Nicolai and Karuna were in a playful mood this afternoon. They performed a number of Cirque du Soleil inspired routines requiring great strength, balance, and grace. Karuna is a former gymnast and Nicolai is just ridiculously strong.  Kyle scored a free ticket to the Patriots game and left the house with enough warmth layers to survive a Siberian winter, a needed precaution against today’s seriously cold weather.

Jeanine and I rung in the New Year at two different parties. Fortunately, I was not required to bench press her at either one.

As the year comes to a close I would like to thank all of you for visiting with us here.  Knowing you will be looking in helps motivate me to continue posting (this is my 6,783rd and I can tell you there are some days when it is difficult to find the energy).

From our family to you and yours, we hope your coming year will be filled with love and joy.

I make no effort whatsoever to promote this blog since it is primarily for friends and family who already have the link.  Occasionally, however, someone will happen upon it and reach out to discuss an entry with me.  Today I was contacted by someone who is interested in 3D printing a tabletop tripod. He found an entry I made a couple of years ago and e-mailed me with questions.  I was happy to respond and also to include updated photos of my final designs (the two taller ones pictured above).  The one on the left is entirely 3D printed. The one on the right has a 3D-printed set of legs.

A visit to the attic yielded an old picture frame that I put to good use during a photography session with the family.  Getting everyone together and in the mood for a portrait session is nearly impossible. Maya took on the task of orchestrating the affair as a Christmas gift to me; one which I appreciated greatly.  I am very pleased with the outcome, a small sampling of which is included here.  I had hoped to shoot outdoors but temperatures in the teens quickly had me considering indoor alternatives.

Nico orchestrated a local practice for the US National Amputee Soccer Team today.  Teamworks Acton was kind enough to donate field time and I attended for the first 30 minutes to capture some publicity shots.  Nico is a little out of shape but has not lost a bit of his power or finesse.

Nala has been aging gracefully but is reaching the final years of her life.  She still exhibits short periods of puppy-like playfulness but routinely has trouble coping with the ice and snow on the stairs from the house to the backyard. Despite having the personality of a cat, she has been a wonderful companion for the family and it is sad to imagine a future Christmas without her.

For reasons that have never been fully explained to me, Nico calls his girlfriend Bess.  Her real name is Karuna and the two have been together for several years now. She is also attending Colorado College and we look forward to her visits just as much as Nico’s. She is as smart as she is beautiful and a genuinely kind soul who we truly admire.

Christmas Day means popovers for breakfast.  Each year they just seem to get more beautiful, much like the chef. When I look back over the years, I believe Jeanine’s smile is proportional to the size of her popovers.  Our morning was spent with the kids and Susan slowly discovering the contents of our stockings. After lunch, we enjoyed our Secret Santa gift exchange and a mixture of napping, game playing, and movie watching.

Twas the night before Christmas and all through the house many creatures were stirring, among them my spouse.

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care, while Maya caressed her most beautiful hair.

The children were nestled all snug in their beds, save for Kyle who was drawn to his texts not yet read.

I tried to photograph little St. Nick, but he told me the thought of a portrait was making him sick.

With a tear in my heart over the photo denied, I respected his wish in the the spirit of Yuletide.

With Jeanine and I both working full time, Christmas decorating was delayed until this evening.  Yesterday the kids went shopping for and returned with a perfectly sized tree. This evening the family trimmed the tree with help from Maya’s boyfriend Caleb and his sister Sara. The youngsters, all dressed in onesie pajamas, were the most enthusiastic participants.

I worked from home today given a dismal forecast for icy road conditions. Among other things, I worked on another marketing photo of the Copenhagen wheel.  Not sure this work will get used but I learn something new with every attempt.

My morning walk took me up river today where I strolled though a sleepy Harvard campus. Pictured here is Dunster House one of twelve undergraduate residential houses. It was named in honor of Henry Dunster, the first President of Harvard University. Difficult to imagine, but Al Gore and Tommy Lee Jones were roommates here in the late 1960s.

Pictured below is the St. Paul Catholic Church in Harvard Square which I passed on my return to the office.  Lately, I have fallen  into a nice morning routine.  I leave the house at roughly 6am to beat the traffic into Boston.  Once I arrive at work, I head out for a 3-5 mile walk giving me a nice opportunity to get some exercise in an otherwise sedentary work day and a chance to discover new photographic subjects.

Meet Lilly, daughter of my niece, Erica. I met Erica when she was the same age as Lilly is now, almost 30 years ago. Talk about feeling old. Seems like just yesterday.

Erica was the flower girl at my wedding and I was the photographer at hers.

My morning walk took me to the MIT campus where I paused to capture Kresge Auditorium and a giant snowball (4 feet in diameter). The former was dedicated 3 years before I was born and will be the subject of future photos taken in better light and from a more interesting perspective.

I left for the office at 6 AM and returned home at 8 PM after collecting Jeanine at the airport.  No time for any photographs today so I am sharing one from 10 years ago.  In just two days Maya will be back from college and I am sure I will be seeing her best friend Sarinnagh as well. Should it snow again in the next few weeks, I will encourage the pair to try and recreate this moment for an updated version.

Jeanine shared this photograph from Indianapolis where she cooked at a local soup kitchen where her sister volunteers. Those who know Jeanine well know that she is never happier than when cooking with big pots.

I spent a good part of the day in my photography studio doing some product shots for work.  The example above was done with a single studio strobe fitted with a snoot (creates a narrow beam pattern). The arc-shaped highlight was formed by light reflected from the rim of the wheel.  I used a single softbox and a long shutter speed to capture the illuminated power indicators in the shot below.

