Inside MIT’s Media Lab for Polka Magazine (France)
September 3, 2013

 Postdoc Gordon Wetzstein works on a camera sensor in his office in the Camera Culture group in MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Wetzstein’s work in computational photography focuses on changing the way sensors and displays capture and project light. Here, Wetzstein is working on a printed filter that would alter the way the sensor captures light and which would then be decoded computationally to display captured images in novel ways. The work might be applied to create things such as glasses-free 3D viewing or ultra-high-definition imagery, among other possible uses.
People walk through the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
MIT students and visiting scholars work in the Camera Culture group at MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Dr. Ramesh Raskar is the leader of the Camera Culture group in MIT’s Media Lab and Associate Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, Co-Director of the Center for Future Storytelling, and NEC Career Development Professor of Media Arts and Sciences, at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
A person rides an elevator in the Media Lab lobby at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
A sign near MIT’s Media Lab points toward the building saying “Calculus” and reads “Real People” pointing toward MIT buildings housing the Sloan School of Management and the Department of Political Science at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Professor Ramesh Raskar (blue) leads his Camera Culture group in a meeting to discuss an upcoming Hackathon in India. Raskar is the director of the Camera Culture group at MIT’s Media Lab.
An exterior view of the Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The new Media Lab building (seen here) was designed by Maki and Associates, and the old Wiesner Building was designed by I. M. Pei.
Paper airplanes mounted on a wall advertise one of Professor Ethan Zuckerman’s courses in the Center for Civic Media at MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Tools lay on a workstation desk in the Camera Culture group space in MIT’s Media Lab at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Professor Ethan Zuckerman is the director of the Center for Civic Media at MIT’s Media Lab and co-founder of Global Voices, a multi-lingual online news and blogging service.
Students and others gather in the open common areas in the center of the Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The area is a common place for students to chat informally, study, and collaborate.
Layered transparencies create a glasses-free 3D effect on a light table at the Camera Culture group in MIT’s Media Lab at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Staff researcher and civic technologist Ed Platt debugs code for the Vojo blogging-by-SMS project in the Center for Civic Media at MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. The project aims to give access to blogging and citizen media tools to those with little access to technology or other information infrastructure. Vojo allows people with feature phones, or flip phones, to blog on a mobile platform without a smart phone or data plan.
A placard for the MIT Living Museum states that a drawer contains cookies in the Center for Civic Media at MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
A view of offices and labs from the lobby of MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
LEGO blocks provide a rapid method for prototyping urban planning designs at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Researchers gather in a workspace at the MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Dr. Suelia Rodrigues Fleury Rosa, Associate Professor of the University of Brasilia Department of Biomedical Engineering, works on a wireless sensor to be inserted in a model of human foot for testing the condition of people with diabetes at MIT’s Media Lab in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Students and others gather in the open common areas in the center of the Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The area is a common place for students to chat informally, study, and collaborate.
Mannequins are used to display smart prostheses in the lobby of MIT’s Media Lab at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The exhibition, entitled Wheels + Legs, displays the work of the Biomechatronics (seen here) and the Changing Places groups in the Media Lab.
People walk through the MIT Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
A few months back, I had a few hours to photograph MIT's well-known Media Lab for the French magazine Polka (an excellent, photo-focused magazine if you aren't already familiar). It was a very challenging shoot, because although there's a lot of cool stuff going on in the building, the vast majority of it was off-limits for the shoot. We were limited to two groups, Camera Culture and the Center for Civic Media, and even those had some restrictions on what could be photographed. The shoot happened right at the beginning of the summer, so most students and researchers were also away from the labs. But in spite of all of these difficulties, I was grateful for the access we did have and was happy with what I got from the day. You can read the article, in French, and see a few more pictures on Polka's website.

