The Brooklyn Public Library hosted legendary photographer Jamel Shabazz to discuss his life and work in and around Brooklyn.
He’s spent decades documenting the communities in which he lives and works. He has produced literally thousands of amazing portraits, many of strangers that he stops on the street or subway. In using his camera to preserve “seconds of [his] life” he has also created an incredible history of a community struggling to cope with drugs and gangs while preserving its pride and hope.
Shabazz is basically my photographer hero, and hearing him speak you sense his passion for both photography and helping people. He has stories upon stories about the subjects in his photos, and you can tell that he feels personally connected to each and every one of them.
I encourage you to check out his work, and if you get the opportunity, go and see him speak.
A small sample of Jamel's work is below. You should cop his books because they are amazing.
Back in the Days
A Time Before Crack
Seconds of My Life
Back in the Days
A Time Before Crack
Seconds of My Life
