Joy Stein, born in the deep South to German parents, was given a pony by a friend of the family when she was one. This gift required her parents to move from their quiet, suburban home and purchase land in the country. Years of exploration through woods, streams, pasture and meadow fostered her eye for detail and an abiding appreciation for nature.

She attended school at the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and continued with a Master’s in Diplomacy at the University of Pittsburgh.

Joy has traveled extensively and worked in the photography field for over seven years. She currently lives in southern Utah at the magnificent entrance to Zion National Park.