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”

The Carolina Parakeet

Carolina Parakeet copyright James Henderson
Carolina Parakeet copyright James Henderson

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”

Feathers in Indiana

Part of the gallery for my exhibition, "Ethereal Plumage"
Part of the gallery for my exhibition, “Ethereal Plumage”

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”