a photographer's blog by James Henderson
You can’t stop time. Much like the wind, you can’t even capture it. The best you can do is to immobilize that fleeting impression. Time passes. The Morris Island Light now stands in the water where it once stood on dry land, a keeper’s house standing nearby. The keeper’s house is long gone and without preservation efforts now underway, the lighthouse would soon fall into the ocean as well. Time passes, so greet her warmly as she does so. Continue reading “Time: Chaos and Serenity”
Years ago I began a project called “Around One: Images Along US 1.” It was, and is, a photographic journey along US 1 from the Canadian border in Maine to Key West, Florida. Before then, I had never been out of the Southeastern United States. Driving up through the coastal states I couldn’t help but notice the changing geography. The people, however, seemed pretty much the same–until I stopped to talk. Continue reading “Whales and Elephants and The Sound of a Voice”
It was May 16th, 2011.
I was somewhat nervous as I drove in the early morning darkness at Kennedy Space Center in Florida. I had been granted media credentials for the final launch of the space shuttle Endeavour, and didn’t know what to expect. I had already discovered that NASA is a big family. Space flight is a family business. They are all excited about what they do there, and they are happy to explain anything or just share their enthusiasm.
I stopped at the guard gate and presented my credentials. “Thank you, Mr. Henderson. Enjoy your day!” Continue reading “Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134”
Some things exist only for a time and are gone. As George Harrison sang, “Darkness only stays the night time; In the morning it will fade away.” The exquisite darkness, lit by starlight, sung about by the night creatures, passes into the hands of the day and is changed. As George asserts, All Things Must Pass. Take childhood for example. When I was a child, I heard about a bird called the Carolina Parakeet. I couldn’t believe there could be such a bird, so exotic, so beautiful, and at one time so plentiful. I was intrigued by its name as much as anything. A “Carolina” anything meant it had to be local. My curiosity sparked, I had to find out more about them. Continue reading “The Carolina Parakeet”
My exhibition, “Ethereal Plumage” ended last week at the Jasper Arts Center in Jasper, Indiana. The storms of early April were so bad that I felt sure nobody would show up for the opening reception, but they did. Even better is that they said nice things about the work. Though I’ve had several feather images exhibited individually around the US, this was the first time I had this many (25) feather photographs together in one place. It was really interesting to see how the quantity transformed the vision. You’ll hear plenty about my feather photographs in the coming weeks as I continue to work on them.
A New Game
While I was in Indiana, I had an idea for a new game for photographers. Continue reading “Feathers in Indiana”