CONEY ISLAND
Often, on hot summer weekends, I would take the long subway ride from my home in west Harlem to Coney Island to join the diverse crowd of visitors who sought refuge from the intensity of the urban landscape. Walking from the subway I wandered through Coney’s many layers: the streets, the rides, the boardwalk, the pier, and the beach, always ending with my feet in the refreshingly cool water. But holding a camera precluded me from wading in more than knee deep, or perhaps refreshing myself with a swim.
Eventually I purchased an underwater camera so I could wander and photograph unrestricted. Carrying a few rolls of film in a waterproof container around my neck, and a dry handkerchief under my hat to wipe incidental spray from the lens, I could wander and photograph wherever I pleased.
