There was a time in my life that I may not have been that nice, and now I'm in a position to contribute to the education of young people, and teach them to be compassionate, be more loving, more caring, to not use profanity, to not pollute the environment - these are things that I address in my photography. I
Jamel ShabazzI think that's what the war photography did for me. It showed me the human side of people and how certain circumstances can change people's lives.
Jamel ShabazzWhen I approach a person, I feel a certain way. If I don't feel that way, I'm not going to approach that individual. "I see something in you" - I want the person to know that.
Jamel ShabazzI wanted to go amongst gangbangers, to understand this war they were fighting amongst each other. I wanted to document it, [also] to show the human side of it.
Jamel Shabazz