“We Can’t Breathe” Die In at Harvard’s Memorial Church
December 8, 2014

Harvard students and community members gather for a "die-in" protest outside of Memorial Church in Harvard Yard in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Many protestors wore face masks with the phrase "We can't breathe," a reference to the last words of Eric Garner, a young black man who was killed by a police officer in New York City. The protest was meant to draw attention to the Garner's death and other recent police killings of black men, including the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

You can see more images available for licensing at my archive: Die In - Eric Garner Protest - Harvard - Memorial Church

Recovering Warrior Employment Conference / UberMILITARY for the Verge
November 24, 2014

For The Verge / Vox Media, I photographed the Recovering Warrior Employment Conference in Boston last month. The event was a hiring event featuring 20 or so employers and put on by the US Chamber of Commerce Foundation's Hiring Our Heroes initiative. And while the employers included organizations such as Bank of America, GE, the Boston Fire Department, and others, my focus was on Uber, a company that's been in quite a bit of controversy lately and which is currently aiming to hire 50,000 US military veterans as part of the UberMILITARY initiative.

The event was open to the press, and while most companies had no issue talking with me or the writer of the piece, the representatives from Uber would not give me their names or share any of the brochures or pamphlets they were giving out. I typically gather information while taking pictures so I can include relevant context in the captions I submit to publications. I hate photographing people that actively don't want to be included in coverage; the Uber reps were very friendly to me, but would not provide any information after repeated inquiries by me and the writer. So, while I photographed the event, I also photographed their table and some of the veterans who listened to the Uber pitch and we gleaned whatever information we could about how the company is presenting itself to military veterans.

You can read the article by Avi Asher-Shapiro that features a few of my photos or see more of the photos in my online archive.

A rainy day at the Topsfield Fair
November 20, 2014

I'm a big fan of public gatherings, so when I heard about the Topsfield Fair, I knew I had to go. It's a long-running tradition started in 1818--one of the oldest fairs in the US, in fact--and it's host to the famous giant pumpkin contest. This year didn't beat the record two ton pumpkin from 2009, but this year's pumpkin still weighed in at 1900 pounds. Unfortunately, the day I attended was pretty rainy, but that didn't stop the crowds from checking out the performances and demonstrations.

I don't know what exactly draws me to these sorts of events. I love the sense of community, for one. And while I grew up going to rural fairs, I never expected to find such an agriculturally-focused fair so close to Boston. While a lot of the outdoor activities were hampered by the weather, it was great to see the beeswax craftmaking, milking demonstrations, model railroads, award-winning flowers, fancy chickens and rabbits, giant pumpkins, and everything else that comes with a fair. Oh, and there was a giant pink elephant there for some reason!

Crowds at the Head of the Charles
November 5, 2014

I've just gotten a new film camera (a Fuji GW670II) and was looking for an excuse to photograph something short and contained with it to make sure it was in working order. The Head of the Charles regatta is a large event in Cambridge, Massachusetts, with lots of crowds and a little bit of action, and I thought it'd be perfect to run a few rolls through the new camera. Here are a few images from the hour or two I spent at the event.

