Nor’easter destruction coverage for the New York Times
November 18, 2021

A tree has fallen on a house on East St at the eastern edge of Hingham, Massachusetts, at the end of the region's first Nor'easter storm of the season on Wed., Oct. 27, 2021. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times

I spent a day last month driving around the south shore of greater Boston looking for storm damage from the region's first major Nor'easter storm of the season for the New York Times. While Boston itself wasn't hit too bad, hundreds of thousands of people south of the city were without power and there were trees downed everywhere. I ended up mostly in Hingham and Cohasset, Massachusetts, which is what these pictures show.

A large downed tree in a house near the intersection of Main St. and Fairview St. took down powerlines and blocked traffic in Hingham, Massachusetts, at the end of the region's first Nor'easter storm of the season on Wed., Oct. 27, 2021. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
A powerline is down over Sohier St. in Cohasset, Massachusetts, at the end of the region's first Nor'easter storm of the season on Wed., Oct. 27, 2021. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
A crew from Asplundh Tree Expert LLC clears a downed tree from Norman Todd Road in Cohasset, Massachusetts, at the end of the region's first Nor'easter storm of the season on Wed., Oct. 27, 2021. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
Town officials survey damage from a fallen tree hitting power lines across Jerusalem Road in Cohasset, Massachusetts, at the end of the region's first Nor'easter storm of the season on Wed., Oct. 27, 2021. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times

Students return to campus in Amherst, Mass., for the Wall Street Journal
November 1, 2021

AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Abram Brown, a Junior majoring in Management, lays on the grass between classes on the campus of University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that most of the student body have been in person since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Brown said he took a gap semester last year rather than participate in remote learning at the school. "It reminds me of the first day being here my Freshman year," Brown says of returning to campus, "I have the same nervous trepidation as my first year." CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Tariq Jaffer, Associate Professor of Religion, teaches the course "The Qur'an and Its Controversies" in an outdoor classroom tent in the Valentine Quad at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. Jaffer said the class had a room reserved in nearby Chapin Hall but opted to hold the class outside. "We're just really happy to be back teaching in person...," Jaffer said, "I thought we should be outside for as long as we could so that we could be unmasked." The school said they will provide outdoor heaters to continue outdoor classes as weather turns colder. The school has an indoor mask mandate and other precautions due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that almost all students have been in-person since the start of the pandemic. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN

For a Wall Street Journal story about the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on small college towns, I photographed the first week of in-person attendance since the start of the pandemic at Amherst College and UMass-Amherst in Amherst, Massachusetts. There were temporary outdoor classes and lunchrooms and mask and vaccine mandates, but through it all was a general sense of relief and excitement for everyone to be back together again after so long apart. Local businesses in downtown Amherst depend on the tens of thousands of students returning each year, and not having them around made it difficult for the restaurants and school supply stores to make it through the previous two years. AJ Hastings, a store with school apparel and general office and school supplies, opened in 1914 so General Manager Sharon Povinelli said this is the second pandemic they've had to deal with. "It's tough keeping shelves stocked," Povinelli said, referring to both the demand with an increase in business and global supply chain issues.

Thanks to Ariel at the WSJ for calling me for the great assignment!

AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Students gather before the start of Professor Nicola M. Courtright's first year seminar course "Encounters with Nature" on the steps of Fayerweather Hall at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. Courtright is the William McCall Vickery 1957 Professor of the History of Art and Chair of Art and the History of Art at Amherst College. The course includes a substantial outdoor portion including walks around the Amherst College campus and nearby nature areas. The school has an indoor mask mandate and other precautions due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that almost all students have been in-person since the start of the pandemic. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Professor Nicola M. Courtright (center) leads students in a discussion during a first year seminar course "Encounters with Nature" at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. Courtright is the William McCall Vickery 1957 Professor of the History of Art and Chair of Art and the History of Art at Amherst College. The course includes a substantial outdoor portion including walks around the Amherst College campus and nearby nature areas. The school has an indoor mask mandate and other precautions due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that almost all students have been in-person since the start of the pandemic. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. James Knowlton, a Freshman at Umass Amherst, looks for a pencil sharpener to buy at AJ Hastings, Inc., a general store selling office supplies and school apparel, in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. The two largest schools in the area, Amherst College and UMass Amherst, are at almost full capacity with students returning to campus for the first time since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Many downtown Amherst businesses struggled during the pandemic without the student population in town. AJ Hastings opened in 1914 so General Manager Sharon Povinelli says this is the second pandemic they've had to deal with. "It's tough keeping shelves stocked," Povinelli said, referring to both the demand with an increase in business and global supply chain issues. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Soo Oak Yoo (left, PhD student, Communications) and Kwang Won Park (PhD student, Chemistry) and others gather on steps outside the Campus Center at University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. Campus Center holds one of the school's largest dining facilities. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that most of the student body have been in person since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. An Aug. 31 report from the school's Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy said that the vaccination rate among students is 96.7% and 94.5% among faculty and staff so far. The school requires all faculty, staff, and students, to be vaccinated, with some medical and religious exemptions. The school requires masks indoors, though allows indoor dining. "I'm honesty nervous," Yoo said about returning to campus after a year of remote learning, "I easily get scared by virus stuff, but also nervous in a good way." Yoo says that she taught two semesters remotely but this is the first time teaching in person. "It's totally different," Yoo said. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Lisa Zheutlin (left; Senior, Studio Art and Sexuality, Women's, and Gender Studies), Jenna Wyman (center foreground; Senior, Psychology and French), and Lena Lamer (right; Senior, Film and Media Studies) sit together for lunch while other students eat under outdoor tents in the Valentine Quad outside Amherst College's Valentine Hall in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. Valentine Hall is the dining hall at Amherst College. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that almost all students have been in-person since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Indoor dining is still forbidden on the campus as a public safety precaution. "Jenna and I took a year off," Lisa Zheutlin said, "We didn't want to do a year remote. We were abroad in Paris. I couldn't imagine an Amherst work load with remote [learning]." CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Signs indicate a COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic at the Campus Center at University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst) in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that most of the student body have been in person since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. An Aug. 31 report from the school's Chancellor Kumble R. Subbaswamy said that the vaccination rate among students is 96.7% and 94.5% among faculty and staff so far. The school requires all faculty, staff, and students, to be vaccinated, with some medical and religious exemptions. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Customers Maleigh Tittel (18, orange sweater) and father Gary Tittel, of St. Louis, look at Amherst College apparel for sale at AJ Hastings, Inc., a general store selling office supplies and school apparel, in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. The two largest schools in the area, Amherst College and UMass Amherst, are at almost full capacity with students returning to campus for the first time since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Many downtown Amherst businesses struggled during the pandemic without the student population in town. AJ Hastings opened in 1914 so General Manager Sharon Povinelli says this is the second pandemic they've had to deal with. "It's tough keeping shelves stocked," Povinelli said, referring to both the demand with an increase in business and global supply chain issues. The Tittels were in Amherst to visit colleges in the area that Maleigh, a high school senior, might attend. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. People walk past shops in downtown Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. The two largest schools in the area, Amherst College and UMass Amherst, are at almost full capacity with students returning to campus for the first time since the start of the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Many downtown Amherst businesses struggled during the pandemic without the student population in town. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN
AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS - SEP 2, 2021. Students take part in Professor Nicola M. Courtright's first year seminar course "Encounters with Nature" at Amherst College in Amherst, Massachusetts, on Thu., Sept. 2, 2021. Courtright is the William McCall Vickery 1957 Professor of the History of Art and Chair of Art and the History of Art at Amherst College. The course includes a substantial outdoor portion including walks around the Amherst College campus and nearby nature areas. The school has an indoor mask mandate and other precautions due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. This is the first week of classes at the school and the first time that almost all students have been in-person since the start of the pandemic. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the Wall Street Journal SCHOOLSOPEN

Unsold oysters used to re-establish natural coastal reefs as restaurant demand dropped during the pandemic
September 7, 2021

WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume (left) and deckhands Aidan Corey (center) and Tony Wood lift tote bins filled with oysters from their boat after harvesting from the company's 3-acre farm in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. Oysters are sold by count rather than weight and each bin contains approximately 500 oysters. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume (center) organizes oyster cages on his floating equipment and sorting raft while harvesting oysters at his 3-acre farm in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times

Starting in 2020, millions of dollars of farmed oysters in the US had no place to go because of low restaurant demand due to the pandemic. It takes approximately 2 years to grow an oyster from seed to restaurant-size, and with dropped demand, farmers are stuck with misshapen oysters that are too big or ugly to sell. A US government program run with the Nature Conservancy throughout the Eastern US and Washington state bought up these oysters in late 2020 and early 2021 to help out farmers and transplant them to waterways where they will help fight climate change by filtering water and rebuilding coastal reefs. Then, in the summer of 2021, demand skyrocketed, but with a disrupted growth cycle, the farmers were struggling to keep up with demand.

