A Gift : Portraits of Prospect Park

Growing up in Prospect Heights, Prospect Park has been a central part of my life for as long as I can remember. When New York was ordered to shelter-in-place on March 20, I found myself searching for a moment of beauty in each day and began posting those on Instagram to offer some brightness in what felt like a very dark time.

Below are a selection of those photographs made during my early morning outings to Prospect Park. I invite you to select two photographs to use for your own Zoom and screen backgrounds by clicking on the submission button below. After submitting your form, you will receive an email confirming that your submission was sent. Within a few days you will then receive another email with a link to your images and tips for how to use them. If you have any questions at all, please feel free to reach out.

I offer these Portraits of Prospect Park as my gift to you. I hope these images will bring you some comfort, peace, hope, and inspiration during these days -- and every day.

Wishing you and your loved ones health, strength, and the endless amounts of love and resolve it takes to navigate these uncertain times.

Please click here to submit your portrait request.

The Boathouse

Iconic of the time when Prospect Park was built, the boathouse is elegant, timeless, and a peaceful place of reflection. For me, this particular location - near the tree that we planted for my mother and next to one of the Park's rushing waterfalls - is a place of comfort.

The Vale of Cashmere

This magical place is like a secret garden within the Park. I love to escape here. It feels enchanted and transports me in time, place, reality.

Long Meadow

As a young child, I remember joyfully playing hide and seek here with my father. It was filled with sunbathers, and my father lay down among them, hidden in plain sight. 35 years later in the early morning hours, this vast and empty meadow offers space to breathe during unprecedented times.

Misty Morning Swan at the Peninsula

Prospect Park has so many hidden corners and secret places to explore. It is full of magic, mysticism, and wonder, changing with each visit, season, and hour of the day. The Peninsula is one of my favorite places in the park to find peace, reflect, and appreciate wildlife.

Long Meadow Sunrise

As the sunrises over Brooklyn, the trees of Prospect Park are sillouhetted against the sky, birds come to life, and there is a sense of promise with the new day.

Peninsula

This rustic shelter at the tip of the Peninsula welcomes you as you emerge from the woods greeted by water and the open sky stretching out before you. I come here to give gratitudes and open my heart to life, breathing in the smell of pine trees that transport me back to my grandparents' home from my youth.

Trees Near Duck Island

The southern end of Prospect Park is characterized by an open greenway tracing the edge of the lake. It ends in a small grove of tall trees rising from the dusty shore near the large gazebo across from Duck Island, a gateway into the beautifully restored waterfront leading to Music Island.

Swan & Heron at Music Island

Prospect Park is an important migration spot for hundreds of birds each season, but we are also incredibly fortunate to have some regular residents. The swans grace the lake all year round, exquisite and regal. And each season, it fills my heart when the herons return, fishing on the shores just blocks from Brownstone-lined streets and high-rise apartments.

The Ravine

Sometimes you have to choose which path to take, even if they both lead home. There are so many wonderful trails in Prospect Park for running, birding, and simply getting away. I feel so grateful for the preservation of this incredible natural area and Brooklyn's last forest.

Please click here to submit your portrait request.