Published by Tieshka K. Smith
Tieshka K. Smith (she/her) is a Philadelphia-based photographer and content creator. She uses as many tools at her disposal to challenge and disrupt the status quo. Her community-based artistic practice interrogates racism and classism in place making and civic identity formation; how neighborhood-level memories and values are shaped; and the ways in which the marginalization of people and ideas adversely affects American life and culture. Her photographs have been featured online, in print, and in galleries, museums and other community spaces here on the East Coast and in the Midwest, and are in a number of noteworthy private and public collections. Smith is a native of Chicago, Illinois, and is a proud alumna of Northwestern University (Evanston, IL) and DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management.
Serious inquires about photography commissions, arts/cultural digital content co-creation opportunities, speaking engagements, or purchasing her work are welcomed and encouraged and should be directed to her at tieshkasmith (at) gmail (dot) com.
Links to her work and social media can be found at her website: http://tieshkasmith.com.
View all posts by Tieshka K. Smith
A Restless Lightchaser... 
Is there a story behind this one – one guy looks as if he came prepared with his chair, while the other has ‘borrowed’ his anticipating a long wait.
Hi Stephen, great question. There’s not really a story about these two subjects per se, but it is a commentary about this community and people like him who congregate in non-sanctioned meeting areas, i.e., storefronts, etc. Sometimes men like him will sit all day on a crate, on the stoop, etc. I’ve made quite a few images like this in my street photography series entitled “Portraits of Philadelphia.”
I suppose if they have nothing better to do or money to do it, all they can do is watch the world go by….
I think that’s part of the story but not all of the story…I also believe that it’s a cultural thing. I’ve seen this phenomenon in a number of urban centers in the US. I think they serve a pretty useful purpose. They are the eyes and ears of the neighborhood and have access to a lot of information.
An interesting insight, thanks.