HDR Photography
Steam pipe repairs and upgrades outside Trinity College’s Clement Chemistry Building have introduced a dramatic, Star-Wars-worthy pit outside the building that suggests a far more interesting adventure than the realities of winter heating.
Like most infrastructure, a roof is something one generally ignores so long as it is functioning as expected. A heavy melt of snow, however, might call all of that into question. At least the view is good from up here.
While we’re contemplating the architecture of Clement Chemistry Building, I don’t think I’ve previously considered the way in which the dark sculptural stone sections connect together the windows on the second and third floors to make these big, tall, dramatic, dark pillars up each side of the building—almost reminiscence of the tall stained-glass windows of a cathedral.
There’s nothing like Clement Chemistry Building’s dark-academic library as a place to literally cloister oneself in the days leading up to a big final exam in the end boss of chemistry: Physical Chemistry.
In the center of downtown Hartford is the settlement’s first burial ground; the centuries-old gravestones beside modern steel-and-glass buildings is the perfect start to October spookiness.
With Hartford’s skyline looking on in the background, the brutalist facade of Trinity College’s LSC matches the carefully graded dirt of its adjacent quad before a thick layer of new sod was applied.
Bushnell Theater and the Connecticut State Office Building across the street look warm and inviting in the dusk light—friendly in a way I wouldn’t otherwise associate with massive facades.
Clement Chemistry Building is surrounded by flowering plants that complement its red stone structure on perfect spring morning.
The great glowing verticality of Bushnell Tower at night reveals the strengths in I.M. Pei’s original design.
The highest hill in Hartford is the site of the State Capitol… in 2024. But before being relocated, this was once the home of Trinity College.
Perfect, breezy, warm, and effulgent spring days have sprawled across Trinity’s campus, rather like students on the quad. Grading papers in my office can at least be softened by an open window and the resulting smell of flowers.
Snow days are rare for adults—but when a nor’easter completely fuses Hartford in place, there’s not much else to do but ride it out. The resulting images were cold but cozy—ready to go with a warm beverage and a good book.
Thanksgiving Break is upon us and Clement Chemistry Building is (mostly) quiet.
Moving to downtown Hartford, Connecticut placed this view just outside my window. I used to look across the city to Travelers Tower (the illuminated building at right) from my dorm room at Trinity College; 15 years later, I realize it shone like a beacon because it was being actively lit from nearby rooftops. Perhaps that’s a good lesson for life: the achievements that stand out don’t do so by accident, but because of conscious effort.
With so many tall, vertically oriented structures in a city, it’s probably no surprise that some of them should fall into pleasing alignment with one another. The modest glow of sunrise light through the gap between the clocktower and the adjacent building provides a friendly spark to guide the eye to the center of this image.
In this second case, it’s harsher Sun, rather than palm trees and clock towers, that has found its way into a special alignment through the streets of San Diego. Bright light falls into this canyon that should otherwise be dawn dim.
Decaseconds 