MIT Police Department and Grounds Crew for MIT News
September 2, 2013

 Officer Jeffrey Williams, an 11-year veteran of the MIT Police Department, stands behind Building 76 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Sergeant Cheryl Vossmer is a 29-year veteran of the MIT Police Department at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Vossmer works in crime prevention and community policing.
Sergeant Richard M. Sullivan, Aide to Patrol Commander of the MIT Police Department, spends most mornings dealing with crowds and tour buses at the Massachusetts Avenue crosswalk across from Building 7 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The Grounds Crew at MIT maintains the grounds of the campus and helps set up for large events. The crew is photographed here in Killian Court on MIT’s Campus near the Dome of Building 10 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Officer Jeffrey Williams, an 11-year veteran of the MIT Police Department, stands behind Building 76 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Sergeant Richard M. Sullivan, Aide to Patrol Commander of the MIT Police Department, spends most mornings dealing with crowds and tour buses at the Massachusetts Avenue crosswalk across from Building 7 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The Grounds Crew at MIT maintains the grounds of the campus and helps set up for large events. The crew is photographed here in Killian Court on MIT’s Campus near the Dome of Building 10 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Officer Anthony Rosanio, a 32-year veteran of the MIT Police force, sits in his cruiser across Massachusetts Avenue from Building 7 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Officer Jeffrey Williams, an 11-year veteran of the MIT Police Department, stands behind Building 76 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The Grounds Crew at MIT maintains the grounds of the campus and helps set up for large events. The crew is photographed here in Killian Court on MIT’s Campus near the Dome of Building 10 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
The Grounds Crew at MIT maintains the grounds of the campus and helps set up for large events. The crew is photographed here in Killian Court on MIT’s Campus near the Dome of Building 10 in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Sergeant Richard M. Sullivan, Aide to Patrol Commander of the MIT Police Department, spends most mornings dealing with crowds and tour buses at the Massachusetts Avenue crosswalk across from Building 7 at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
A wooden chair, made and donated by the San Antonio police department, stands empty at all times in the MIT Police Department briefing room as a memory of MIT police officer Sean Collier, who is alleged to have been killed by the Tsarnaev brothers, who are accused of perpetrating the 2013 Boston Marathon bombings.
For a Labor Day spot on MIT's homepage, I photographed members of the MIT Grounds Crew and Police Department a few weeks back. These are the people that make that place run, and they rarely get the recognition they deserve. I was excited to be a part of highlighting the work they do behind the scenes.

Moral Injury for American Public Media
July 12, 2013

 US Marine veteran living in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This man developed an opposition to US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after being deployed.
Giselle Sterling served in the US Marine Corps in Afghanistan, seen here at her father’s home in Sandown, New Hampshire. Sterling enlisted at age 17. Her father served in the Marines from 1970-1973.
Giselle Sterling (in black) practices Brazilian jiu jitsu at the Combat Sports International MMA training gym at the Beacon Hill Athletic Club in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Sterling, a former Marine, says the training recalls some of what she learned in the military and offers the same sort of camaraderie she experienced in the Marines.
Nelson Sterling of Sandown, New Hampshire, served in the US Marines 1970-73. His daughter Giselle Sterling also served in the Marines and was deployed to Afghanistan.
Giselle Sterling looks at her father’s Parris Island Marine boot camp book at her father’s home in Sandown, New Hampshire. Giselle and her father Nelson Sterling are both Marine veterans. Giselle deployed to Afghanistan, and Nelson served 1970-1973.
This woman served in the US Army Reserve and was deployed to Iraq in 2006-2007. She is now a graduate student.
Michael Spinnato served in the US Marine Corps from 2003-2007 and was deployed to Iraq in 2005-2006. Spinnato worked as motorized transport while deployed, but has since become an outspoken opponent of the war, active with the group Iraq Veterans Against War. Spinnato graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2012 and is studying for the MCAT and hopes to go to medical school.
Nelson Sterling of Sandown, New Hampshire, served in the US Marines 1970-73. His daughter Giselle Sterling also served in the Marines and was deployed to Afghanistan.
Giselle Sterling (in black) practices Brazilian jiu jitsu at the Combat Sports International MMA training gym at the Beacon Hill Athletic Club in Boston, Massachusetts, USA. Sterling, a former Marine, says the training recalls some of what she learned in the military and offers the same sort of camaraderie she experienced in the Marines.
An official Marine Corps portrait of Giselle Sterling hangs in her father’s home in Sandown, New Hampshire. Sterling was deployed to Afghanistan.
Michael Spinnato served in the US Marine Corps from 2003-2007 and was deployed to Iraq in 2005-2006. Spinnato worked as motorized transport while deployed, but has since become an outspoken opponent of the war, active with the group Iraq Veterans Against War. Spinnato graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2012 and is studying for the MCAT and hopes to go to medical school.
Giselle Sterling, a Marine Corps veteran who was deployed to Afghanistan, puts her dress blues in the back of her car at her father’s house in Sandown, New Hampshire. Though Sterling left the service, she wore her uniform during President Obama’s recent trip to Boston after the marathon bombings.
US Marine veteran living in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This man developed an opposition to US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after being deployed.
This woman served in the Army Reserve from 2003 to 2009 as an Arabic linguist. She is now an anthropology student.
A photo shows Michael Spinnato in uniform on the USS Carter Hall in 2005 as he leaves North Carolina for his deployment to Iraq. Michael Spinnato served in the US Marine Corps from 2003-2007 and was deployed to Iraq in 2005-2006. Spinnato worked as motorized transport while deployed, but has since become an outspoken opponent of the war, active with the group Iraq Veterans Against War. Spinnato graduated from the University of Massachusetts in 2012 and is studying for the MCAT and hopes to go to medical school.
Giselle Sterling and her father Nelson Sterling talk about their experience in the military at Nelson’s home in Sandown, New Hampshire. Nelson Sterling served in the US Marines during Vietnam and Giselle Sterling served in the Marines in Afghanistan.
US Marine veteran living in the suburbs of Boston, Massachusetts, USA. This man developed an opposition to US-led wars in Afghanistan and Iraq after being deployed.
Last spring I was contacted by American Public Media for a difficult assignment. The subject was moral injury in American military veterans. Moral injury is a term used in mental health circles, and studied by the US Veterans Administration, to describe the situation when a person's actions violate their sense of right and wrong, usually at the orders of a superior in high-stress situations. In the case of these subjects, actions they participated in while deployed in conflict situations violated their morals. Many of the photos and interviews required anonymity, which proved to be a fun challenge in the context of portraiture. The images ran as part of a series on moral injury in partnership with Boston's WBUR public radio station and the Public Insight Network. I'm thankful to the veterans featured in the story for letting us in to learn about such a painful topic. Please contact me for image licensing.