Commissioned by the New York Times but sadly never published, I spent a couple of days out on the water at the base of Cape Cod with farmers from Round Island Shellfish and Spindrift Oysters as they tended to their overgrown oyster beds and relocated some of them to a one-acre pilot project re-establishing a natural oyster reef in coastal waters.

A big thanks to the team at The Nature Conservancy, the oyster farmers, and to Matt at the NYT for the support!

FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish pulls mesh oyster bags out of the water to empty into totes as he harvests oysters from his Nasketucket Bay oyster farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume adjusts a rope to pull up oyster cages while harvesting oysters at his 3-acre farm in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. A buoy marks the location of an oyster cage in oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish's Nasketucket Bay oyster farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume displays an oyster that is too big and misshapen for commercial sale while harvesting oysters from his 3-acre farm in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Steve Kirk, a Coastal Restoration Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, counts a bin of oysters that are part of the 15,000 freshly-harvested oysters grown by Spindrift Oysters in nearby Westport, Mass., before dumping them into Little Bay in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. Oysters are sold by count rather than by weight and the farmers estimated about 500 oysters in each bin. Kirk counted 503 oysters in this bin. All of the oysters, harvested from their farm in Westport, Massachusetts, were too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The oysters are part of a pilot ecological restoration program. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. These oysters have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, which join another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Steve Kirk, a Coastal Restoration Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, uses a ruler to measure a harvested oyster after farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish brought in a harvest from his Nasketucket Bay farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Steve Kirk (in orange waders, blue gloves), a Coastal Restoration Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, and oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish dump a portion of approximately 12,000 oysters harvested that day from Loo's farm into an environmental restoration area of Little Bay in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish pulls mesh oyster bags out of the water to empty into totes as he harvests oysters from his Nasketucket Bay oyster farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish's uses a hook to retrieve oyster cages from his Nasketucket Bay oyster farm during a harvest in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Toph Jusseaume is the owner and operator of Spindrift Oysters, a 3-acre oyster farming operation on the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts. He is seen here at the Westport River Public Boat Ramp on Thu., April 22, 2021. Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Work gloves rest on a tote full of oysters as farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish heads out to dump approximately 12,000 oysters harvested that day into an environmental restoration area of Little Bay in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish jumps from his boat as he harvests oysters from his Nasketucket Bay oyster farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters deckhand Aidan Corey rests against a bin filled with a portion of 15,000 freshly-harvested oysters on a boat in Little Bay in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters are part of a pilot ecological restoration program. The farmers harvested the oysters earlier that day from their farm in Westport, Mass., all of which were too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. These oysters have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, which join another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters deckhand Aidan Corey holds a rope as the company's oyster farming boat is taken out of the water after dumping 15,000 freshly-harvested oysters into Little Bay in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The farmers harvested the oysters earlier that day from their farm in Westport, Mass., all of which were too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. The oysters are part of a pilot ecological restoration program. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. These oysters have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, which join another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish pulls his boat around his oyster nursery as he harvests from his Nasketucket Bay oyster farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. A hook for grabbing oyster cage ropes hangs on the Spindrift Oysters farming boat while harvesting from the company's 3-acre farm in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Steve Kirk (in orange waders, blue gloves), a Coastal Restoration Ecologist with The Nature Conservancy, and oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish dump a portion of approximately 12,000 oysters harvested that day from Loo's farm into an environmental restoration area of Little Bay in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Deckhand Tony Wood stands near the dock before heading out to Spindrift Oysters' 3-acre farm for a harvest in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
NEW BEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish loads new "Flow 'n Grow" floating oyster cages into his truck after buying them from Ketcham Supply, a trap mill and commercial fishing equipment supplier in New Bedford, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation in nearby Nasketucket Bay in Fairhaven, MA, since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo says that he wasn't able to rotate his equipment as often as he'd like which led to needing to replace many of his cages Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
FAIRHAVEN, MASSACHUSETTS - MAY 20, 2021. Oyster farmer Matt Loo of Round Island Shellfish pulls oyster cages out of the water with a crane on his boat as he harvests oysters from his Nasketucket Bay oyster farm in Fairhaven, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 20, 2021. Loo has been farming his one-person, three-acre operation since 2012, and estimates he spends five hours at his farm four days a week. He works at a larger oyster operation on Cape Cod on other days. During the coronavirus pandemic starting in 2020, Loo says his sales were off by 30 to 40 percent. "It went from 'Oh wow, this is gonna be a great year to restaurants closed. Nobody's buying anything," he says. The oysters harvested are what Loo calls "less than desirable." Due to the drop in demand during the pandemic, Loo had to crowd cages, which led to misshapen oysters or poor shell development, which makes them unsuitable for commercial sale. Loo ordinarily sells his oysters to commercial wholesalers, but the oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, approximately 12,000 from this farm on this day, and another 37,000 oysters from the same farm late last year, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times
WESTPORT, MASSACHUSETTS - APR. 22, 2021. Spindrift Oysters deckhand Tony Wood steers the company's boat to the Westport River Public Boat Launch after harvesting 15,000 oysters from the company's 3-acre farm in the West Branch of the Westport River in Westport, Massachusetts, on Thu., April 22, 2021. The oysters being harvested on this day are too big or misshapen for commercial sale due to an extreme drop in restaurant demand due to the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Farmed oysters take two years to reach prime commercial saleability, and the drop in sales resulted in tens of thousands of oysters that grew too big for sale. Spindrift Oysters owner and operator Toph Jusseaume says that during 2020, sales from his farm were down 90% from the previous year because of this drop in restaurant demand. The oysters harvested on this day have instead been purchased for use in the Supporting Oyster Aquaculture and Restoration program partnership between The Nature Conservancy, Pew Charitable Trusts, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture. These oysters, 15,000 from this farm on this day, and another 20,000 oysters from the same farm a few months ago, were relocated to the Little Bay in Fairhaven, Mass., as part of a 1 acre pilot program to restore lost oyster reefs and increase filtration of the water. CREDIT: M. Scott Brauer for the New York Times

