20 Beautiful, Bizarre Years at the Coney Island Mermaid Parade

One day each June, hundreds of thousands of revelers stream down to Coney Island from every corner of New York City. They wear intricate headdresses and wrap themselves in shimmering fabrics: the more outrageous the costume, the better. This is the Mermaid Parade, an outpouring of artistic celebration that winds along the south Brooklyn beachside, carving out a space for quirk and tradition amid a rapidly evolving landscape.

For the past 20 years, the photographer Luke Ratray has captured the festivities on film. He shoots large format, in black and white; his images find personality amid the pageantry. “I look for originality, people who have put effort into their costume, a new take on an old theme,” Ratray says.