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.

MIT’s Space Propulsion Lab for the Chronicle of Higher Education
September 23, 2014

 Seen here in the Space Propulsion Laboratory near a large vacuum tank, Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics Ph.D. candidates Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna (light shirt) have been working on the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Brikner and Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder. The research at MIT was done under Space Propulsion Lab director Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Aeronautics and Astronautics Ph.D. candidate Louis Perna is seen here in the clean room of the Technology Research Laboratory in the Microsystems Technology Laboratory at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Perna is reflected in a silicon wafer from which he creates both the extractor grid and emitter chip frame for the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats project at MIT. One side has a purple hue due to 300 nanometers of oxide grown on the wafer. Researchers in the cleanroom have to wear a bunny suit or clean room suit while working to prevent contamination. Perna works on silicon MEMS fabrication and packaging in the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats project at MIT. The iEPS device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Two Ph.D. candidates working on the project, Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder.
Dr. Paulo Lozano is the director of the Space Propulsion Laboratory in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. One of the projects developed by the lab is the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats. The device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Ph.D. candidates and researchers in the lab Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder. The research at MIT was done under Space Propulsion Lab director Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Seen here in the Space Propulsion Laboratory, lab director Dr. Paulo Lozano (right), and Ph.D. candidates Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna (left) have been working on the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Brikner and Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder. The research at MIT was done under Space Propulsion Lab director Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Aeronautics and Astronautics Ph.D. candidate Louis Perna is seen here in the clean room of the Technology Research Laboratory in the Microsystems Technology Laboratory at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Perna is putting on an additional apron and other personal protective equipment that is used to protect researchers from corrosive chemicals used in the lab. Researchers in the cleanroom have to wear a bunny suit or clean room suit while working to prevent contamination. Perna works on silicon MEMS fabrication and packaging in the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats project at MIT. The iEPS device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Two Ph.D. candidates working on the project, Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder.
Seen here in the Space Propulsion Laboratory, Aeronautics and Astronautics Ph.D. candidate Natalya Brikner has been working on the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Brikner, alongside fellow Ph.D. candidate Louis Perna, has formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder. The research at MIT was done under Space Propulsion Lab director Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Dr. Paulo Lozano is the director of the Space Propulsion Laboratory in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. One of the projects developed by the lab is the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats. The device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Ph.D. candidates and researchers in the lab Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder. The research at MIT was done under Space Propulsion Lab director Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
Seen here in the Space Propulsion Laboratory, lab director Dr. Paulo Lozano (center), and Ph.D. candidates Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna (left) have been working on the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The device is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. Brikner and Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder. The research at MIT was done under Space Propulsion Lab director Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
The ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats is made by MIT's Space Propulsion Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The device, shown here next to a US quarter for scale, is used to maneuver a 10cm cubic satellite in space. The Space Propulsion Lab is directed by Dr. Paulo Lozano, professor in MIT's Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Two Ph.D. candidates working on the project, Natalya Brikner and Louis Perna have formed a company, Accion Systems Incorporated, to commercialize the research. Brikner, graduating in Winter 2014, is CEO of the company, and Perna is co-founder.
A couple weeks ago I had a short time in MIT's Space Propulsion Lab photographing some of the team behind the ion Electrospray Propulsion System (iEPS) for CubeSats. I'd photographed the group previously before for MIT News, but this time the focus was on two graduate students who are working to commercialize the technology with a new company called Accion Systems Incorporated. This time I got to peek inside a cleanroom where some of the components are manufactured from silicon wafers. It was a difficult shooting environment; only a couple of pieces of equipment could be brought in, and I was wearing a full "bunny suit" which doesn't have much in the way of ventilation.

The Chronicle story is available to read here, and you can see more pictures in my archive.