Recent portraiture of professors and scientists for MIT
July 11, 2021

Recent portrait work featuring professors and scientists in different departments at MIT. The ongoing pandemic has necessitated some changes to making portraits these days, almost always outdoors and often at portrait subjects' houses around the area rather than in their labs.

Lindley Winslow, Department of Physics

Lindley Winslow is the Jerrold R. Zacharias Career Development Associate Professor of Physics at MIT, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Mon., Feb. 22, 2021. According to her MIT bio, Winslow is an experimental nuclear and particle physicist whose work focuses on how the physics of fundamental particles shaped our universe and the development of specialized experiments. She is currently working on searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay and axion dark matter.
Lindley Winslow is the Jerrold R. Zacharias Career Development Associate Professor of Physics at MIT, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Mon., Feb. 22, 2021. According to her MIT bio, Winslow is an experimental nuclear and particle physicist whose work focuses on how the physics of fundamental particles shaped our universe and the development of specialized experiments. She is currently working on searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay and axion dark matter.
Lindley Winslow is the Jerrold R. Zacharias Career Development Associate Professor of Physics at MIT, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Mon., Feb. 22, 2021. According to her MIT bio, Winslow is an experimental nuclear and particle physicist whose work focuses on how the physics of fundamental particles shaped our universe and the development of specialized experiments. She is currently working on searches for neutrinoless double-beta decay and axion dark matter.

Hazhir Rahmandad, Sloan School of Management

Hazhir Rahmandad is the Schussel Family Professor of Management Science and an Associate Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, seen here in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 6, 2021. From his MIT Sloan bio: "Hazhir's research shows how complex organizational dynamics can lead to heterogeneity in organizational practices and outcomes."
Hazhir Rahmandad is the Schussel Family Professor of Management Science and an Associate Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, seen here in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 6, 2021. From his MIT Sloan bio: "Hazhir's research shows how complex organizational dynamics can lead to heterogeneity in organizational practices and outcomes."
Hazhir Rahmandad is the Schussel Family Professor of Management Science and an Associate Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, seen here in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 6, 2021. From his MIT Sloan bio: "Hazhir's research shows how complex organizational dynamics can lead to heterogeneity in organizational practices and outcomes."
Hazhir Rahmandad is the Schussel Family Professor of Management Science and an Associate Professor of System Dynamics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, seen here in Brookline, Massachusetts, on Thu., May 6, 2021. From his MIT Sloan bio: "Hazhir's research shows how complex organizational dynamics can lead to heterogeneity in organizational practices and outcomes."