Derek Jeter’s last game – for the New York Times
October 13, 2014

 BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Chris Kowalczuk tears up during the pre-game ceremony honoring Derek Jeter before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. Kowalczuk, who came to the game from Roanoke, Virginia, with friend Alan Moore (left), said he's a life-long Yankees fan. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Derek Jeter waves to the stadium after he batted a run in and left the game at his last at bat as New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Alan Saluti of Boston sells issues of the Boston Herald commemorating Derek Jeter at Fenway Park before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: People stand in line for game-day tickets at Fenway Park before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. These people have been in line since about 6am for the 1:30pm game. Scott Corey (light blue, sleeping) and his son Ivan Corey (red shirt, sitting) drove from Dennysville, Maine, starting at about midnight the night before to stand in line. On the way, they saw 1 deer, 2 foxes, 1 raccoon, and 1 frog. Standing, Andrew McMahon (in yellow) and wife Stephanie McMahon (white shirt), drove from Rutland, Vermont, for the game. They arrived at 2am and napped in their car until getting in line at 6am. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: People wait for the 9 and 10am tours of Fenway Park before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Fans try to get Derek Jeter's attention after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career. M. Scott Brauer for The New York Times
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Yankee fans Greg Keid (right) and Sara Hotton kiss during the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Derek Jeter bats second in the first inning as the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: People watch from behind the outfield during the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Fans try to get Derek Jeter's autograph after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career. M. Scott Brauer for The New York Times
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Fans hold signs to get Derek Jeter's attention after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox played at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: People stand near the Yankees dugout before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: The scoreboard and jumbotron honor Derek Jeter in a pre-game ceremony before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Betsi Shelffo and husband Jim Shelffo of Clifton Park, New York, take pictures outside the stadium before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Derek Jeter takes to the field for batting practice before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Derek Jeter leaves the field after warmups before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: Frankie DeSario, 11, of Dedham, Mass., hopes to get a signature from Derek Jeter before the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox play at Fenway Park. Frankie said he is a Red Sox fan but still wanted a Jeter signature. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
BOSTON, MASS. - SEPT. 28, 2014: People leave after the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park. The game is last game of Derek Jeter's career.
A couple weeks ago, I got a strange message from Jeff at the New York Times asking if I was available to photograph Derek Jeter's last professional baseball game. I say it's strange because I'm not what you'd call a sports photographer. In fact, I don't think I've had a single sports-related assignment in my career as a freelancer. I'm just about the last person you'd expect to see at a baseball game, much less photographing one, and I had to spend some time with wikipedia and talking with friends to learn about Derek Jeter. Nevertheless, the editor said he wanted me to photograph the excitement and history of the day, and that's something I feel like I can do.

In the end, I had a lot of fun on the assignment.  The subject matter is so different from what I usually photograph so it was a fascinating challenge for me. I spent the day wandering around Fenway Park, both inside and out, trying to capture the fan's enthusiasm and passion for the game and this particular player.

You can see more pictures or buy prints from the day at my archive: Derek Jeter's Last Game.

