Abeyance

As we await the results of the 2020 election, I keep looking at a composite image, Interlude, that I created last year. At first glance, it’s a mundane, albeit surreal, piece about waiting for the next train. But look carefully, and you’ll see that it is not a mundane scene at all—something is very much…

Read More

Tenterhooks: Liminal Space

This composite image, which I created a year ago, was meant to depict the concept of being suspended in liminal space. The crosswalk is the ultimate symbol of liminality. When you’re in a crosswalk, you’re nowhere, really, trying to get from one block to another. In “Liminal Space,” there is no discernible destination, no “here.”…

Read More

Clarity and Hope

These days, botanical photography has become my escape hatch—a brief respite from the toxic miasma that’s seeping into every nook and cranny of our lives. I’m fortunate in many ways, and living near the wonderful greenhouse at Pemberton Farms in Cambridge, Massachusetts is another item on my gratitude list (the Pemberton grocery store, our go-to…

Read More

Who Could Have Imagined…

It’s almost trite to see a slice of life in the time of Corona and ask, “Who could have imagined this…X months ago?” But it’s still the question that runs through my mind every time I frame a composition in my camera’s viewfinder. Who could have imagined that we’d schedule drive-through flu shots administered in…

Read More

The Music Continues

On a recent bike ride along the Charles River in Boston, I came across a violinist and bass player filling the air with sweet jazz. I was especially taken by bass player’s facial expressions, even beneath the mask, as well as his fingers, which moved like fine-tuned machine parts. The pandemic goes on. And so…

Read More

Welcome the Rain

I’ve been hoping for rain for two reasons. First and foremost, Massachusetts, like much of New England, has been in the midst of a significant drought for the past four months. While this has led to lots of welcome outdoor days, the effects of the drought are evident—so many distressed trees in the parks and…

Read More

Soldiering On

During a recent photo walk, I saw a face-shielded woman and was intrigued by her personal PPE—her semi floppy headgear was different from the rigid shields I’ve been seeing in medical offices and occasionally on the street. Her shield does double duty; it protects her mask from the rain and provides an added protection for…

Read More

Dogs Rule

This past week I had a number of chance encounters around Cambridge that lead to some interesting conversations. This is my favorite from the batch—I’m a sucker for dogs in back carriers. And this Corgi, named Pizza, stole the show.  Probably way more fun for him than sticking his out of the car window. No…

Read More

Two Masks, Two Backstories

Lately I’ve been stopping passersby during my photo walks and asking them why they chose whatever mask they’re wearing. The answer of this masked guy topped them all: “People are afraid of vampires, so they’ll stay back!” Actually, he was kidding. He said vampires have intrigued him for years, and proudly showed off the intricate…

Read More

A Very Good Recipe

During an evening photo walkabout, I saw this creative sign in the window of Curio Spice, one of my favorite niche stores in Cambridge. When I’m shooting documentary photos for the Lens, I usually only post images of people, situations, and signage with a literal Covidian connection. But there’s a deep nexus between the pandemic…

Read More