A few pictures from Rhode Island and Cape Cod
July 20, 2011

 A boat lays stranded against a jetty at low tide in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
Tire tracks go up a dune near Race Point Beach outside Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
People walk along the beach at Ocean Drive State Park outside Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
Fishing boats float at docks in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
People walk along the beach at Race Point on Cape Cod near Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
A man sits on a rocky beach in Newport, Rhode Island.
Lobsters in a tank for sale in a market on the docks in Newport, Rhode Island, USA. Above the tank, a sign warns “Do not touch.”
A fishing boat floats in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
Sailboats stand above ground in dry dock at Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
A sign warns “Danger Keep Off Rocks” at Ocean Drive State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
Water in Cape Cod Bay near Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
A person walks along the beach in Provincetown, Massachusetts.
A seal skeleton lays on the beach on Long Point in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA, on Cape Cod.
The Wood End Lighthouse stands on the end of Cape Cod in Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
A shop in Newport, Rhode Island, displays women’s clothing for sale.
People walk through the streets of Provincetown, Massachusetts, at night.
The tower of the Pilgrim Monument stands above Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA, on Cape Cod.
Seagulls fly above Ocean Drive State Park in Newport, Rhode Island, USA.
A small plane flies in the sky above Provincetown, Massachusetts, USA.
Earlier this summer, I took my first trip to Cape Cod. Not being from the east coast, the Cape has always been the stuff of stories of others people's lives. Had a great time traveling up the length of the cape and spending a night in Provincetown. These are a few favorite shots from the trip, which was mostly a vacation with an old friend and which also included a quick jog down the length of Rhode Island, numerous whale sightings, and getting reacquainted with cool ocean breeze on beaches.

Under the Dome: open house at MIT for the Institute’s 150th anniversary
July 8, 2011

 Visitors watch a glass-blowing demonstration during a tour of the Glass Lab in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as part of the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Julia Goldstein helps children in a demonstrationg of Playtime Computing, a project by Media Lab master’s student David Robert, at the Media Lab during MIT’s Under the Dome open house. The technology demonstrates a blended-reality character that mixes robotics with animation in an immersive environment in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA?.
Tim Politano, 2nd year grad student in Chemical Engineering, demonstrates non-newtonian liquid physics with corn starch and water to Gabe (left), 15, and Caleb Trotz, 10, of Acton, Massachusetts, during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Visitors watch a demonstration of under water fabrication and cutting in the Fab Lab in the Media Lab during MIT’s Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
People put up a poster for the Language and the Human Mind event put on by the Department of Linguistics and Philosophy in the Stata Center as part of the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Middle school students in the Tenacity after-school program in East Boston build structures out of spaghetti and marshmallows as part of a demonstration by the Department of Mechanical Engineering during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
People look at robotics demonstrations in the Stata Center during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Children watch as Materials Science and Engineering students make ice cream using liquid nitrogen during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Visitors gather in Killian Court outside building 10 during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
People look at robotics demonstrations in the Stata Center during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Young visitors look at bacteria in petri dishes in a microbiology demonstration by Steve Goldfless (left), 4th year grad student in Bio Engineering, during the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
People gather in Lobby 7 during the MIT Under the Dome open house before a flashmob at noon in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Visitors watch a glass-blowing demonstration during a tour of the Glass Lab in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering as part of the MIT Under the Dome open house in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
This year is MIT's 150th anniversary, and as part of the celebration the Institute revived an old tradition and opened its hallways and labs to the public for a one-day event, "Under the Dome." I was photographed the event for MIT's New Office. More images are available in my archive: MIT 150: Under the Dome open house

