Nostalgic Coney Island Summer Photographs

As summer quickly approaches, it’s time to kick on some flip flops and head to the beach. In New York City, Coney Island is a great respite from the steamy city heat. The beach and amusement park area reached its peak during the early 1900’s, and these photographs by Minagraphy capture the magic of the place. Photographer Mina, aka Minagraphy, is a Romanian-born, self-taught photographer based in New York. She says, “I am interested in the intersection of fine art and decorative photography.”

When asked about herself, Mina says, “The term photographer doesn't really describe me at all. I spent my entire life capturing moods, awkward family moments, places I've seen and almost everything else around me. I have a small collection of vintage and digital cameras and I've used all of them and still do. If I were to come up with something more descriptive I would call myself a visual interpreter.”

The artist is inspired by Coney Island because it reminds her of home and the Black Sea. She likes to imagine Coney Island as it used to be and, in this collection entitled Coney Island & Other Magical Places, she says, “the saturated hues, scratches, textures, and blurred motion combine to add a certain charm and nostalgia to each print.” The lively images capture the gold and turquoise hues of summer, as well as the energy and excitement that often go along with being on vacation. Each print is a combination of darkroom techniques and digital painting to create this nostalgic effect.