Faith

I am a Christian; I believe Jesus was the Son of God, that he lived a perfect life and died for the forgiveness of our sins. My faith plays a central role in my life. I believe it helps me to be a better developer and employee by inspiring me to pursue greater diligience, integrity, and wholeheartedness in my work and in everything I do.

On the off chance you've ended up on my website and are looking to learn more about Christianity, you can feel free to contact me through Instagram messages or even my LinkedIn profile. If you don't want to reach out just yet, I suggest you start by reading the Gospel of Mark for yourself. (Note that I'm not suggesting this just because I'm named after it - of the four Gospels, it's the shortest, and arguably the most action-oriented.)

Photography

I'm an enthusastic hobbyist photographer. I've found that I really enjoy shooting film. I don't think I get better results from film (as compared to digital), I just think it forces me to slow down & reflect, and that I have more fun. In my opinion, since I am a hobbyist, "am I having fun with it?" is one the only performance criteria for my gear that matters. (Another being "is it bankrupting me?)

My current collection includes:

• A Nikon F3 (with MD-4 motor drive) which is definitely overkill for hobbyist gear. But I like it because it lets me play Cold-War-photojournalist and because it makes one of the most pleasing sounds I've ever heard.
• An Olympus OM-2n which I bought because my dad gifted me his old OM-system lenses, and because it has a really interesting auto-exposure system that allows it to actually meter off the film, or off a special pattern on the shutter curtain. It also has one of the most charming in-viewfinder meters I've ever seen.
• A Polaroid Sun 660, which I almost never use because each frame costs nearly $2.00. I just really like the idea of the ultrasonic autofocus, and I think the emitter for it is beautiful. I really think it's funny how Polaroids have gone from being a casual, throwaway method for taking photos to something we save for special occasions.

Bicycling

I think that in the USA we need to do more to support good bicycling infrastructure. Our national dependence on cars causes many problems, both from logistical and public-health standpoints. It's important that we start to see bicycling and other "alternative" methods of transportation as legitimate (in addition to supporting & utilizing high-quality public transit). I make an effort to bike instead of driving as much as I can. Also, like many other engineers, I just think bicycles are interesting and a fun hobby in their own right, as well as a good way of getting around & getting exercise. I've learned a lot from Sheldon Brown's website and I think it's a great reference for someone wanting to understand more about bicycling & how to succesfully use one to commute.