It has been 6 years since I visited Argentina with Kyle, a trip I will never forget.  I will be visiting again in February when my soccer team travels to Buenos Aires to play two international friendly matches.  This evening I began making my travel plans.  I will definitely be visiting the Iguazu Falls area which I was not able to reach last time.  I am torn between visiting several other new areas or returning to the Patagonia region which has some of the most amazing landscapes on the planet. I would like to give myself about a week ahead of the matches for hiking and photography.

This afternoon I shot a couple more headshots of new and old Superpedestrian employees.  The guy above works in the software department as if you couldn’t guess.  Below are some of my favorite shots of the day.

Several times a year, the grass in the field behind our house is mowed and collected for hay.  The timing of the process is very important.  Cutting in the afternoon results in the highest sugar content of the grass. Cutting and gathering in dry conditions prevents mold.  This picture was taken yesterday as the farmer worked feverishly to “make hay while the sun shines.” Today we are experiencing torrential rain which would have ruined the hay crop had it been left for one more day.  While waiting for the tractor to line up for the shot I wanted, I photographed the flowers below out of boredom.  Turns out I rather liked the image.  It makes me feel like the end of summer is approaching.

Today my over-56 soccer team faced Medfield, one of the better teams in division one. I scored my first goal of the season and it proved to be enough to secure a 1-0 win. I ran onto a beautiful pass across the top of the box and just behind the defense, controlled it with my left foot, and finished with the outside of my right.  I am not known for my finishing finesse but this goal enhanced my reputation in that regard.  Later we celebrated at the home of our goalie.  I had beer duty by virtue of the yellow card I earned during our last match.  As a non-drinker, I felt entirely intimidated by the beer selection process and have been worrying about this for the entire week. The consequences of a poor selection would have been unmitigated torment. Fortunately, my pre-purchase research proved to be well informed and many on the squad are looking forward to my next card infraction.

Last week I purchased a new drone, a larger and higher resolution version of the one I have been using for the past year.  It sports a 1-inch 20MP sensor that is a big step up from the 12MP version on its baby brother.  Unexpectedly, it is also quieter in the air, a welcome bonus.  It is more sophisticated in every way and will be my primary aerial camera from here on out.  The smaller one will be my go-to choice for travel and hiking.

Over the years I have photographed this bridge on several occasions.  The Japanese inspired design has always appealed to me as does the serene setting.  It is a great place to visit for serenity and on this day for introspection and contemplation.  When faced with important decisions or the need to relax, I am able to find great clarity and peace in such places.

For some time now I have been wanting to photograph Boston’s iconic CITGO sign from a unique perspective.  Famous as a backdrop to Kenmore Square and Fenway Park, I used a new drone that arrived yesterday for the project.  The radio range is incredible and I piloted this mission from the other side of the Charles River during a lunch-hour stroll to Magazine Beach Park. I also got some nice shots on the return flight.

Taken during our visit with her last weekend, this is a photo of Maya’s dorm room at Olin. She and her roommate, Lauren, have erected a self-standing sleeping loft and access stairs (permissible if not attached to the room in any way) where their beds and dressers are located. This creates a massive lounge-like area underneath, apparently advantageous for hosting parties.  While I admire the project, I can not say I am thrilled by the motive.

We have been doing a good bit of hiring at Superpedestrian lately and I am quick to volunteer when new headshots are needed for our website.  Here are two of the eight.  If I had more time I would have varied the background but there was a lot going on at work today so I just set up a production line.

It has been wonderful having Kyle live with us while he completed his career transition from financial analyst to data scientist.  He now works at Cengage in the Seaport District of Boston.  Today he began moving into an apartment at Pier 4 which is walking distance from his office.  The building is brand new and features several wonderful amenities. 

Pulling teeth is how I would describe the process of obtaining photos of the athletes and coaching staff that will represent the United States at the 2018 Amputee Soccer World Cup.  These photos are required in order to obtain credentials in advance of the tournament to be held in Guadalajara, Mexico in late October.  Since we do not have our uniforms yet, we asked everyone to provide a headshot with a white t-shirt in front of a white wall. My job has been to post-process the photos so that they appear as uniform as possible.

News of Nico’s naming to the US National Amputee Soccer Team made it into the Concord Journal newspaper this week.  Earlier it was posted on their Wicked Local website but seeing the article and photo in print is somehow much more satisfying.

Creating reflections off a white foreground proved harder than I would have expected while I did some product photography for Superpedestrian today.  Normally, I do not work on Friday’s, but I was in the area when a request went out for assistance.  It does’t take much to get me interested in a photography project.

Boston has been miserably hot all week.  Today a new record high was set (98F) and we are on track for the hottest August in history.  Humidity is also through the roof so any outdoor activity is guaranteed to produce a sweat.  Fortunately, the air conditioning at work is extremely efficient.