Diana Yousef-Martinek, D-Lab research associate and CEO of Change:Water Labs

Diana Yousef-Martinek is the CEO of Change:Water Labs, a company working on deploying toilets called the iThrones that can dehydrate and condense waste for easier transport in areas where people live without indoor plumbing. Yousef-Martinek said that the design is based on toilet designs she worked on while developing waste systems for NASA. She is seen here outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thu., Feb. 18, 2021. Yousef-Martinek is a research associate at MIT's D-Lab.
Diana Yousef-Martinek is the CEO of Change:Water Labs, a company working on deploying toilets called the iThrones that can dehydrate and condense waste for easier transport in areas where people live without indoor plumbing. Yousef-Martinek said that the design is based on toilet designs she worked on while developing waste systems for NASA. She is seen here outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thu., Feb. 18, 2021. Yousef-Martinek is a research associate at MIT's D-Lab.
Diana Yousef-Martinek is the CEO of Change:Water Labs, a company working on deploying toilets called the iThrones that can dehydrate and condense waste for easier transport in areas where people live without indoor plumbing. Yousef-Martinek said that the design is based on toilet designs she worked on while developing waste systems for NASA. She is seen here outside her home in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Thu., Feb. 18, 2021. Yousef-Martinek is a research associate at MIT's D-Lab.

Adam P. Willard, Department of Chemistry

Adam P. Willard is an Associate Professor in MIT's Department of Chemistry, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Wed., March 10, 2021. According to his MIT bio, Willard's research uses "theory and simulation to explore the role of molecular fluctuation in a variety of chemical phenomena."
Adam P. Willard is an Associate Professor in MIT's Department of Chemistry, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Wed., March 10, 2021. According to his MIT bio, Willard's research uses "theory and simulation to explore the role of molecular fluctuation in a variety of chemical phenomena."
Adam P. Willard is an Associate Professor in MIT's Department of Chemistry, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Wed., March 10, 2021. According to his MIT bio, Willard's research uses "theory and simulation to explore the role of molecular fluctuation in a variety of chemical phenomena."
Adam P. Willard is an Associate Professor in MIT's Department of Chemistry, seen here on MIT's campus in Cambridge, Massachusetts, on Wed., March 10, 2021. According to his MIT bio, Willard's research uses "theory and simulation to explore the role of molecular fluctuation in a variety of chemical phenomena."

Pandemic precautions for the resumption of jury trials, for the Wall Street Journal
July 7, 2021

Plexiglass barriers and hand sanitizer are seen in a makeshift Norfolk County Court courtroom at Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.

For the Wall Street Journal, I spent a day in Massachusetts Superior Court and Norfolk County Court jury rooms, courtrooms, and other facilities, as the state's judicial system resumed jury trials put on hold due to safety precautions required by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. There was abundant hand sanitizer, plastic shields around places where people would be, social distancing markers, and lots and lots of signage about staying apart from other people, wearing masks, and keeping hands clean. Due to the nature of the legal system, and not wanting to impact any ongoing legal proceedings, I was very limited in what could be photographed. No jurors or potential jurors could be photographed, for instance. Most interesting was Norfolk County Court, which had converted the ballrooms and function halls in Lombardo's, a popular wedding and event venue south of Boston, into courtrooms and jury deliberation rooms as a way to allow people to spread out from one another more than the county's courthouses ordinarily allow.

