Coney Island, Pt. 3

Costa Rica

From a place and time far away from here. Where the animals thrive, everything is wet and green and the people are calm, collected and happy.

Coney Island, Pt.2

This place fascinates me. It's packed with interesting people from all parts of society. Some live here, some visit, some are homeless, some are filthy rich. I met a group of guys on the pier this past weekend and played some percussion with them for hours. We drank cheap beer and danced. Most of the group is from Cuba and accepted me once they realized I have decent rhythm for a white boy.

The man at the end is homeless and sleeps under the boardwalk. He was drunk when I met him and spilled his guts out to me. "I feel free here," he said about living on Coney Island. He started crying when he began to think about his former loved ones, including his mom that passed away years ago a couple days before his birthday, his twin brother who kicked him out of the house and various others he has met and lost along the way. He was happy to have someone to talk to and I was happy to listen. He told me that was more important than money - honesty, truth and friendship. As we talked he looked up to the sky and said that God has a plan for him.

As it is for many, Coney Island is a welcome escape for me. I grew up on the water and miss it when I'm far. And even though water surrounds this city, it's easy to feel claustrophobic and landlocked when you have so many people, buildings and trains holding you in. I plan to spend some time at this strange and beautiful place, to make photos, hear stories and refresh my senses.

outside

I came upon a congregation of Hasidic Jews worshiping. The windows were cracked so I could see heads bobbing up and down while they prayed. The young ones seemed just as curious about the outside as I was about the inside.

Dog.

Leo

I was sent to the PMA conference in Vegas to produce a video for the convention (I posted a couple galleries a month ago). While scouring the endless booths for something interesting beyond the technology and marketing that occupies most people's minds at a place like this, I found Leo. He is the founder of a small-town camera shop in Klamath Falls, Oregon called Leo's Camera Shop. Leo has been attending the conference on and off for over 50 years. So, I hung out with him and his son for a little while.

Cats + Anarchy = Subway Party

Some anarchists gathered the other night and had a subway party, all with cat masks. It was fun, but I find it somewhat funny that they all payed the fare to get down into the subway to party when many where there to protest the fare hikes. Regardless, it's hard to beat a bit of youthful mayhem underground.

Debauchery

R.I.P Buttercup

My roommate Alan's beloved cat Buttercup was tragically killed the other day in what has been called the "perfect storm." Each school day afternoon, kids flood our street. It's usually busy, and Buttercup has known the routine for many years since he's lived on this street. But this day was especially chaotic. The school children had exceptional glee on this day because of the coming of spring break and a certain sense of freedom that accompanies it. The combination of youthful banter and cars passing on a usually calm road must have pushed his luck to the edge.

It's hard to lose any creature you love, large or small. And for most, it makes you reevaluate the value and delicacy of life. It is fragile and should be appreciated in every moment. As hard as it is to try to avoid preoccupations in everyday life we must try and take a step back, breathe and think about all the beauty that surrounds us.

Coney Island, New York

What a strange place.

New York City, New York

And then there is New York. My final final destination...for now. Danny and Celia took me in when I arrived and made me feel at home. They cooked me food and gave me beer, maps and a futon. Without them I would probably be lost somewhere not far from the airport wishing I was home. Since then it has been a series of random encounters and experiences all of which have been unique and fresh.

I remember thinking of Denver as a huge city when I first rolled in. How naive. Now I have the task of trying to comprehend this overwhelming mass of buildings and people and maybe if I'm lucky I will be able to focus and find a story that needs to be told.

San Francisco, California

Mojave Desert, California

US-1, California

Las Vegas, Nevada

Zion National Park, Utah

Somewhere, Midwest- The Journey of a Tumbleweed

Somewhere, Western Kansas

Kansas City, MO

St. Louis, Missouri

Asheville, NC

My brother-in-law and dear friend. The Sophisticated Chimps

Bike Trip

The first part of the trip actually started on a bike in the opposite direction of the destination. It was to St. Augustine from Gainesville, a 80ish mile bike ride. It wasn't as grueling as it sounds, especially for a unseasoned biker like myself. The trip was mostly along highways but when we finally reached the beach after a 8 hour ride, it was bliss.

Coast to Coast

I set out on a road trip three weeks ago from Florida to the coast of California with Vanessa (pictured below). For a couple weeks I was able to forget about the pressure of responsibility and concentrate on the open road. The end was San Fransisco, where I caught a flight to New York to start an internship at MediaStorm. It's amazing watching the landscape slowly change and morph in ways that are so drastic. I'll post images from throughout in the next week or so.


Saint Augustine, Florida


US-1, California, near Cambria