"Raindrops on Iris"

Hello Everyone!

Spring has been unusually rainy here in Connecticut. It wasn't just "April showers bring May flowers" but also "May showers ruin those flowers!"

I've noticed, in the last several years, that I am drawn to flowers that surrounded my parents' home when I was growing up. There, we had more iris than anything else -- and most of them had purple in them if they weren't completely one shade of purple or another. I loved them as a child and I appreciate them even more as a senior adult.

Lately I have been asking myself the general question of why am I so attracted to shooting flowers? Unlike the well known flower photographer, Kathleen Clemons, (who just happens to live in my beloved home State of Maine!), I don't start out to make portraits of the flowers I shoot.

Well, of course, I am attracted to flowers because of their natural beauty, but it is more than that. The blooms I shoot are at the height of their lives! They are, in Abraham Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, self-actualized. They are all they possibly can be at that point.

Yet there is more. Flowers attract me also because they imply the cycle of life. I have long thought about shooting flowers in the various states of their decay -- which would much more clearly demonstrate my interest in that part of reality, too. Will I do it? I am not yet sure.

While I try to figure that out, I invite you to enjoy the raindrop covered purple iris below. Be sure to click on the image to see its detail more clearly.

Raindrops on Iris

For more images, be sure to visit my website: jeanhendersonart.com

Please share this post with 2 friends who might appreciate my work. Many thanks for doing so!

My Main Artistic Goal

Even more than selling prints, my main artistic goal is to be a role model for other mental health clients (I have bipolar disorder) and their families. Why? Because, first of all, NO ONE ever told me I could get substantially better; second of all, because it was when I was able to reclaim my passion for photography that I rapidly improved. But that was not before a decade of severe depression had played itself out in my life and that of my family.

Just recently, I have added to my Flickr.com page over 100 shareable images made since 2009 click here to view. That was the year that photography again "clicked" for me. Through the first few images that excited me and told me I still "had it", I taught myself first Photoshop and, a bit later, the Lightroom software. Not to get crazy with changing the captured images, but more to enhance them to display what I had felt at the time of capture. Just as I used to do in the wet darkroom I first learned in.

For instance, take this shot of Red Rock Canyon:

I had only been in the prevalent browns of the Southwest for about 24 hours when my friend took me to view Red Rock Canyon just outside Las Vegas. The afternoon before I questioned whether my New England soul was going to survive the planned week amidst the lack of the varied colors I was so comfortable with. Then we drove upon this view and my soul sang! Color at last!!! I knew I would make it through the week then.

In learning to process this image to convey that feeling, I might have brought more red to the mountains than actually exists while, at the same time, preserving the blandness of the brown sand with just patches of vegetation. But the sky was really that blue with clouds so differently formed than those in New England. They almost seemed like angel wings up there.

My message: for those who are afflicted with affective disorders, ever so slowly reclaim an old passion or find a new one!

Spring, War and Psanki

The official arrival of spring brought an early Easter for Christians this year. Hindus celebrate their New Year in early April with the Sikhs celebrating their harvest and New Year on April 14. My Jewish friends celebrate Passover beginning on April 22, but Muslims must wait until early June for Ramadan. 

All these religious observances. Yet our world is plagued with violence more than ever it seems. Not just in other parts of the world either. Talk is now surfacing about an open gun carry for the Republican Convention in July out of fear of an ISIS attack. Where will it all stop? Will it ever?

I really don't know. 

What I DO know is that art restores the soul. Given the ugliness of so much violence in so very many places in our lives, I choose to create art. No, I MUST make art! Without it, I would not be able to live in today's world. 

Ah, am I wearing blinders, you ask? Not at all. Instead of focusing on the over abundance of negatives, I choose to fill my life with more positives. More to seek balance than not to see.

Rebeccah Doggett made these Ukrainian styled Easter eggs.

No matter what the news brought to you today, how can you not be uplifted by the site of these eggs decorated Ukrainian style? A folk art it is called, yet, still, our spirits rise with joy at the delightful designs and colors after even a mild winter. 

Unless, of course, you have just lost a loved one to war or other tragedy. I think we need a re-enactment of the Greek play Lysistrata where the women withheld sexual favors in order to stop war, the hatred, the violence. Or, at least, a whole lot more folks could follow the recent example of Pope Francis on Holy Thursday when he washed and kissed the feet of a wide variety of refugees.

Where do you stand? Comment below.

Jean Ann Henderson is a fine art photographer, which means she makes photographs for herself rather than for clients. Go to her website to learn more.

My Grief Will Never Leave...

Mourning my son's death has become a bit less intense now that we are in the eighth month since his passing, but the grief I feel about his death will never be completely gone from my heart. Those of you who have lost a child are about the only ones who will truly understand that statement, but that is okay with me.

With less intensity filling all my days, I have slowly started moving back to placing a focus on my photography. Up until now, though, the only decent images I have made have been at Lonnie's grave. "Tear Catchers" is one of my favorites:

"Tear Catchers" was made at Lonnie's grave shortly after his marker went into the ground in early April.

If you look closely at the image, you see not just the raindrops that fell on these roses that day, but also, in the "bowl" of each rose, a small puddle of rainwater -- a perfect metaphor for a grieving mother.

