Faces of Crown Heights, Brooklyn

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{All images © Kameelah J. Rasheed, 2010}

On July 4, 2010, I moved from the small town of East Palo Alto (Bay Area, California) to Brooklyn, New York. After a four-day apartment hunt in the July heat, I found a well-priced apartment near the 3/4 line, a few quaint kosher bakeries, far too many bodegas, and a cute fruit market. I settled in Crown Heights. Within my first few days here, I walked around everywhere with my camera. I remember someone yelling at me from across the street: "Hey, girl, girl with the camera. Take my picture!" In a nearly unconscious manner, I began to document my neighborhood.

Two weeks ago, I met two Haitian men. One told me, "I've seen you walking around here with your camera for a year, but I thought you were a 15-year-old girl so I did not bother you." He continued, "I really wanted a photo from you and they say if you want something then you should ask. So I am asking.” I am humbled that he waited an entire year to be photographed.

My photographs have been scattered all over my computer for over a year now and I am finally organizing them into a series. I am looking forward to continuing this series. You can view more of my work here.


Faces of Crown Heights