Jeanine (right) flew to Indianapolis this morning to celebrate her sister Lauren’s (center) 62nd birthday. Susan (left) is her other sister who lives in Burlington, VT. Her long weekend getaway will include a trip to Louisville, KY to visit her niece and her family.  I wonder if the photographer who took this photo more than 50 years ago could have ever imagined that it would one day be available for viewing anywhere in the world on something resembling a flattened TV. I can only hope that some of my photographs will still be viewed in 50 years, perhaps by way of an optical nerve interface.

On the way to breakfast this morning I discovered a few new nooks and crannies lined with beautiful street art. It varied from abstract tagging to detailed photorealism.  I love the fact that the taggers respect the artistry of others and that these varied creations can all co-exist in the space of one block. Click on the bottom mural once and then once again to appreciate the incredible detail. I love the two little girls making eye contact with the viewer.

The software I use to post-process images was just updated to support my new camera allowing me to finally develop all the photos I have taken since it arrived.  This photo of the Old North Bridge from last weekend should have been featured at the time. Better late than never.

My morning commute is often pre dawn and takes me past the house pictured above which is lit up with holiday decorations. Although I have never been one for this sort of thing, I can certainly appreciate the passion and effort behind the display. I had my tripod with me this morning and decided to pause for the shot.  Click on the image and again on the new window to get a more detailed view. The thumbnail above does not do justice to the scene. 

I am accustomed to seeing turkeys in Concord all the time.  We have a lot of undeveloped land and many places for wildlife to flourish.  Coming across one in the middle of Cambridge across the street from my office was less expected. When a colleague alerted me to its presence I grabbed my camera and approached for the shot. 

The first snow of the year had me up at 6 am clearing the driveway so I could get out for some golden light photography. We received about 5 inches of wet snow.  Hard to shovel, great for snowballs and photography. This was my first real chance to shoot in good light with my new camera and I have to say I am thrilled with the results.

News of the administration’s move to shrink the Grand Staircase – Escalante National Monument by half left me deeply saddened.  For those who have never visited, I can tell you that it is a place of rare and exceptional beauty if you take the time to explore it.  I plan to financially support the legal effort to challenge the President’s right to revoke the national monument status established by the Antiquities Act. I have not yet had an opportunity to visit Bears Ears but hope to do so one day.

Maya, working with two partners, completed another engineering project at Olin.  They mathematically modeled down force and wheel torque of a Formula 1 race car to estimate 0-60mph acceleration. Wish I had been given problems like this when I was in college.

On my walk back from breakfast, I paused to admire and capture a photo of a Greek Orthodox church near my office.

Superpedestrian held its annual Holiday Party at the Somerville Brew Company, known locally as the SlumBrew. Regrettably, our CEO had to fly to California this morning for an important meeting. He was determined to personally thank everyone for their part in our success this year and joined us briefly by videoconference. Jeanine and I had a wonderful time getting to know his wife, pictured here, a talented musician and composer with an effervescent personality.  It was a wonderful evening and I enjoyed introducing Jeanine to all of my colleagues.

Over the last several weeks I have bought and sold two dozen lenses as part of my transition from Canon to Sony. Because I mostly acquire used gear, I was able to make the transition with little net outlay.  I often sell lenses for more than I paid for them. I know the market well and never overpay on the buy side. When it comes time to sell, I clean the lens thoroughly and take the time to make compelling marketing photos for my listings. The same cannot be said for camera bodies which depreciate rapidly when obsoleted by newer versions. For those who are wondering, I took the picture with my phone.

Overcast skies this morning made for uninspiring photography and general fatigue from a long day yesterday had me settle for a 4-mile walk. I am gradually getting to know the area around the Superpedestrian office and there is no shortage of interesting subjects to shoot. I stopped at Whole Foods along the way to pick up food for breakfast. Little did I know that my $8.54 expenditure would trigger a credit card fraud alert that would create havoc for both Jeanine and I for the remainder of the day. Apparently, this purchase was much smaller than our normal expenditures at the market and this is deemed suspicious activity. I spent over 40 minutes on hold with Citi Bank before speaking with someone to sort the mess out.

My morning walk took me past MIT where I paused for perfunctory photographs. It was rather cold so I was happy for the brief indoor respite. Only the early morning hour affords an opportunity to capture these scenes absent the multitudes of students and visitors normally present.  I completed my 4.5-mile stroll in 75 minutes. Normally this would carve out a rather large portion of the workday. Not so when you leave home at 6:30 am and return at 9:30 pm.

It is that time of year when fall is distinctly over but winter has yet to arrive. While the leaves are all down there is still color and beautiful forms to be found. The walk way to our farmer’s porch entrance is flanked by a berry tree and a huge stand of ornamental grass.

Open Table opened its doors this evening to members of the Maynard community who were out on the town enjoying their annual Holiday Sip and Stroll festival. Following a tree lighting at Memorial Park, town residents enjoyed music and snacks being offered by virtually every downtown business.  These dancing youngsters provided an additional measure of entertainment for visitors to Open Table’s new facility.
 

Since it was announced just over a month ago, I have been anxiously anticipating the arrival of a Sony a7 Mark III camera. It is a mirrorless design, unlike the Canon DSLR (digital single lens reflex) system that I have used for the past twenty years.  Mirrorless cameras offer a fundamentally superior architecture but until recently have not been able to match the viewfinder experience of an SLR.  Sony’s last two models have rectified that and gone much further.  Canon and Nikon have been relegating their mirrorless offerings to the low end of the market and Sony has now created a superior camera that strikes at the heart of their professional market.  I found it compelling enough to switch systems wholesale and can’t wait to start shooting with it.