Compositions of Black Joy

10-8-2025: It's a wet and rainy Wednesday in Philly

Here's an #unscriptedmoment of a wet and rainy day in NYC near Madison Square Garden, December 2015

#streetphotography #nycphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait

ALA's Banned Books Week graphic. Oct. 5-11, 2025. Censorship is so 1984. Read for your rights. ALA.org/BBooks

This #BannedBooksWeek, we stand proudly with @amlibraryassoc.bsky.social and @indexoncensorship.org as they sound the alarm on growing efforts to censor books and curtail the #FreedomToRead.

Learn more: bit.ly/42vjnah

10-7-2025: It's Tuesday morning in Philadelphia.

#Caughtyoulookingat this #unscriptedmoment from 2013 in Center City.

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait #lovers #busstop

Such a sweet moment!!

10-6-2025: Welcome to a new week!

#Caughtyoulookingat this #unscriptedmoment from August 2018 that I captured on the train ride home...

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait

Gracias 😊

10-5-2025: Happy Sunday!

Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment from May 2012 called #summersnooze

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait #blueskyartshow #relax

Hey hey!!👋🏾

🫶🏾🙏

10-4-2025: Welcome to the weekend!

Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment at City Hall's Dilworth Plaza, 2018.

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait #blueskyartshow #relax

Thanks!

10-3-2025: Happy Friday!

Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment in #WestPhilly, 2018.

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait #papistore #bodega #babygirl

10-2-2025: Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment that I encountered in 2018 in Malcolm X Park in #WestPhilly.

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #eastcoastkin #humansofbluesky #photographersofbluesky #blackandwhitephotography

10-1-2025 (happy October!!): Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment of #streetstillness that I came across in 2020 in the Walnut Hill section of #WestPhilly.

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #blackandwhitephotography

My Gucci Watch dealer Carl on Canal and Broadway saying hello. He has fabulous choices and reasonable rates. Check him out.

#35mm 📷 #portrait #photo #colorphotography #photography #eastcoastkin #nyc #streetphotography #manhattan

9-30-2025: Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment of #streetstillness that I came across in 2018 in #Fishtown

#streetphotography #septa #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #Girard #blackandwhitephotography

9-29-2025: Caught you looking at this #unscriptedmoment of #streetstillness that I came across today in #Germantown.

#streetphotography #philadelphiaphotography #streetphoto #blackandwhitephotography

#unscriptedmoment in East Falls. Photographed September 28, 2025 in Philadelphia PA.

#streetphotography #blackandwhitephotography #streetportrait #phillyphotography

This #unscriptedmoment is also paired with a vignette I wrote in January 2025 called "Spine of Stories." It is one of 75 photo-vignette pairings in my forthcoming book titled "Unscripted Moments: Diary of a Restless Lightchaser"

This #UnscriptedMoment from 2013 has just been published in #TheFaoileánachJournal. Honored to share space with writers from around the world.

www.faoileanachjournal.com/read

#streetphotography #blackandwhitephotography #phillyphotography #historicgermantown #phillyphotographer #germantownavenue

Welcome to my feed: a mix of what matters and what catches my eye.

Here you’ll find #CompositionsofBlackJoy —news, updates, happenings—alongside my #streetphotography, new and old, capturing #unscriptedmoments.

Scroll. Linger. Experience both.

#PhiladelphiaPhotography #Phillyauthor #BlackJoy

Between the storm and the skyline.

Photographed September 25, 2025 at the Parkway Central Library, Philadelphia PA.

#unscriptedmoments #streetphotography #streetportrait #blackandwhitephotography #nightphotography #philadelphiaphotography

I'm bringing Compositions of Black Joy to 2025 Phila Open Studio Tours, thanks to #ArtistsforArtistsGlobal!

📅 Oct 11–12, 12–6 PM
📍 SPIN Community & Fitness, 10980 Norcom Rd, NE Philly

There'll be art, demos, live music, film screenings, and more
RSVP & details → bit.ly/3I3d6vB

#POST2025 #CFEVA

Philly memory keepers & storytellers: Don’t miss People’s Media Camp Oct 3–5! I’ll lead a writing workshop & selections from my Juneteenth Festival photo exhibit.

Free workshops, art, community stories and more!
RSVP: bit.ly/46B2CMd

#PhillyStories #GrassrootsMedia #MemoryWork #PhiladelphiaEvents

First Amazon review just dropped… and it’s 5 stars! 💛 #CompositionsOfBlackJoy

To order: a.co/d/9LMkbOM

Got my first editorial review for Compositions of Black Joy:

“Vivid, moving, and unapologetically celebratory…”
— NewInBooks.com

Get your copy on Amazon today a.co/d/fEeLnz5

#BooksByBlackAuthors #RootedInJoy #PhillyAuthors #BlackWomenAuthors #IndieLit #BlackStorytelling #SupportIndieAuthors

Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022) Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022) [Smith, Tieshka K] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Compositions of Black Joy: A Visual Chronicle of the Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival (2015-2022)

Compositions of Black Joy is available for purchase on Amazon!

a.co/d/iVysAm4

Every Juneteenth, I feel the weight of where we’ve been and the urgency of where we are. Freedom didn’t arrive all at once. It was delayed. So we gather. We sing. We dance. We carry the memory.

Juneteenth isn’t just about the past—it’s a future we’re still building so that all will be free.

On June 14, 2025, I launched the paperback edition of Compositions of Black Joy at the 19th annual Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown.

This video features a few of the beautiful souls who stopped by to share in the moment. TY! 🙏

To purchase, go to form.jotform.com/250185503667...

#UnscriptedMoment #streetphotography

Meet Tripp — loyal companion and friend to my human friend (not pictured) — soaking up love and ear scritches from smiling new humans at the 19th Annual Philadelphia Juneteenth Festival in Germantown, June 14, 2025.

📸: Yours truly.