Utica’s Refugee Community for Dagbladet Information
October 2, 2014

 Fatumah Mohamed, 43, is a refugee from Darfur, Sudan, recently resettled in Utica, New York, USA. She is seen here in a classroom at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees where she is learning English and other skills useful for her new life in Utica. When asked what she would like to do for a job in her new life, she said she might start as a housekeeper but wanted to become a judge like Luis Gabriel Moreno Ocampo, the first Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is one of the largest resettlement agencies in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service network, though it is a secular organizatnoi. The Center has assisted in the resettlement of refugees from 31 countries since it began in 1979.
A fading mural in downtown Utica, New York, USA, reads "Utica / Always Reaching Toward Greater Height."
Jeanne Lippincott helps students during an English as a Second Language course at the adult education center above the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica, New York. Lippincott says has been teaching at the center for 15 or 20 years. Most of the students take classes to improve employment opportunities.
The Bosnian Islamic Association of Utica operates the Utica Mosque in a former church located on Court Street next to City Hall in Utica, New York, USA. The former Christian congregation became too small to sustain the church and sold the building to the Islamic Association. There was a ceremony marking the change in which members of the former congregation were given the cross from the building.
A variety of goods popular with the local Somali community is for sale at a store operated by Mohammed Mohamed, 20, is a Somali Bantu refugee who was resettled in Utica, New York, USA, with his family when he was 11. He now operates a small store on Mohawk Street in Utica, offering a variety of specialized goods to the local Somali community.
Fatumah Mohamed, 43, is a refugee from Darfur, Sudan, recently resettled in Utica, New York, USA. She is seen here in a classroom at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees where she is learning English and other skills useful for her new life in Utica. When asked what she would like to do for a job in her new life, she said she might start as a housekeeper but wanted to become a judge like Luis Gabriel Moreno Ocampo, the first Chief Prosecutor for the International Criminal Court. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is one of the largest resettlement agencies in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service network, though it is a secular organizatnoi. The Center has assisted in the resettlement of refugees from 31 countries since it began in 1979.
Moo Wah is a refugee from the Karen ethnic group in Myanmar, seen here at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica, New York, USA. Moo Wah has been unable to find a job in Utica since being resettled there and uses the center's resources to help learn English. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is one of the largest resettlement agencies in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service network, though it is a secular organizatnoi. The Center has assisted in the resettlement of refugees from 31 countries since it began in 1979.
Mirsen Durmisevic, 33, is a Bosnian refugee who owns a Utica, New York, restaurant called Secret Garden, serving Bosnian and other European dishes. Durmisevic fled Bosnia with his family in the early 90s, first going to Germany. He came to Utica in the late 90s.
Sanh Soeung is a refugee from Cambodia who came to Utica, New York, USA, 6 years ago to open Sunny Restaurant, where she sells mostly Thai food. She had previously lived in Rhode Island, but the cost of living was too high. Soeung learned to cook Thai food while living in Thailand after fleeing Cambodia.
Sanh Soeung is a refugee from Cambodia who came to Utica, New York, USA, 6 years ago to open Sunny Restaurant, where she sells mostly Thai food. She had previously lived in Rhode Island, but the cost of living was too high. Soeung learned to cook Thai food while living in Thailand after fleeing Cambodia.
Abdallah Tamir Ismir, 25, is a refugee from Darfur, Sudan, who recently arrived in Utica, New York, USA. He is seen here in a classroom at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees where he is learning English and other skills useful for his new life in Utica. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is one of the largest resettlement agencies in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service network, though it is a secular organizatnoi. The Center has assisted in the resettlement of refugees from 31 countries since it began in 1979.
Abdallah Tamir Ismir, 25, is a refugee from Darfur, Sudan, who recently arrived in Utica, New York, USA. He is seen here in a classroom at the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees where he is learning English and other skills useful for his new life in Utica. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is one of the largest resettlement agencies in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service network, though it is a secular organizatnoi. The Center has assisted in the resettlement of refugees from 31 countries since it began in 1979.
Eh Ta, 62, (left) and Sahondranirinan Ratsimandefitr, 53, work on a lesson in an English as a Second Language class at the adult education center above the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica, New York. Eh Ta is from Thailand and has lived in Utica for 7 years. Ratsimandefitris from Madagascar and has been in Utica for 3 years. The two always work together in class.
Shelly Callahan is the Executive Director of the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees in Utica, New York, USA. The Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees is one of the largest resettlement agencies in the Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service network, though it is a secular organizatnoi. The Center has assisted in the resettlement of refugees from 31 countries since it began in 1979.
Houses on Eagle Street in Utica, New York, USA. As much as one third of the approximately 60,000 residents of Utica are refugees.
Mohammed Mohamed, 20, is a Somali Bantu refugee who was resettled in Utica, New York, USA, with his family when he was 11. He now operates a small store on Mohawk Street in Utica, offering a variety of specialized goods to the local Somali community.
A cemetery built by the Bosnian Muslim refugee community stands outside Utica, New York.
A cemetery built by the Bosnian Muslim refugee community stands outside Utica, New York.
I spent a quick few hours in Utica with Danish writer Martin Burcharth on a story about Utica, New York's refugee community for the Danish newspaper Dagbladet Information. Martin had written a series of articles on the subject in the mid-90s, mostly about resettled Bosnian refugees, and wanted to revisit the city to see what had become of the program. Nearly a third of Utica's population comprises refugees from around the world resettled by the US Department of State and the Mohawk Valley Resource Center for Refugees, which was founded in 1979. Bosnians, Somali Bantu, Sudanese from Darfur, Karen, Burmese, Thai, Czech, Russian, and other nationalities have found new lives in Utica, a city long abandoned by industry and business. These new Americans have started businesses and otherwise become part of the community.   The article is available, in Danish only, on Information's website.

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