"It's a frozen moment in time. It's something that my mind allows me to see," said Jamel Shabazz, a visual artist.

"Thousands upon thousands, definitely, a half a million," he said.

Many are housed at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Brooklyn Museum, and Smithsonian in Washington, DC.

Back home in Hempstead, for the first time his work is on display at the Emily Lowe Gallery inside Hofstra University's Museum of Art. It is his first solo exhibition on Long Island.

He says there is one key thing he looks for in his photos.

"Love. Love is the key and love is the cornerstone for every image in this show," he said.

That's why Shabazz, who is a retired New York City correction officer, named it "Love is the Message."

"It came from an album from Philadelphia International Records back in 1975. It was a very popular song that I grew up with," he said.

"Growing up in the 1960's during the Civil Rights movement and during Vietnam, I saw a lot of hate, a lot of disunity so I just wanted to do my part and capture love," Shabazz said.

Often in overlooked urban communities, spanning over five decades.