Portraits of MIT workers for Labor Day spotlight
September 9, 2014

 Raul Ortiz is a custodian in MIT's Department of Facilities. He is seen here on MIT's campus, where he has worked for 16 years.
Raul Ortiz is a custodian in MIT's Department of Facilities. He is seen here on MIT's campus, where he has worked for 16 years.
Varin Ang is a Senior Project Manager in MIT's Department of Facilities. She has worked at MIT for 8 years. She is currently overseeing a project in this building, MIT Building 46, installing a sculpture above a lobby and staircase. Ang is a licensed architect, but since coming to MIT has focused more on project management.
Varin Ang is a Senior Project Manager in MIT's Department of Facilities. She has worked at MIT for 8 years. She is currently overseeing a project in this building, MIT Building 46, installing a sculpture above a lobby and staircase. Ang is a licensed architect, but since coming to MIT has focused more on project management.
Denise Guillette is a Construction Safety Engineer with MIT's Campus Engineering and Construction. She is seen on the scaffolding surrounding facade work on MIT's Building W31, the Du Pont Athletic Gym.
Denise Guillette is a Construction Safety Engineer with MIT's Campus Engineering and Construction. She is seen on the scaffolding surrounding facade work on MIT's Building W31, the Du Pont Athletic Gym.
Juan Hernandez is a third shift supervisor in MIT's Department of Facilities' Custodial Services. He is seen in the Custodial Services office in Building 10 on MIT's Campus, where he has worked for a little more than a year.
Juan Hernandez is a third shift supervisor in MIT's Department of Facilities' Custodial Services. He is seen in the Custodial Services office in Building 10 on MIT's Campus, where he has worked for a little more than a year.
Sogna Scott is an Administrative Assistant II in MIT's Department of Facilities, where she helps oversee the departments 30 employees. Sogna is seen here on MIT's campus in Department of Facilities equipment storage areas.
Sogna Scott is an Administrative Assistant II in MIT's Department of Facilities, where she helps oversee the departments 30 employees. Sogna is seen here on MIT's campus in Department of Facilities equipment storage areas.
Sharon Clute is a Locksmith in MIT's Maintenance and Utilities. Clute is seen here on MIT's campus the lock shop in Building E19.
Sharon Clute is a Locksmith in MIT's Maintenance and Utilities. Clute is seen here on MIT's campus the lock shop in Building E19.
Albert Gray is a mover in MIT's Department of Facilities specializing in recycling. Gray is seen here on MIT's campus near a loading dock between Buildings 7 and 11.
Albert Gray is a mover in MIT's Department of Facilities specializing in recycling. Gray is seen here on MIT's campus near a loading dock between Buildings 7 and 11.
A few weeks back, I had a seven-part portrait series for MIT's News Office highlighting workers around campus. The creative director identified a number of subjects for the piece and then brainstormed locations that would highlight both the subjects' personalities and their jobs. Seven images ran as the homepage of MIT.edu over Labor Day weekend. You can see how one of the images looked in MIT's front page archive.

Recent work for the Wall Street Journal: Keurig, law schools, and women in the workplace
September 8, 2014

 Kimberly Steimle Vaughan is the Chief Marketing and People Officer at Suffolk Construction in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She's photographed here at the company's national headquarters in Boston on Mon., June 30, 2014.
Kimberly Steimle Vaughan is the Chief Marketing and People Officer at Suffolk Construction in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. She's photographed here at the company's national headquarters in Boston on Mon., June 30, 2014.
Brian Kelley is Chief Executive of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. He is photographed here in the company's Massachusetts hub offices in Burlington, Massachusetts, on Wed,. Aug. 20, 2014, the week before the release of their new brewing machine Keurig 2.0. The machines here are used to manufacture Keurig cups (or K-Cups) in the lab.
Brian Kelley is Chief Executive of Keurig Green Mountain, Inc. He is photographed here in the company's Massachusetts hub offices in Burlington, Massachusetts, on Wed,. Aug. 20, 2014, the week before the release of their new brewing machine Keurig 2.0.
Chaloea Williams graduated from Boston University's Law School in May 2014 and got a job at the law firm WilmerHale as a first year associate in the litigation department. She is seen here on the campus of Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on Friday, June 20, 2014.
Chaloea Williams graduated from Boston University's Law School in May 2014 and got a job at the law firm WilmerHale as a first year associate in the litigation department. She is seen here on the campus of Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on Friday, June 20, 2014.
Sarah Damerville graduated from Boston University's Law School in May 2014 and got a job at the law firm Weil, Gotshal and Manges as a first year associate. She is seen here on the campus of Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on Friday, June 20, 2014.
Sarah Damerville graduated from Boston University's Law School in May 2014 and got a job at the law firm Weil, Gotshal and Manges as a first year associate. She is seen here on the campus of Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, on Friday, June 20, 2014.
It's been a busy few months of travel, but I managed to squeeze in a handful of portrait assignments for the Wall Street Journal. The topics have been varied, but the one thing these shoots had in common was extremely short time to work with the subjects. Recent assignments, seen above, included portraits of Keurig Green Mountain CEO Brian Kelley for a story about a new brewing machine developed by the company, Suffolk Construction Chief Marketing and People Officer Kimberly Steimle Vaughan for a story about gender pay equity, and recent Boston University law school grads Chaloea Williams and Sarah Damerville for a story about big law firms increasing hiring rates.

Thanks as always to Parker and the rest of the team for calling me on these shoots.

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