Industrial Tools

The tools of the computer age are typically just methods to represent information.  Programming languages and data structures are the hammers and wrenches we use today to create much of the world we inhabit.  These information age tools lack the tangible aesthetics of industrial age tools.  ​ 

The photos below were taken at ​Carbon Industrial Design in Alexandria, Virginia.  Carbon recycles parts of old factories, as art and as furniture.  I love the heft of the old tools, and the sense that they have done real work, building things of permanent substance, not things that can disappear with a key stroke.

A Brace of Wrenches​

Long Pipe Wrench​

Early Morning, Sebago Lake

The best time to water ski on Sebago Lake is early in the morning.  The water is usually smooth, making skiing easy.  The air is cool, so the water feels warmer by contrast.​  Most of all, the lake is beautiful early in the morning.  One of the treats of being up early, even before we go out on the water, is seeing the lake in the early morning light.  

During our time at Migis, we ski early every morning.  It is one of the few early morning activities for which Will and Eva are almost always ready to jump out of bed.  

Sebago Lake by Moonlight

During our annual week at Migis Lodge on Sebago Lake in Maine, I always take a lot of photographs.  Most are of people, especially kids water skiing.  ​I usually also manage to get a few really good shots that are not just family or action shots, and this is my favorite from this year.  This small beach was right in front of our cabin.  This shot was taken after dark on a beautiful clear night with a long 30 second exposure.  The bright specks in the sky are stars and the light flare in the upper left is from the nearly full moon.  

I love this photo most of all for its 'pop' - with the contrast of the bright kayaks against the sky and water, is almost jumps off the page (or screen).   To me it also captures the calm of being on a cool lake in Maine at summer's end.  ​

​In addition to being in a beautiful place, and having (at least some) time to focus, my photography at Migis is always inspired by my friend Evan McGinn who I see there every year.  Evan is an inspiring photographer and currently shoots for the New York Times and Boston Globe, among other publications.  He also does custom travel and event photography.   Spending time with a professional photographer with an amazing visual eye always inspires me to work harder myself.  

First Day of School

These photos are actually from the second day of school.  On the very first day, Will had 'free dress' which means about what you would expect, and certainly not photo worthy.  Plus, no one was really mentally ready for school the day after Labor Day, including me.  ​

​Will is doing his best to look suave and debonair as a new freshman.  This is made somewhat more challenging by his failure to actually button the collars on his new button down shirt.  

Eva and Lyra are looking great, as usual.  ​

KC is just checking out the action and thinking about coming outside.  He knows he can just go back to sleep when everyone else goes to work and school.​