Tomorrow’s meeting wasn’t going to start until 9:30 AM and the hotel was a 2-minute walk from the Connecticut River. A quick check of The Photographer’s Ephemeris app revealed there would be an opportunity for a sunrise illumination (at 7:05 AM) of the Hartford skyline across the river. OK, set the alarm for 6:15 AM.
Arriving at the river’s edge the next mornioing about 20 minutes before sunrise, I had a few minutes to check things out and noticed a stairway leading up to Founders Bridge. At the top of the stairs,there was a magnificent pedestrian walkway, wide enough for a car and way better than anything we have in Washington.
Founders Bridge, Hartford Connecticut
And it turned out this was no ordinary promenade. It was part of the Lincoln Sculpture Walk that follows a course through two riverside parks, one on each side of the river. Made possible by a $500,000 donation from the Lincoln Financial Group, a local firm, it features 15 permanent sculptures dedicated to the life and times of Abraham Lincoln. Those who know my photography know that the Lincoln Memorial is one of my favorite subjects.
“Emancipation,” by Preston Jackson
This sculpture, “Emancipation,” was fortuitously (for me) placed right a few steps from the stairway landing. It is one of two works in the Sculpture Walk by Preston Jackson, a prominent African American artist from the Art Institute of Chicago. It depicts a female slave carrying her infant and a few possessions toward freedom. The soft illumination of the twilight minutes before the sunrise seemed to underscore the power of the work.
As the sun edged above the horizon, the colors began to illuminate the city’s skyline. The image below was captured one minute after sunrise.
Sunrise View of Hartford from Founders Bridge
But I could see that there were might be more potential down below along the river’s edge and I retreated down the stairway and found a good spot to wait. My luck continued as a series of clouds continued moving in from the west and the light breeze began to subside. And sure enough, about 15 minutes later, the golden light reached its peak.
As I walked back to the hotel, it seemed that going out for a morning walk was a lot better than sleeping in.
Keep Shooting…..
Beautiful reflections and by they way, what a walkway! 😉
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Thanks very much, I appreciate your thoughts. And yes, I was blown away when I saw it. When they renovated the bridges up there, they took more than cars and trucks into consideration. I’ll be heading back to Hartford next year and will definitely make sure I get a chance to explore the rest of the Sculture Walk.
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I look forward to seeing future well “sculptured” images! 😉
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Wow!
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Thanks!
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Beautiful handling of that wonderful light.
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Thanks, Laura. I’m glad you liked it. It was quite a magical morning.
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Emancipation is a powerful piece.
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Yes, it really is. It’s also hard to do it justice in a photograph. You have to walk around it to get a sense of all the emotions of the subjects.
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Congratulations on these beautiful images. Getting up early was more than worth it. Carla
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Thanks, Carla. Good to hear from you and I appreciate your comments.
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Dawn sculpture photography. 🙂 You’ve caught the light beautifully.
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After seeing your Sculpture by the Sea posts, that is very nice to hear. Thank you very much.
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Yup, I’d say that early morning walk was just the ticket, Robin. Absolutely gorgeous light captured beautifully!
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Thanks, Stacy. Hartford doesn’t get a lot of credit, but it has some good qualities that are not too hard to find.
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Robin, these images are lovely. Wonderful light, great reflections
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Thanks very much. It was one of those gradual transitions from a soft blue twilight to this incredibly intense golden illumination. It was a good morning to be outside.
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Nice color in the pictures
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Thank you, it was a spectacular morning so I’m glad I was able to see it.
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Beautiful sky and light. That last image is a killer!
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Thanks, Denise. You’re right. The morning didn’t start off with much promise, but it ramped up to something quite special.
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Your work here is beautiful I agree with Denise that the last image is amazing. You had the gift of awesome light that morning.
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Thanks, Rich: I appreciate the comments. You’re right, that was definitely a gift, and I’m always grateful whgen that happens. Thanks also for visiting.
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Beautiful photos ~ such gorgeous lighting! I’m an early bird so I have no problem getting up before the first light but the rest of family doesn’t appreciate my love of mornings.
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Thank, you! I know what you mean. I always try to sneak out quietly, but the dog seems to want to announce my departure;-)
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beautifully done. happy 2016 to you and your family
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Thanks very much and the same to you. I’m looking forward to your posts this year.
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