American inventor Danny Hillis photographed in his New Hampshire home. Hillis is creator of the Colock of the Long Now: a project to design and build a 10,000-year clock. © Brian Fitzgerald
This past fall, I had the opportunity to meet and photograph Danny Hillis—renowned inventor, engineer, author, and scientist—for the Financial Times. Hillis is cofounder of the Long Now Foundation and the designer of a 10,000-year mechanical clock.
The lead time was short—days, not weeks. I arranged to meet him at his New Hampshire home between his international trips.
Creativity at work: a chalkboard in the Hillis home. © Brian Fitzgerald
The Clock of the Long Now is designed to operate for ten millennia with minimal human intervention. It’s being constructed in Van Horn, Texas. The foundation’s mission—and the clock itself—is to encourage long-term thinking and policy planning. Hillis had several small components he’d built and tested that we could photograph. His home reflected that same inventive spirit, with what seemed like echos of the clock’s design woven throughout.
I was given no specific direction. I knew I wanted a range of portraits and, if possible, to show him at work. Being on his home turf would help keep him at ease.
I had two hours, which quickly became ninety minutes.
Danny Hillis. ©Brian Fitzgerald
Moving quickly, we made portraits in several areas of the house. As I began packing up, he returned to work. I asked if I could photograph him in his home office. His desk was covered in papers and books—an inventive mind unconcerned with tidiness. That became the portrait the Financial Times published.
I always walk into these situations with a clear idea. But flexibility matters.
Often it’s the unplanned detail—the messy desk—that reveals the person and carries the story.
Danny Hillis. © Brian Fitzgerald
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