Beach Body Bingo

I can't tell you how many times people ask me why I make photographs of the people I do. The only answer that seems logical is that I'm drawn to them because I feel we're all fragments of each other in one way or the other. Either through feelings, emotional ties, looks, or ethnic similarities, etc, these attributes can be the puzzle pieces that make up a photograph for me. I chose Coney Island for a number of reasons, but mainly it is a true melting pot for so many timeless opportunities. I've been to many different beaches but nothing really compares to Coney Island, Its magical nostalgia pulls you in, in the most subtle way. From its colorful backdrop to its iconic landscape, Coney Island provides the perfect platform for capturing the ironic realities associated with this small but wonderfully colorful part of Brooklyn N.Y. that people travel from across the globe to visit. Beach Body Bingo started as a disciplinary exercise, rather than making 100-200 photos I decided I would take anywhere from 10 – 20 photographs using one of the day that I found to be more fitting for the series to be my BINGO. (winner) As I make my way to the boardwalk I usually encounter regulars that frequent the beach, some call me by name, others know me simply as “the guy with the camera.” Slowly, I knowingly became familiar with the community. From the homeless to business owners, to the mentally ill, I established trust and friendships along the way. When I'm looking for subjects I'm usually looking for something that bleeds into my subconscious, something that ignites a desire to make that particular photograph, whether it's unusual in nature or a brief reminder of my childhood, they all seem to be deeply imbedded in the confines of my mind. When I approach most of my subjects for permission to photograph them it's usually with a confident smile knowing that my first goal is to let them know they are more important than just the photograph alone. “It's that something special about them that I want.” When I leave someone I photographed smiling I feel I've done my job, and I've done it well. Now that the summer is coming to an end I will miss the warm breeze and the misty salt air with it's uninhibited nature and its timeless unique inhabitants, and as my work evolves I will be eager to see what lies ahead on other beaches across the globe if I'm fortunate enough.