Shoot Wisely the Creators Podcast with Amir Ebrahimi
Hosted by photographer and documentarian Amir Ebrahimi, the Shoot Wisely Podcast explores the creative process through honest conversations with artists, filmmakers, photographers, designers, writers, and other inspiring creators.
With more than 20 years of production experience, Amir has traveled the world documenting a wide range of stories, from covering the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, to producing social issue campaigns for the Ethiopian Health Ministry, to extensive NBA coverage on and off the court, and documenting life inside Cambodian orphanages.
Each episode dives into the journey behind the work: the experiences, struggles, inspirations, and moments that shaped each guest’s creative path. While the show has a strong focus on photographers, cinematographers, and visual storytellers, the conversations remain open to creators from every discipline who are driven by curiosity and the need to make something meaningful.
Shoot Wisely is less about rigid interviews and more about authentic dialogue exploring the who, what, where, and why behind creativity, with occasional insight into the tools and techniques each artist uses along the way.
At its core, the podcast exists to inspire people to create fearlessly, think deeply, and ultimately, shoot wisely.
If you enjoy the show, please leave a review and share it with someone who loves the creative process.
Shoot Wisely the Creators Podcast with Amir Ebrahimi
03 Jamel Shabazz, Legendary Street photographer
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Episode 03 — Jamel Shabazz
In Episode 03 of the Shoot Wisely podcast, I sit down with legendary NYC street photographer Jamel Shabazz for a powerful and honest conversation about photography, community, and purpose.
We talk about his photographic process, how he approached young people in the neighborhoods he documented, and why respect and relationship-building were central to his work. Jamel shares how he used photography as a bridge — not just to document culture, but to uplift and mentor the youth around him.
He also opens up about his time serving as a correctional officer, how that experience deepened his empathy, and how returning from war to find his Brooklyn neighborhood drastically changed pushed him to pick up a camera with renewed urgency. Inspired by questions similar to Marvin Gaye’s anthem What's Going On, Jamel wanted to understand what was happening to his community — and photography became his way of searching for answers.
In this episode, we also discuss why he didn’t fully connect with the documentary made about his life, and how he prefers his story — and his images — to speak directly to the people.
This is a conversation about legacy, accountability, and the responsibility of documenting your own community.
In This Episode
- Jamel’s street photography process
- Approaching and building trust with young people
- Photography as mentorship and community work
- His time as a correctional officer and how it shaped his perspective
- Returning home from war to a changed neighborhood
- The deeper question: “What’s going on?”
- Why he didn’t resonate with the documentary about his life
About the Guest
Jamel Shabazz is an iconic New York City street photographer known for documenting urban life and culture from the 1980s onward. His work captures style, resilience, and the spirit of community, preserving important chapters of NYC history while mentoring the next generation of image-makers.