A sign about wearing facemasks and social distancing hangs on a wall near elevators outside the Suffolk County Superior Court Jury Pool room in order to protect potential jurors during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic in Boston, Massachusetts, on Mon., May 10, 2021. Sanitizing stations and other measures of COVID-19 safety precautions are visible throughout the courthouse.
Massachusetts Superior Court Justice Michael D. Ricciuti (standing in robe) speaks with a court reporter (bottom) and attorneys during a sidebar voir dire (jury selection) in a criminal trial in an 8th floor courtroom in the Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston, Massachusetts, on Mon., May 10, 2021. Plexiglass barriers, sanitizing stations and other measures of COVID-19 safety precautions are visible throughout the courthouse. Jury trials have been on hold during the pandemic and recently resumed, with some changes to protect court workers and jurors. The jury boxes (right foreground) are no longer used. This courtroom was only being used for voir dire (jury selection today) and jurors were placed in the witness stand area one by one for questioning, in order to minimize exposure to other people. None of the jury pool was present in the courtroom as these pictures were being taken.
Plexiglass surrounds desks for attorneys, court workers, and the judge, in the Suffolk County Superior Court Jury Pool room in order to protect potential jurors during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic in Boston, Massachusetts, on Mon., May 10, 2021. Assistant Chief Trial Court Officer Henry Cordero said that before the pandemic the room might have held 200 or 250 people during a typical jury selection process, but now the room capacity is 41.
The Regency ballroom has been converted into a makeshift courtroom for Norfolk County Court at Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.
Massachusetts Trial Court officers chat near the security equipment at the entrance of the makeshift Norfolk County Court at Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.
Henry Cordero is an Assistant Chief Trial Court Officer, seen here near the Jury Pool room in the Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston, Massachusetts, on Mon., May 10, 2021. Jury trials have been on hold during the pandemic and recently resumed, with some changes to protect court workers and jurors. Cordero has been working for the court for 33 years. He says that the Jury Pool's room capacity is now 41 as part of safety precautions during the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic, but before the pandemic, as many as 200 or 250 people would be in the room. "I'm an optimist," Cordero says, "Before you know it, it will be back to normal." On the wall is the menu for the Court Cafe, a small restaurant next to the Jury Pool room that has been closed during the pandemic. Cordero says they encourage potential jurors to bring their own water and food now.
Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, is an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.
Plexiglass walls intended to stop coronavirus/COVID-19 spread are seen around desks in an 8th floor courtroom in the Suffolk County Superior Court in Boston, Massachusetts, on Mon., May 10, 2021. Plexiglass barriers, sanitizing stations and other measures of COVID-19 safety precautions are visible throughout the courthouse. Jury trials have been on hold during the pandemic and recently resumed, with some changes to protect court workers and jurors. The jury boxes are no longer used. This courtroom was only being used for voir dire (jury selection today) and jurors were placed in the witness stand area one by one for questioning, in order to minimize exposure to other people.
A small function room has been converted into a makeshift Jury Pool room for Norfolk County Court at Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.
Social distance markers have been painted on the ground near the entrance to the Suffolk County Court House in downtown Boston, Massachusetts, on Mon., May 10, 2021. Jury trials have been on hold during the pandemic and recently resumed, with some changes to protect court workers and jurors.
Signs tell attendees about COVID-19 safety rules for Norfolk County Court at the entrance to Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.
Chairs are arranged for social distancing in the makeshift Norfolk County Court Jury Pool room at Lombardo's Meetings & Occasions in Randolph, Massachusetts, an event space usually used for weddings, corporate events, and other large gatherings, seen here on Mon., May 10, 2021.The facility's function halls have been converted into courtrooms for jury trials of Norfolk County Court because the large spaces allow for greater social distancing and other safety protocols required by the ongoing Coronavirus (COVID-19) global pandemic. Jury trials had been on hold throughout Massachusetts for much of the pandemic but recently resumed. Officials said that Lombardo's began being used as a court facility in the second week of April 2021.

Portraits of Alison Bechdel for Time
June 4, 2021

Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.

For Time magazine, I spent an afternoon in the Vermont woods with cartoonist and memoirist Alison Bechdel, who is probably most well known in the public consciousness for the Bechdel Test, a method for quickly analyzing the representation of women in movies and other media. Her latest book, The Secret to Superhuman Strength, is about her lifelong obsession with exercise. Because of this subject, editor Kim Bubello thought it would be great to photograph Bechdel in her workout attire and walking and running outside near her home.

A big thanks to Kim and the rest of the team at Time for thinking of me for this and to Alison for being so patient and game for my weird photo ideas! Here's how it ran in print.

Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.
Alison Bechdel is a cartoonist known for her long-running comic strip Dykes to Watch Out For and her graphic memoirs including "Fun Home" and "Are You My Mother?" Her forthcoming graphic memoir "The Secret to Superhuman Strength" examines her life-long obsession with exercise, including running along dirt roads and trails near her home in northern Vermont. Bechdel is also known for originating the "Bechdel Test" for measuring representation of women in fiction.

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