| I am a documentary photographer who has spent the last four years photographing the African-American community in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. I have photographed people in their homes, on the street, and in their churches. About two years ago I started to take portraits against a brick wall in Carey Gardens, a housing project on 23rd Street and Mermaid Avenue. One of the things I do is give the person being photographed a copy of the picture to show my appreciation. When I go to photograph I always bring pictures to give out. One of the things I enjoy the most is having people go through the pictures. Many times they will say that’s my son or daughter or my grandchild. It makes me feel that I am photographing one large extended family. | 
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Stephen Hoffman
Courtesy of the artist.I am a documentary photographer who has spent the last four years photographing the African-American community in Coney Island, Brooklyn, New York. I have photographed people in their homes, on the street, and in their churches. About two years ago I started to take portraits against a brick wall in Carey Gardens, a housing project on 23rd Street and Mermaid Avenue. One of the things I do is give the person being photographed a copy of the picture to show my appreciation. When I go to photograph I always bring pictures to give out. One of the things I enjoy the most is having people go through the pictures. Many times they will say that’s my son or daughter or my grandchild. It makes me feel that I am photographing one large extended family.
I was part of a group show at the Brooklyn Museum, Coney Island, Then and Now. A group of children from P.S. 188 in Coney Island went to see the show. One of the kids in the class saw a picture of her father that I had taken in the exhibit. I was just so excited about it when he told me how thrilled his daughter was when she came home and told him about it. I had given him the same picture several months before when I had taken it. I find it really exciting when people I have photographed get to see the pictures in an exhibit.