Options for purchasing (including framed prints, greeting cards, plus tote bags and throw pillows) are available for this and my other photos. Explore more and make a purchase by clicking on this link. 

The Making of a Cooperative Portrait!

Now what the heck is a cooperative portrait (I'm sure you are asking yourself)? Well, it is a description I just made up after working with a photographer who is newer to the craft than I am. I wanted an updated photo for my use on the web as well as, possibly, in print.

Brace yourself for this post! I usually aim for short, but this is going to go into some detail for teaching purposes.

When we met on Friday, Annie Clark decided that we could make a shot and just blow things up after cropping down to the head shot I wanted. I explained that we needed to shoot it the way we wanted it to turn out. The reason is that incredible amounts of quality would be lost if we had done it Annie's way as this shot shows the small section of an already small photograph that would have meant:

While this might be an OK snapshot as is, it is far from a formal looking portrait which is what I had in mind. I asked Annie to move closer, but she was still holding the camera in a horizontal fashion so the following shots were recorded:

Do you see how much of an improvement just moving in a little closer makes? As a matter of fact, for almost all of the photos you take, once you think you are close enough, take at least 3 steps forward and see if you don't notice a big improvement.

As a matter of fact, a famous Twentieth Century photographer by the name of Robert Capa said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you aren't close enough." 

On to the next point: Formal portraits frequently are taken vertically, or "portrait mode." I simply asked Annie if she would feel comfortable turning her camera to that position. When she did it, these are some of the images that resulted:

We tried some without glasses, then some with glasses. But reflections from uncontrolled natural light resulted and rather than work out that problem, I knew that we would be best just moving on. 

You may notice that the first 2 of these were taken with Annie holding the camera enough higher than my head to create an effect of looking down on the subject. Unless you want this as a creative effect, you are better off lowering your camera a bit so that you are more on eye level.

Annie took a total of 37 shots of me -- several more than I think she really wanted to! But I knew we still had not likely gotten "the" shot. In the end, we had and this is the straight out of the camera version:

Photo by Annie Clark

Not too shabby, right? But not finished to my photographer's eye either. After retouching this shot, this is the avatar you get:

And this is more the size it will be seen:

I told Annie that I would be giving her the photo credit, but once she saw the retouching, she said she thought it should be co-credit. Let me know what you think before March 1st. That is the day I will be posting it to my site.

Finally, if you would like detailed step by step instructions on my retouching process, please use the contact form on my website (jeanhendersonart.com) and reference "cooperative portrait." 

Take a look around the site while you are at it and give the gift of art to yourself, loved one, or friend!

Let Lonnie's Light Shine on Dec. 14th at 7PM

Scenes from Lonnie's world:

Quickly loved by all he met

Surrounded by the children he loved to make silly faces with

On a lion walk with Ellyn on his first trip to Zambia

He even made friends on the side of the road...

...and with the kids, too

With Ellyn in Zambia

In front of the temple at Abu Simbel built by Ramses II

Ready to roll....

He made friends everywhere he went

He'd make friends before hitting the check out location, too

The proverbial "selfie with feet" pic from his various travels

He loved the incredible skies of Africa

Invite to Lonnie Henderson's Family and Friends across the globe to light a candle in memory of him on Sunday, December 14, 2014 at 7PM (whenever that reaches your time zone). Leave the candle lit for one hour. This will create a "wave" of light across the world. This will also be the 2 month anniversary of his death.

This is part of the annual World Wide Candle Lighting event sponsored by Compassionate Friends, a self help group for families who have children who have died too soon -- "that their light may always shine." Help to make Lonnie's light shine in a special way on this day and time!

First Day of the Dead Since My Son Left Us

Twelve days ago, we buried my son, Rulon "Lonnie" Henderson. His smile was legendary as was his kindness to strangers as much as to friends. Nineteen days ago, he left us for his new work elsewhere in the Universe.

These nineteen days have been the most difficult of my life so I deeply want to thank all of you who have made Lonnie's passing a bit easier by the incredible outpouring of your love and support. Mostly I am still speechless though some of you know that photography is my hobby -- one that Lonnie fully encouraged. 

From the moment I fell to the ground when the State Trooper gave me the horrible news, I became incapable of making even an acceptable snap shot -- nor did I have any desire to do even that much. But my granddaughter will need memories of this time when her family gathered around her to lift her up in her pain and her silent wondering about how such a thing could even happen to the uncle she loved so much -- so I had to try.

Then, while visiting Lonnie's grave the afternoon of Halloween, I felt that familiar urge to make a picture. Not that I had brought a camera for such a visit mind you! Then I realized that I DID have the iPhone Lonnie had encouraged me to purchased and I hesitantly took it out of my pocket. At first, I just took a picture from a distance, but that style of photography is not my usual one so I moved in closer for the photo above.

Earlier in the week, my granddaughter Justice had visited Lonnie's grave with his partner Ellyn. Together they brought flowers, but Justice also wanted to place a crayon with her Uncle Lonnie. Suddenly, that little crayon grabbed my interest and this photo was made:

For those of you who may have some Christian feeling, this photo -- which contrasts life and death -- may bring you some comfort:

Feel free to download any of these files for use on your digital media. They are not correct for printing though.