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”

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”

Space Shuttle Endeavour STS-134

Endeavour sits on the launch pad in the predawn hours of May 16, 2011.
Endeavour sits on the launch pad in the predawn hours of May 16, 2011.

 

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”

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”