The streets of some cities are deserted in the evening as most people have left for the suburbs. That leaves plenty of opportunity for taking pictures of the architecture and lights which create a mood found only after the sun sets. This is a pedestrian bridge in Hartford Connecticut. I combined two images, one sharp one blurred, to enhance the seasonal lights of that chilly December evening. As I write this its summer and would gladly take a quick blast of cool are from the night I took this.
Fisher Meadows Pond
I took this in Avon which is just outside Hartford CT. It was late December so there was a chill in the air as I arrived before dawn to walk around the pond. This was just after sunrise about halfway around. The best part of being here early is the stillness of the water and the reflections that result. I finished the hike and headed to the airport to return home to Florida for the holidays.
Old State House Fence
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I was out one night before winter hit. This is the fence around the old state house in downtown Hartford. The “new” statehouse is still pretty old and about five times as big and, has no fence. Don’t ask me why, I just report it.
Hartford at Night
This is from a series of night photos I shot hand held in downtown Hartford CT. The camera I used is the Sony A7s, which I believe has the highest ISO rating in the world. Basically that means that it’s extremely sensitive so that it can see things in the dark. Certainly I could have taken these with another camera, but I would have needed to use a tripod. That’s not such a bad thing, but I love the idea of walking around with just a camera at night and doing street photography. I guess you could say it opens up a whole new world in terms of shooting scenes at night. In any case, I’m going to a lot more of this in the months to come.
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Slim Pickins
Downtown Hartford, CT at night reminds me of some midwest cities. Basically they roll the streets up at 5pm. So when I came downtown a couple of weeks ago it was good and bad. Good because I just about had the whole downtown core to myself, bad in that there were slim pickins as far as any activity goes. Nonetheless, I made the best of it had a pretty good time wandering about.
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Christmas Lights and Building
It’s time for a few Christmas lights, which are everywhere. As I squint my eyes the lights of the trees blend with those of the building behind. I have to scratch that abstract itch every now and again. Now I feel much better, and I hope you do too.
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Hartford State House
On a chilly evening a few weeks ago I stood here in front of the statehouse in Hartford Connecticut. I think because of the cold the entire property was deserted which afforded me an opportunity to walk around it at will with my tripod. Only later when I processed this did I notice the flags at half mast. The ornate dome and outer walls reminded me of buildings I’ve seen in Germany. In any case, despite the lack of any anyone around I’m guessing the guards watched me on security cameras as I walked around the building. They probably figured I was harmless and it was just too cold for them to do anything about it.
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Bank of the River
I stopped at an “open space” along the Farmington River near Hartford. Looking at a local map it seems there are a lot of these open spaces which are not quite parks yet they to seem act as buffers between the natural landscape and the development. I found this area on one of that last remaining days of autumn and was mesmerized by the deep, swift, quite flow of the river. It impressed me with a feeling of understated power. No waterfalls, no rapids, just deep dark flowing water along this secluded bank.
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East Granby Pond
Noticed this pond on the side of the road on my way to the Hartford airport the other day. The thing I like about New England is that things are, well, …quaint. I don’t mean that in a condescending way, quite the contrary. Hills and valleys and winding roads, everything just kind of blends in with the countryside. It’s a subtle kind of beauty that contrast from my home state of Florida, we’re kind of in-your-face beaches and open space, Connecticut has a different kind of passive beauty, revealing itself behind each turn of the road.
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Towers in the Night
This is the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Memorial Arch near the capitol building in Hartford Connecticut. I took this a few nights ago in the twenty degree chill and so not too many people were out. However, as I set up for this shot someone starting walking towards me while singing quite loud. I sized up my situation but had nothing to worry about as the gentleman simply inquired about my photography. Turns out there was a concert, opera I think, just up the way and he was just walking home reveling in the moment. I, on the other hand quickly finished and made a hasty retreat to the warmth of my car.
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