what's in the pipeline for the future.
Joe spoke in a really honest and humble way about his Instagram success, saying that he only ever really uses it as a promotional tool for his real work in book making and publishing. He's very interested in the new genres of photography that are starting to emerge in the industry and the community that surrounds that.
I've got two accounts on Instagram - one is my daily life and that's my gingerjoe account, and then I've got my JoeEarleyJournal that really reflects my work and the style I love to shoot in.
Joe has recently been working on bringing out his first book, Any which way, which will be sold as 10 copies in The Photographers Gallery. He's also got a project lined up with some friends on Instagram to collaborate and make a publication.
On the brink of finishing his dissertation on self publishing, Joe has a degree show coming up at Free Range in London on the 19th June which will be certainly worth checking out.
With plans to travel this summer across Berlin, Italy and Budapest, there's no doubt that Joe's work is going to be really stepping up a level, and I'm really happy to see this guy busier than ever.
It's all happening, classic cars, skateboards and white T-shirts!
Another side of Joe is his love for book making and binding. His talent for small details shines through again when you receive a beautifully hand crafted journal in the post with your name on, containing pressed flowers and a witty little note from Joe himself. Check them out here and you could even get one sent your way if you ask him real nicely...
I remember the first time I met Joe - he rocked up with his skate board and started talking to and taking photos of all the plants in the Gather.ly office. Every time I've seen him since then, he's had his board in one hand and his iPhone in the other.
I love to skate. It's a massive part of my life. I left school at 16 to work in a skate park and I met a lot of friends through being there. I still love it now, remember when I broke my collar bone? You felt the metal? Go on, feel it, it's insane!
Of course, in true Earley style and love for the little things, he couldn't leave the office on his most recent visit too without tending to all the unwatered plants first...
I cannot wait to see what the future holds now for Joe, I just know it's going to be awesome. Check out more from Joe on his blog.
Instagram @gingerjoe and @joeearleyjournal
