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.