Graveyard

Halloween is fast approaching - along with presidents day?  Regardless, some really old gravestones with a really new flag in downtown Boston.

Old Graves in Downtown Boston

Sailboat on the Charles

I went on a Duck Tour with a cousin and one of my favorite aunts and snapped a really cool shot of a passing sailboat.  

Sailboat on the Charles taken from the seat of a Duckboat

Harvard Memorial Hall

This is an interior shot of one of my favorite buildings in Cambridge.  The Harvard Memorial Hall.

I'm a Dog

Boston Public Gardens Flowers

Here's my first reasonable attempt at flowers.  I like these flowers because the are two-toned.

Liberty Hotel

Stopped by the Liberty Hotel in Boston.  This hotel used to be the Charles Street Jail.  I don't think it looked this nice when it was a jail.

Flags at Downtown Crossing

Downtown Crossing decked out with American Flags

American Flags

Gondola

Next time you visit, we can go on a gondola ride!

Gondola with MIT dome in the background

Fall Swans

Enough said.

Swans

My Favorite Run

Here's the path along the Charles that has served as my favorite running route of the past few years.

My Running Route Along the Charles

One more Sunset

Ok... I couldn't pick just one from my the sunset, so here's another.

Sunset over the Charles

Maybe Just One Picture Per Day

I had the great luck of seeing a beautiful sunset the other day.  I took about 50 shots of it, but this one is my favorite.  Those familiar with the brass rat should recognize the skyline.

Sunset over Cambridge

Rock Climbing at Quincy Quarry

I joined REI and the Rock and Ice Climbing Boston Meetup group to help clean up the Quincy Quarry and then climb for the afternoon.  It was a beautiful day and I've never seen such COLORFUL climbing rock!  As much as I like natural beauty, the graffiti seems to fit the man made walls quite nicely.

The Quarry Wall

The Other Quarry Wall with Boston in the Background

Graffiti Rocks with Boston in the Background

Beautiful Day In Boston

Today felt like the first day of fall.  I needed to wear long sleeves to stay warm while outside, which can only mean one thing - winter is right around the corner.  Luckily we had this beautiful day in Boston.  Enjoy!

Longfellow Bridge

A Duck Boat in front of the Esplinade

Balloon Animals at Quincy Market

More Night Shots

I headed over to Back Back/South End for a trivia night at a bar with a group of friends.  On my way back, I was able to take a few more night pictures.  Some scenes are very familiar.  The girl on the moped with balloons was a sight I had never seen before!

Sailboats on the Charles 

The Very Familiar MIT Dome

Girl on a Moped with Balloons - I wasn't fast enough with the settings to get a good shot of her riding by with the balloons trailing horizontally behind her.

I've been Published!

The LGO program keeps their print materials very up to date.  They hire professional photographers for many shots during your pre-class visit for Open House.  They also rely on the not so professional photography of students to supplement the professional shots with pictures that show a little more fun.

I just noticed the other day that one of my pictures (featuring RJ assisting Emily, with Leo in the background holding the pipes together for RJ's feet) made the cover of the LGO brochure!  Check it out via the LGO blog post or download the brochure.  For each time you look at the cover, I expect a check for $0.001 - or just share my blog with a friend (assuming you enjoy the blog).

Something you won't see in on the brochure - Diego selflessly forming a human bridge for Emily while holding the pipes together for RJ.  That's teamwork!

Testing it out!

As mentioned, I just bought a new camera.  It's the Sony NEX-5N - a DSLR quality camera in more  of a point and shoot size.

I went for a walk at night to the same park as shown in my previous post and then over one more block to my previous apartment building.  I was amazed by the low light shots.  There is a low light/hand held setting where camera will snap 6 pictures in a row and determine which one is the least blurry (from your shaky hand).  Here are the results:

Park Lit by White and Orange Street Lights

Park Path at Night

My Previous Apartment Building

The future of this Blog

Every LGO blog I have read always comes to the post where it is discussed what to do with the blog.  Some continue to provide incredible insights to the program, like Kacey.  Other blogs (like mind) have been quietly placed aside hoping no one would notice that I haven't posted graduation pictures.  Others continue to serve their purpose as a record of LGO history.

I think I have figured out what to do with mine.  One of the things I've enjoyed most about this blog is taking the pictures and sharing them.  Today, I bought a new camera (much better than the 7 year old point and shoot that served me well for many years of use).  I'm very impressed with the first few shots and wanted to share them.  Not knowing where to turn, I decided the blog would work well.

The Park Near my Apartment

The Dog in the Park Near my Apartment

My Street - Where Every House is the Same (the trees are blocking the other side of the street)

So here's to my new photo blog - hopefully not much will change other than the quality of the pictures!

Graduation Way Overdue

Two years came to an end like a bug stopped by a windshield.  Does that analogy work?  While the commencement ceremony itself went quick, the week of celebrations was long!

It started with the MBA convocation.  Basically a ceremony only for the MBA's.  This was followed by a fantastic reception at the Top of the Hub, the restaurant at the top of the tallest building in Boston.  We had a beautiful night with a clear view of the MIT campus from above!

Then came the graduation ceremony.  Graduates assembled at 8am for a ceremony that starts around 10-11am and finished around 2:30.  The majority of the time was taken up by reciting every persons name.  Even though the ceremony took a long time, it went by very quickly as I reflected on the two years while everyone else's names were read.  It all culminated with a quick stroll, and hand shake, and the transfer of two degrees into my possession.

Entering Killian Court for Commencement

The view from my seat

After the ceremony, there was another MBA reception, followed by an LGO reception where we spent our last time together as a class.  It was fun to meet the family that everyone has been talking about the past two years.  It was also fun to discuss the extravagant travels plans both post commencement and later to go see each other in the far off places of the world (Thailand, South Korea, Puerto Rico to name a few).

The next night I stumbled upon the can't miss event of the 150 years.  It was the 150th day of celebration of the 150 years of MIT.  There was a casual invitation sent to the entire MIT community mentioning dessert, champagne, and fireworks.  Upon arrival it was much more.  This traditional view was lit up like I had never seen!What had been a beautiful setting for commencement had transformed into an upscale party with lights, live music, ice sculptures  snacks, and open bars (typical MIT style)!  

We enjoyed the atmosphere for a while, then set our spot for the fireworks!

Across the river, the Prudential Building (where the Top of the Hub restaurant hosted our previous MBA reception) had MIT 150 lit up in the windows, creating a perfect background for the impressive fireworks display.

A VERY surprising evening full of fun!  There was so much going on, we somehow missed the 1000 lbs cake in the shape of MIT's campus.  I think it would have put us over the edge anyways!