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Quote by Jamel Shabazz

“I 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.”

Quote by Jamel Shabazz

Author

Jamel Shabazz is a renowned photographer known for his street photography. Born in 1960, he has been capturing the street culture of New York City, particularly the hip-hop and skateboarding communities, since the 1980s. His work is acclaimed for its unique perspective and profound insight into street life. more

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“The images of war inspired me to create, to go to different situations and communities, to document the human side of people, to show a side that we don't see.”

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“I 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.”

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“I'm shooting a gangbanger, but as a dignified man. That's pretty much what war photography did: seeing images of soldiers in a dignified way. They might have been killers in Vietnam, but I'm seeing another side of them, and looking at images of the the American soldiers, also the North Vietnamese and the Viet Cong - I never saw an enemy.”

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“The feelings of my smallness and my nothingness always kept me good company.”

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“There is just something about the common being. My education pretty much came from the streets, just connecting with people, different cultures. I gained the wealth just engaging at that level. I'm still like that. I continue to document everyday people versus the stars.”

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“For me, the stars are the invisible people on the street that people don't really get a chance to know.”

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“I think that photography has allowed me to have a voice. I used to stutter, and once I overcame that struggle, it felt good to tell people they were beautiful and special.”

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“I remember growing up and hearing the word "ugly" a lot. "I'm ugly." "She ugly." "He ugly." I hated it then, and I hate it now. I go past physical beauty; I tell people they have a beautiful spirit and that is something different.”

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“When a photographer or a person sees your beauty, your inner beauty, it makes you feel special like, "Wow, someone saw that within me."”

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“For the most part, as a society, we are not happy with ourselves.”

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