Sep
20
2010
Sydney…on business
cupcakes...mmm.....
Sep
6
2010
Pleasant Surprises
Steampunk Porn
It had been too long since my last adventure. So, on Saturday, my partner-in-exploration and I hit up an old site for a second visit. On our first trip we saw one blast furnace, but left early when we were spooked. This time, we made sure to see what else was in store, and boy were we surprised.
Jul
7
2010
Happy 238th Birthday!
Panoramic of the Charles just before dusk. It's difficult to see, but the Harvard bridge (right) is covered with people.
If you’ve never been, the 4th of July Fireworks display in downtown Boston is something to see. I’m not sure I’d recommend it as an annual thing; the crowds are horrendous, but it is definitely something worth doing once or twice. I’ve been once before, a few years ago, so this time I came prepared.
Lauren flew in for the weekend, so when Sunday rolled around, we packed up a cooler, some books, a deck of cards, a blanket, and, of course, my camera and tripod. The concert was slated to start around 7:30 and the fireworks after dusk. So, we walked out to stake out our spot at 2:30. Like I said, it gets crowded.
Hit the jump to see some colorful explosions. The full set is also on flickr.
Jun
7
2010
Boston
My dorm. First time in 5 years that I've lived in one of these....and I haven't forgotten why.
Some of you may already know this, but I’m in Boston for the summer. I may or may not be able to tell you where I’m working (I can, it’s MIT Lincoln Laboratory) or what I’m doing (I can, but it would be a long story). What matters is this: I brought my camera. Continue reading
May
26
2010
Bad Intel
Clairton Coke Works in the midst of a "quench," where they use water to cool down the coke as it leaves a 2,000C oven.
A few weeks back, a friend of mine told me that the Coke Battery in Monessen, PA had been shut down and was going to be gutted for parts within the month. A coke battery is a facility that takes in raw coal and processes it into an intermediate product that is used as a fuel in the steel production process. This was a rare opportunity to be able to get into a plant that hadn’t yet been stripped, and we were told the time table was short, so we took the unusual step of exploring during the week (thank God for flexible work schedules). Three of us made the trip down, found the plant pretty quickly, and immediately knew that something was wrong. We expected the place to be mostly abandoned, but the parking lot was more than half full. Obviously the workers were still there. Was it possible that our intel was a little premature? Continue reading
I'm an engineer by trade, and a photographer by hobby. In the fall of 2007, I bought my first digital SLR, a Nikon D40x, and haven't looked back yet. The majority of my photographic expeditions involve abandoned structures in Western Pennsylvania, but I'm never without my camera while on the road or at a Pirates game, and I have been known to take the occasional photo of a plant.