10-year-old Inventor for Wired
June 16, 2013

 Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Seen here working in his family’s basement, Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Seen here working in his family’s basement, Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Seen here working in his family’s basement, Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. Seen here at the Hanover Transfer Facility, Owen and his father Len Nannarone frequently visit the dump to look for parts and equipment to use or repair. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Seen here working in his family’s basement, Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed the EZ-Cinch Net (seen here), a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Electronic and circuit components rest in an egg crate on the workbench of Owen Nannarone in his family’s basement. Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. He likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Seen here working in his family’s basement, Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Seen here working in his family’s basement, Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Owen Nannarone, of Scituate, Mass., is a 10-year-old inventor. Owen likes to take apart and repair electronics and motors. Seen here at the Scituate Transfer Facility, Owen and his father Len Nannarone frequently visit the dump to look for parts and equipment to use or repair. He recently developed a prototype for a golf tee that can measure the speed and direction of a golf ball as it’s hit. Two years ago, he developed something called the EZ-Cinch Net, a fishing net with closeable compartments that allow him to collect multiple turtles or frogs from nearby bogs without the animals contacting one another.
Earlier this year, I photographed 10-year-old inventor Owen Nannarone at his home and scavenging for parts in recycling centers in southeastern Massachusetts. The images ran big at Wired.com, but I thought I'd show a few more I liked here. You can see more images at my archive.

Bashkortostan: economy, politics, and culture
May 23, 2013

 A monument to Bashkir national hero Salavat Yulayev stands above Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
Rustem Zakievich Khamitov is the second and last president of the Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. He is photographed here in a conference room outside of his office in Ufa, Republic of Bashkortostan, Russia. Khamitov was appointed to the position in 2010 by Russian president Vladimir Putin. A 2010 federal law prevents leaders of Russia’s republics and regions from using the term ‘president’ after 2015, though the government of Bashkortostan has not yet decided how to implement this law and what term will be used in the future.
A man worships in the Lyalya-Tulip Mosque in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. The mosque is the center of Islam in Bashkortostan.
A man worships in the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
Trees stand next to the White River in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
Bashneft employee Ruslan Yusupov speaks on a cell phone at a Bashneft refinery outside of Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. The area is a major oil and gas producing region in the country.
Patients wait for treatment and diagnosis in the Alloplant Russian Eye and Plastic Surgery Center in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
A man drives through the grounds of a Bashneft oil refinery in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. The area is a major oil and gas producing region in the country.
Crew members prepare for a nightly news discussion show at the Telecenter (Teletsentr) studio of Bashkir state television and radio in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
People wait for buses and minibuses in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
A woman enters offices in the executive office building of the president of Bashkortostan in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
Women prune young cucumber plants in a greenhouse at the Alekseevskii state farm outside Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. The farm employees about 1,500 people.
A stuffed bear stands in the corner of Ernst Muldashev’s office in the Alloplant Russian Eye and Plastic Surgery Center in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
The city of Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia, is known as the City of 52 Kilometers because of its size. The city, capital of Bashkortostan and the center for the oil and gas industry in the region, has grown rapidly since the fall of the Soviet Union.
People ride a minibus bound for the Central Market in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
A portrait of Vitali Proshkin, team captain of hockey team Salavat Yulaev Ufa, stands in the lobby of the newly built hockey stadium in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
A receptionist waits for visitors to a Bashneft oil refinery outside Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
An earthmover stands at rest near new residential building construction in Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia.
Refinery towers stand above trees outside Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. The area is a major oil and gas producing region in the country.
Last year, I traveled to Russia on an exchange and worked in the offices of the TassPhoto agency in Moscow. During the trip, I went to Bashkortostan for a 3-day reporting trip that was mostly an official tour of the capital city Ufa and some of its recent economic developments: a new stadium, it's state-run broadcasting system, a Bashneft oil refinery, and a very strange hospital. We also had a short interview with the president of the republic, the last president of Bashkortostan, Rustem Zakievich Khamitov. You can see more images at my photoshelter archive.

