Ethereal Plumage Gets Featured on The Phoblographer

A photograph of a Vulture feather from the series Ethereal Plumage by James Henderson
Feather; Vulture from my series Ethereal Plumage

The large photography blog, The Phoblographer, did a feature of my work with feathers. On the 29th of June, 2021, they ran “James Henderson Creates ‘Featherscapes’ Using Beautiful Bird Feathers.” I like the term “featherscapes. It reminds me a little of my slip of the tongue where I said “feathergraphs” as I shot my focus stacking tutorial.

In the interview I talk about how I started shooting feathers. I also talk about some of the technique and my thought process: “one day I looked down at it, and it was like I’d never seen it before. That day I knew I had to photograph it. It was curvy and elegant and textural—all the things we look for in a subject. That evening I made my first exposures of that feather, just looking for how to do it in the way the subject demanded. ” You should go over to their website and read the entirety of the interview.

You might remember that I have a previous post about focus stacking using a Peacock feather, as well as a post of when my feather series traveled to Florida.

My First Space Shuttle Launch

A number of years ago, my brother asked me to drive with him to the Grand Canyon. I remember that I declined, either because of the time required, or. . . .well, it could have been any number or reasons, probably I was just lazy. Eventually, he determined not to go to the Canyon, but heard there would be a space shuttle launch, so he went there instead. I still didn’t accompany him.

Time passed, and he went to see another launch and then asked if I’d like to go Continue reading “My First Space Shuttle Launch”

Total Solar Eclipse As Seen in South Carolina USA

 

Total solar eclipse over the State Capitol in Columbia, SC USA

I’ve been discussing the limitations of language for some time, actually. If you stop on my home page at www.jimmyslens.com, the first image you see has the words, “There are some experiences for which there are no words.”  That’s been my experience. In the English language, we tend to overuse certain words. “Awesome” is a prime example. Most events to which that descriptor are applied aren’t really awesome at all, but are Continue reading “Total Solar Eclipse As Seen in South Carolina USA”

Focus Stacking a Peacock Feather With Helicon Focus

Peacock feather copyright James Henderson

Several years ago, when I first began photographing feathers, I tried some software called Helicon Focus. It was good, and I used it for a while, then switched to another program. Time passed, and I don’t even remember why I first switched. But I was successfully using the other software and Photoshop to stack my images. Recently, however, I was preparing to be a guest lecturer Continue reading “Focus Stacking a Peacock Feather With Helicon Focus”

Giving Away Your Energies

A number of  years ago I read an article about Yousuf Karsh, the great portrait photographer. He was doing a workshop in some place I don’t recall, and was walking and talking with a few of the participants. They walked along the beach. At some point some tourists interrupted them, handing a camera to Karsh and asking him to take their picture. I can imagine the short exchange, Continue reading “Giving Away Your Energies”

The Feathers Travel to South Florida

photo copyright Valerie Lockwood Moran
The opening reception at Studio 18 In the Pines. Here I am talking about feathers. Photographer Sunny Bak is on the far left. Photo courtesy Valerie Lockwood Moran.

My feather photographs were incorporated into a show called Rock, Paper, Photo at Studio18 in the Pines in Pembroke Pines, Florida. The show opened September 5 and closes October 16. The great Beastie Boys photographer, Sunny Bak, also has photos Continue reading “The Feathers Travel to South Florida”

Darkness, Night and Small Lights in the Sky

A shrimp boat under a (mostly) starry sky off the coast of South Carolina
A shrimp boat under a (mostly) starry sky off the coast of South Carolina.

One of the greatest feelings I get is to go out on the beach to photograph during  darkness. It would be easy to say it’s the solitude, but it’s so much more than that. The world is a different place Continue reading “Darkness, Night and Small Lights in the Sky”

Time: Chaos and Serenity

A 30 second exposure of the Morris Island Light. I used a 10 stop ND filter to give me the exposure time I was after. Converted to black and white using Nik Silver Efex Pro.
A 30 second exposure of the Morris Island Light. I used a 10 stop ND filter to give me the exposure time I was after. Converted to black and white using Nik Silver Efex Pro.

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”