I’m totally in denial. The warm weather and glorious sunshine this past weekend was such a wonderful treat, so I’m just going to pretend that summer is going to last forever. Nevermind that we’re supposed to get huge snows this winter. And when we do, I guess I’ll just have to plan a tropical getaway, now won’t I?
Back a couple of months ago at the end of August, Barry, Joel, and Richard convinced me to meet them on the boardwalk out at Coney Island in the middle of the week, just because. It doesn’t usually occur to me to go on a photo walk in the middle of the week because of my work schedule, but it was just what I needed. It was so therapeutic to stroll down the boardwalk, taking everything in and savoring every last drop of the summer. The ocean breeze was perfection.
Coney Island is so much quieter during the week, and especially so once the sun goes down. The pace of life slows the further you get from the train — the elderly couples strolling along the boardwalk, men fishing off Steeplechase Pier, the gentle lap of the waves against the shore in the dark. It was a perfect opportunity for some long exposures with my Pentax 645N. I’m still trying to get a hang of the beast — the 645 format, the digital displays, the automatic exposure settings all feel space age compared to the ancient cameras I’ve been using the last few years. I’ll get there someday.
Oh, Coney. You’re the best.
