Photographer

Exhibition

Coney Island

58 photographs · New York

Coney Island holds a special place in how I see New York. Somewhere between a popular beach, a historic amusement park, and a meeting place open onto the ocean, I found there a landscape of contrasts, caught between the nostalgia of a golden age and the energy of the present.

As I wandered, I tried to capture the authenticity of the place: moments of life, glances, plays of light, and that peculiar atmosphere that swings between nostalgia and contemporary energy. Here, I invite you to discover my vision of Coney Island.

Each photograph bears witness to an encounter with this singular territory, where time sometimes seems suspended. This is an exhibition about what this place has to say, when you take the time to stop.

One familiar face keeps coming back in these images: a cold-water swimmer, always with his two dogs. I photographed him without knowing who he was. He's Ethan Herschenfeld, an actor you may have seen in Boardwalk Empire, Red Notice, or Girls. Months later, he found one of these photos and asked to use it for his participation in the Boston Light Swim, an 8-mile open-water swim raising funds for the CEOC, an organization that has fought poverty in Cambridge for over 60 years. See the fundraiser.

A large dog in a coat on the snowy beach, an upturned umbrella and a figure behind, Coney Island, New York
01 / 58
A swimmer in trunks walking alone out of the sea, his reflection on the wet sand, Coney Island, New York
02 / 58
Two dogs playing on the wet beach in front of the apartment blocks, Coney Island, New York
03 / 58
A swimmer in cap and goggles laughing as he dries off with a striped towel, Coney Island, New York
04 / 58
The wooden pillars of the pier stretching out to sea, Coney Island, New York
05 / 58
A figure sitting on the beach rocks, apartment blocks in the distance, Coney Island, New York
06 / 58
An almost empty winter beach, a walker at the water’s edge, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer in a white cap spreading his arms in the waves, Coney Island, New York
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A man playing with two dogs at the water’s edge, Coney Island, New York
09 / 58
Footprints in the snowy sand, apartment blocks in the mist, Coney Island, New York
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A hooded person hanging from a beach exercise frame, Coney Island, New York
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A person lying on the sand under a blanket, the Parachute Jump tower in the distance, Coney Island, New York
12 / 58
The facade of a seafront building marked “Coney Island”, in the rain, Coney Island, New York
13 / 58
The words “Friends from New York” on wet paving, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer with outstretched arms, thigh-deep in the water, Coney Island, New York
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Two dogs on the wet beach, apartment blocks in the distance, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer’s head in a vast grey sea, Coney Island, New York
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A man in trunks standing by his belongings, the rock jetty behind, Coney Island, New York
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A smiling swimmer tying a towel around his waist, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer and two large dogs on the beach, a woman passing behind, Coney Island, New York
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A flock of pigeons taking off above the beach, Coney Island, New York
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Two dogs in the shallow water, a swimmer in the distance, Coney Island, New York
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A large dog in a quilted coat staring at the lens, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer wading into the sea beyond the foam, Coney Island, New York
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A flock of gulls near the pier, Coney Island, New York
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A man and his dog at the water’s edge, their reflection on the sand, Coney Island, New York
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The pier reaching out to sea, a wave in the foreground, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer in checked shorts walking barefoot on the beach, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer coming out of the waves in checked shorts, Coney Island, New York
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A lone swimmer far out on a smooth sea, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer with goggles on his forehead smiling, towel in hand, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer laughing as he rubs himself with his striped towel, Coney Island, New York
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The wooden frame of the Cyclone roller coaster seen from below, Coney Island, New York
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The Cyclone sign along its framework, Coney Island, New York
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Two dogs at the water’s edge, a long line of foam, Coney Island, New York
35 / 58
A swimmer in a cap bursting out laughing, towel held close, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer coming out of the foam, sea and sky merging, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer stepping out of the water, his reflection on the wet sand, Coney Island, New York
38 / 58
Shopfronts beneath the elevated subway tracks, Coney Island, New York
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A group around the beach exercise frames, one of them hanging in the air, Coney Island, New York
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The snowy boardwalk seen at ground level, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer bent over his bag, his cap in close-up, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer wiping his face with his towel, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer far off in a calm grey sea, Coney Island, New York
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The dunes and their grasses under snow, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer knee-deep in the water, a dog on the shore, Coney Island, New York
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A gull on the snowy beach, a seated figure behind, Coney Island, New York
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A smiling swimmer holding his towel against him, Coney Island, New York
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The Cyclone roller coaster and the Luna Park sign between the trees, Coney Island, New York
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Two dogs playing on the beach, apartment blocks behind, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer raising his arms in the water, two dogs in front of him, Coney Island, New York
51 / 58
“Greetings from Coney Island” painted on a metal shutter, Coney Island, New York
52 / 58
A swimmer spreading his arms in the waves, Coney Island, New York
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A dog’s muzzle in close-up, Coney Island, New York
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A wet dog staring at the lens, muzzle forward, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer in checked shorts on the beach, apartment blocks behind, Coney Island, New York
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A swimmer waist-deep behind a wave, Coney Island, New York
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The Wonder Wheel and the rides reflected in a puddle, Coney Island, New York
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