CONEY ISLAND
Brooklyn’s Coney Island has held a very special place in the hearts of millions ever since roads and public transportation eased the journey to its beaches and eventual amusement parks in the mid to late 1800's. As a teenager over a century later and three thousands miles away, I could feel it’s nostalgic vibe and longed to visit it some day.
I came to New York City in the summer of 1997 for a documentary photo class at SVA and one of the first things I did was take the N Train to Coney Island. It was pretty much how I had imagined from the photos and movies I had seen: run down and frozen in the full 20th century spectrum of time; old and weathered yet vibrant and rich with authenticity and story. A photographer’s paradise.
I have been shooting Coney Island during it’s varied seasons ever since. The plastic Diana film camera entered the camera mix in the spring of 2008, a time when the historic entertainment destination was about to undergo extensive commercialization and gentrification. I had just bought the camera on a whim and felt its plastic body and lens with few settings would best capture the state of affairs at the time. I began one early foggy morning that spring and have periodically returned with the same camera.
Images are edition and available for purchase. For information, please contact Stefanie at info@stefaniedworkin.com.