Joy Thomas

Joy Thomas was born and raised in Washington, D.C. where she graduated from Benjamin Banneker Academic SHS. It was during her undergraduate matriculation at Temple University that she picked up her first 35mm film camera as she began documenting street culture in Philadelphia, Pa. This fervent interest took Joy to Tokyo where she studied abroad for a semester and began formally undertaking coursework within the visual arts. After graduating from Temple University with a Bachelor of Arts in psychology, Joy followed her intuition and set her sights due west. During her time in Los Angeles, Joy continued her work within the realm of street portraiture and documentary photography and was afforded the opportunity to work on a FOX pilot as a unit stills photographer. She later joined Teach For America to serve the youth of D.C. in an educational capacity, and earned a Master of Education in special education. Joy furthered her graduate studies at the Savannah College of Art and Design by undertaking coursework within the areas of photography, motion graphics, and film. Joy has received accolades for her documentary work in Montgomery and Selma, AL and has participated in several group exhibitions. As the sole proprietor of Joy Behind the Lens, LLC, Joy aims to continue telling the stories of marginalized communities, both nationally and abroad, with a focus on the human psyche and the causality of various human behaviors. Joy has since developed a vested interest in filmmaking, namely within the areas of cinematography, writing, and directing, and is working to expand her repertoire whilst staying true to her love of the still image.