Stories & Series

One weekend invitation that shaped the course of my life… along with a story about work that is shaping our culture and our country.

A tunnel beneath the city, a canyon between the buildings & a meadow over the rooftops…

We’ve had a lot of storms and rain lately, and Philadelphians are probably relieved to see sunshine on the forecast. While I like the sun, I’m always a little bit surprised to see how upset people can be by rain. I was recently shooting in Manayunk, where we had a storm roll through our outdoor…

Chasing after a wild dance performance by a citizen ensemble at the foot of the Philadelphia Museum of Art…

Does having a grapefruit-sized tumor on your face mean that you’re not photogenic? Certainly not.

“Religion” & “Faith” are complex topics, and it’s often hard to have productive conversations with people whose beliefs differ from our own. Here are some folks who’ve figured it out.

When I started photographing the Fringe Festival in 2003, I found the folks getting things done backstage to be as compelling as the performers in the spotlight…

What does it look like when 4,000 people come seeking medical care all at once?

I got an email today that blew my mind a little bit. It simultaneously made me so sad and so happy. I could talk your ear off about why I think that the idea that everyone is photogenic is important, but really this email that I got today pretty much crystalizes exactly why this project…

How I learned the right way to make a breakfast burrito. Three hundred times in one morning.

An amazing shoot on the Schuylkill river in preparation for choreographer Alie Vidich’s ‘Invisible River’ performance…

Another exploration of the vast tunnel under Pennsylvania Ave… Some hope to transform this mysterious and magical space into a public park.

My friends at Protecting Our Waters continue to organize against fracking, because we all live downstream…

Two interesting experiences from this weekend that I’d like to share: I spent Saturday evening onstage at the Kimmel Center, acting as a judge in Southeast Philadelphia Collaborative‘s talent show. While I’d originally been asked to act as a judge for the visual arts exhibit, I ended up being roped into judging the performance component…

Report back from the 200-mile March for Rights, Respect and Fair Food.

One more trip down memory lane for JJ Tiziou Photography’s 10yr anniversary… That last post told you about how an invitation to document the creation of an LPFM radio station for a farmworker community in Florida first plugged me into the community media movement; this post is about how I got involved with the Coalition…

Here’s one of my recipes for community building… It’s not top secret; please go right ahead and replicate or adapt it for your own neighborhood. I guarantee nourishing results.

I’ve begun making my archive available to the communities that I’ve photographed for unlimited free high res downloads. Here’s why.