2011 Commencement for MIT’s News Office
July 5, 2011

 3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students make their way to the commecement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology….Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement MIT professors speak outside the Building 10 in Killian Court during the 2011 commencement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students gather in the Rockwell Cage (Building W33) to prepare for commencement ceremonies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. …Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement…Graduating students gather in Killian Court for the 2011 Massachusetts Institute of Technology commencement ceremony…..Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..MIT professors and faculty prepare for the commecement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology……Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students gather in the Rockwell Cage (Building W33) to prepare for commencement ceremonies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. …Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students get coffee at La Verde’s Market in the Stratton Student Center before the 2011 commencement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. …Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement…Friends and family of graduating students gather in Killian Court to watch the 2011 commencement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ..Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement Graduating students return to their seats in Killian Court after receiving their diplomas at the 2011 Massachusetts Institute of Technology commencement ceremony. Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students gather in the Rockwell Cage (Building W33) to prepare for commencement ceremonies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. ..Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students make their way to the commecement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology….Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..Graduating students gather in Killian Court for the 2011 Massachusetts Institute of Technology commencement ceremony….Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement..An MIT alum watches graduating students enter Killian Court for the 2011 commencement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Alumni who reach the 50th anniversary of their graduation are awarded red coats as seen in this picture….Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
3 June 2011, Cambridge, MA – MIT Commencement Friends and family of graduating students gather in Killian Court to watch the 2011 commencement ceremony at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Photo by M. Scott Brauer for MIT News
On June 3rd, 2011, I photographed the 145th commencement ceremony at MIT for the Institute's News Office. Most exciting, I got to go up onto MIT's Great Dome to get some crowd shots. Here are a few of my favorites from the day, and more can be seen at the News Office's coverage of the day, and at my archive: 2011 MIT Commencement.

Outtakes: Harvard grad Nick Culbertson for the New Jersey Star-Ledger
June 23, 2011

 A sticker reading “Nic Culbertson” marks the spot among fellow grads for Nick Culbertson, of Dunellen, New Jersey, at the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nick Culbertson (right), of Dunellen, New Jersey, and his grandmother Lillian Culbertson walk to the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nick Culbertson, of Dunellen, New Jersey, waits to receive his diploma at the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nick Culbertson (center), of Dunellen, New Jersey, wipes a tear while posing for pictures with Dr. David Myers (left center) after Culbertson received his diploma at the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Myers provided financial support to Culbertson throughout his schooling.
Nick Culbertson, of Dunellen, New Jersey, hugs Dr. David Myers (right) after Culbertson received his diploma at the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Myers provided financial support to Culbertson as he attended high school and college.
Dr. David Myers (from right), Lillian Culbertson (grandmother), Ashley Lyles (sister), Nick Culbertson, Leticia Culbertson (obscured, mother), and Sue Myers, walk to the subway after attending the graduation of Nick Culbertson, of Dunellen, New Jersey, at the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nick Culbertson (center), sister Ashley Lyles (left center)and mother Leticia Culbertson (right center) ride a subway to lunch after attending the graduation of Nick Culbertson, of Dunellen, New Jersey, at the Quincy House ceremony during Harvard University Commencement on May 26, 2011, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA.
Nick Culbertson (center), of Dunellen, New Jersey, celebrates with family at lunch at Legal Seafoods in Boston, Massachusetts, after his graduation from Harvard University on May 26, 2011. Also pictured, at right, is Sue Myers. Myers, along with her husband Dr. David Myers, provided financial support to Culbertson during his schooling.
One of my favorite parts of photojournalism is getting a glimpse into people's lives at their most exciting moments. This assignment was no exception. Shooting for the New Jersey Star-Ledger, I spent the day with Nick Culbertson and his family as he graduated from Harvard, the culmination of a long-road started when the paper wrote a story about two children and their grandmother living in a motel in Dunellen, New Jersey. The community came to the family's aid and through the dedication of Nick, his sister, his grandmother, and a handful of people, both children graduated from college. You can read the story here: On graduation day, grandmother's toil pays off. And here you can see how the story appeared in print.

Outtakes: In Silicon Valley, Investors Are Jockeying Like It’s 1999 – Wall Street Journal, 19 April 2011
May 9, 2011

 Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, communicates using his iPhone while sitting at 1369 Coffee House in Central Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011. Fishback meets with colleagues, potential investors, and others in coffee shops. “My life is in coffee shops now,” said Fishback, “I haven’t spent more than two nights in a place in 6 weeks.” Fishback also attributes the potential for Zaarly’s success, in part, to the ubiquity of smartphones. Zaarly’s function will make extensive use of location-aware digital devices. Fishback relies on his iPhone for his business, too. “The great thing about these things [smartphones] is that you can work anywhere,” said Fishback. Zaarly is a startup founded in mid-February 2011 and intended to launch May 10, 2011. Fishback calls the company “a proximity based, real-time buyer powered market,” and it will allow users to advertise what they need, at what price they are willing to pay, and in what timeframe they need it. The service will allow the exchange of goods, services, and experiences. The company raised $1 million in the first 48 hours after pitching the idea at a technology conference. Fishback traveled to Cambridge to meet with potential investors, marketing partners, and get introductions to influential people in the Boston-area startup and entrepreneurship communities.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, meets with colleagues and potential investors at Picante Mexican Grill, a restaurant in Central Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, communicates using his laptop while sitting Voltage Coffee & Art in Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011. Fishback conducts much of his business in coffeeshops. Here, Fishback is meeting online with developers and staffers for Zaarly, many in different locations around the country, to make product decisions.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, travels between meetings in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, demonstrates a prototype of Zaarly iPhone app while speaking with Andrew Magliozzi, the Boston-based entrepreneur behind Veritas Tutors and FinalsClub.org, in The Co-Op Cafe in Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Portrait of Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, at Voltage Coffee & Art in Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, communicates using his iPhone before a meeting at Picante Mexican Grill, a restaurant in Central Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, meets with Andy Mitchelides, an entrepreneur and Business Development Manager at E Ink Corporation, at Voltage Coffee & Art in Kendall Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Portrait of Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, at 1369 Coffee House in Central Square in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
Bo Fishback, CEO of Zaarly, waits to catch a subway train at the Kendall Square T stop in Cambridge, Mass., on 13 April 2011.
I love it when assignments take me into a world that I've never visited. In this case, a day following Zaarly.com CEO Bo Fishback, I spent about 6 hours photographing going along to meetings necessary to the launch of a multi-million-dollar startup. The story was difficult to photograph, if only because the subject of the photos was people sitting in coffee shops talking. It was a fun challenge and a great chance to meet someone as enthusiastic as Bo. My contribution to the story, which involved 3 photographers in different locations, was used in the print edition of the April 19, 2011, issue of the Wall Street Journal and at the top of the front page of WSJ.com. You can read the story in the Wall Street Journal here: In Silicon Valley, Investors Are Jockeying Like It's 1999.

Outtakes: The Really Smart Phone
April 26, 2011

 Portraits of Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, at the Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Research by Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, has been able to create models of human behavior using data collected by cell phones and cell phone usage. By analyzing human movement and phone usage patterns, Pentland’s research can reveal information about a person’s health, conversations, thoughts, and emotions. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal
People cross at a crosswalk on Massachusetts Avenue on the campus of MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. Research by Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, has been able to create models of human behavior using data collected by cell phones and cell phone usage. By analyzing human movement and phone usage patterns, Pentland’s research can reveal information about a person’s health, conversations, thoughts, and emotions. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal
Portraits of Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, at the Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA. On his cell phone is displayed an app that was used at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, which tells users about their mood and level of jet lag based on movements and cell phone usage. Research by Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, has been able to create models of human behavior using data collected by cell phones and cell phone usage. By analyzing human movement and phone usage patterns, Pentland’s research can reveal information about a person’s health, conversations, thoughts, and emotions. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal
Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, at the Media Lab building at MIT in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, displays the privacy settings for his lab’s application on his cell phone. The app controls privacy on data collected by cell phones which can lead to models of emotions, conversations, health, movement, and other human behaviors. Pentland’s research is careful to develop tools for users to control their privacy. Research by Professor Alex “Sandy” Pentland, Toshiba Professor of Media Arts and Sciences and director of Human Dynamics Research at MIT’s Media Lab, has been able to create models of human behavior using data collected by cell phones and cell phone usage. By analyzing human movement and phone usage patterns, Pentland’s research can reveal information about a person’s health, conversations, thoughts, and emotions. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal
Here are a few images from a very short shoot at the MIT Media Lab about Dr. Alex "Sandy" Pentland's research modeling human behavior through the ways that people use cell phones. It's fascinating research, but difficult to photograph, since it's all on computers and cell phones. The shoot was rushed, but my picture got great play in the Wall Street Journal. The story is available online: The Really Smart Phone.

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