For 45 years, Jamel Shabazz has photographed Prospect Park’s joyful sanctuary — Colossal
“Street photography is a way of life,” says Jamel Shabazz, who has been embodying and sharing this perspective with the public for the past half century. The legendary photographer is known for documenting the style, culture and political landscape of his native Brooklyn since the 1980s, some of which are now included in a new book published by Prestel.
Prospect Park: Photographs of a Brooklyn Oasis, 1980-2025 Contains 120 color and black-and-white images taken within urban enclaves. The 585-acre park provides a vast space for people to gather, exercise and connect with nature, and for Shabazz, it has always been a refuge from real life.
He returned to New York after serving 36 months in the U.S. Army and began taking the photos while working at the notorious Rikers Island Correctional Facility. For Shabazz, Prospect Park became a place of joy and community, and a small escape from these daily horrors.
The monograph includes several portraits that illustrate the photographer’s regular life in the park. Warm, easy smiles and confident poses abound, and while popular fashions and technology may change, much of the life depicted remains the same. It’s clear from these images how vital outdoor spaces have remained over the years, with generations climbing up the trees and gathering to gaze out at one of the lakes or simply find pleasure in each other’s company.
Find more of Shabazz’s archives on Instagram and grab a copy prospect park Go to the bookstore.
