Joel painted beautiful compositions from life as he witnessed it. His documentary work serves both as fine art and historical documentation. 
While the previous photo is charged and dramatic, many of his best photos document mundane moments with a plain authenticity that intimately connects the viewer to the past. He does this without making the viewer feel as though they're intruding; the camera is never overly close, always within earshot at the edge of the scene.
Some of Joel's vivid colour street photography is reminiscent of one of my favourite photographers, Martin Parr, who died late last year and who apparently credited Joel as one of his inspirations.