The community responds to the Boston Bombings
May 22, 2013

 Lauryn Mooney of Boston painted her face red, white and blue and the words “Boston Strong.” She stood opposite the Cathedral of the Holy Cross as President Obama gathered with others on April 18, 2013, 3 days after the bombings at the 2013 Boston Marathon.
People gather around the lagoon in the Public Garden at Boston Common in Boston, Mass., for a candlelight vigil on April 16, 2013, the day after bombings at the Boston Marathon.
People gather near the Parkman Bandstand in Boston Common in Boston, Mass., for a vigil on April 16, 2013, the day after bombings at the Boston Marathon.
People gather outside Cambridge City Hall in Cambridge, Mass., on April 18, 2013, for a candlelight vigil and prayer two days after the Boston Marathon bombings. The vigil was hosted by the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Black Pastors’ Association.
People gather in the Arlington Street Church near Boston Common in Boston, Mass., on April 16, 2013, the day after bombings at the Boston Marathon.
Adrian Gayle joins crowds gather to celebrate in Watertown, Mass., on Mt. Auburn near the scene of the capture of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect #2 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on April 19, 2013. Tsarnaev was captured in a residential area of Watertown after a day-long search that shut down the metropolitan Boston area. Gayle is an American citizen originally from Jamaica.
People left flowers and other remembrances on Boylston Street near the site of the bombings in Boston, Mass., on April 16, 2013, the day after bombings at the Boston Marathon.
People gather outside Cambridge City Hall in Cambridge, Mass., on April 18, 2013, for a candlelight vigil and prayer two days after the Boston Marathon bombings. The vigil was hosted by the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Black Pastors’ Association.
People gather outside Cambridge City Hall in Cambridge, Mass., on April 18, 2013, for a candlelight vigil and prayer two days after the Boston Marathon bombings. The vigil was hosted by the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Black Pastors’ Association.
People gather outside Cambridge City Hall in Cambridge, Mass., on April 18, 2013, for a candlelight vigil and prayer two days after the Boston Marathon bombings. The vigil was hosted by the City of Cambridge and the Cambridge Black Pastors’ Association.
People gather at a small memorial for slain MIT police officer Sean Collier between the STATA Center and Koch Institute on MIT’s campus in Cambridge, Mass., on April 20, 2013. Collier was shot and killed by the Tsarnaev brothers, suspects in the Boston Marathon bombings earlier that week.
Massachusetts State Police stand guard as media and crowds gather on Franklin Street in Watertown, Mass., near the scene of the capture of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect #2 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, on April 20, 2013. Tsarnaev was captured the day before just a block away in a residential area of Watertown after a day-long search that shut down the metropolitan Boston area.
News media report as crowds gather to celebrate in Watertown, Mass., on Mt. Auburn near the scene of the capture of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect #2 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on April 19, 2013. Tsarnaev was captured in a residential area of Watertown after a day-long search that shut down the metropolitan Boston area.
Crowds gather to celebrate in Watertown, Mass., on Mt. Auburn near the scene of the capture of Boston Marathon Bombing suspect #2 Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on April 19, 2013. Tsarnaev was captured in a residential area of Watertown after a day-long search that shut down the metropolitan Boston area.
The greater Boston community reacts to news of the marathon bombings and subsequent manhunt. Over the week, emotions ran from surprise to fear to pride to hope to happiness as the news unfolded. More images are available on my photoshelter archive.

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