The photography of Leonard Nimoy

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    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy
    • The photography of Leonard Nimoy

    • "Shekhina"

      Leonard Nimoy, the actor best known for playing the pointy-eared Spock from "Star Trek",  had an accomplished career as a fine art photographer from his teens to his death at 83, February 27, 2015.

      He fell in love with the magic of photography through his family's camera, a bellows Kodak Autographic, at the age of 13. His darkroom was the family bathroom in their small Boston apartment.

      Nimoy published several books of his photography and had a one-man show of his "Secret Selves" series at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art in 2010.

      The "Shekhina" series: Nimoy was "intrigued with scriptural mythology that tells us that God created a divine feminine presence to dwell amongst humanity..."

      By CBSNews.com photo editor Radhika Chalasani

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Shekhina"

      Nimoy: "My first encounter with mystery and power of the Shekhina took place as a little boy, perhaps 8 or 9 years old, standing with my father, grandfather, and brother for the traditional blessing of the Orthodox Jewish service. At the height of this moment of fervent prayer, my father forbade me to look. The entire congregation had their heads covered with prayer shawls or were shielding their faces. For years I wondered why; why hide the face? Why can’t we look? "

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Shekhina"

      The "Shekhina" series was explained by Nimoy as a photographic image of the invisible.

      Nimoy imagined the divine feminine presence as ubiquitous, watchful, and often in motion.

      "Shekhina" was Nimoy's quest for insight.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Eye Contact"

      The "Eye Contact" portfolio consists of 25 photos from his 60 year career as a photographer.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Eye Contact"

      Nimoy wrote, "In this collection I am concerned with artful voyeurism." He was looking to show the instant between the private and the seen.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Hand"

      Fans will recognize the hand gesture made so famous in his role as Spock has its root in his religious background which was a big part of "Shekhina" series.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Hand"

      Nimoy's "Hand" series explores his own identity, both private and public.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Hand"

      It's not surprising that Nimoy's series is an exploration of his own hands and gestures. For Nimoy's famous Vulcan greeting from "Star Trek" he borrowed a  hand symbol from Orthodox Judaism.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Secret Selves"

      "Secret Selves" is a departure from his black and white photography. The series is an exploration of the concept of the lost or hidden or fantasy self. 

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Secret Selves"

      Nimoy reflected on a theory posited by Aristophanes, explaining human angst. Humans were at some point in time double-sided creatures with two heads, four arms and four legs. They became powerful and arrogant angering the gods. Zeus cleaved everyone in two as punishment.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Secret Selves"

      As the story goes, Zeus cleaved every human in two as punishment.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "Secret Selves"

      According the story humans have been searching for the lost part of themselves.

      As Aristophanes said, "human nature was originally one and we were whole."

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "The Full Body Project"

      "The Full Body Project" came to fruition when one woman asked if he would consider taking her photo.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "The Full Body Project"

      "The Full Body Project" came to fruition when one woman asked if he would consider taking her photo.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • "The Full Body Project"

      The women in this series take control of the aesthetic and the emotional impact of the images by "making direct eye contact."

      The series challenged the standard models of beauty and celebrated shapely women.

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • Self-portrait

      Leonard Nimoy, Double self-portrait with Light Bulb.

      Nimoy, 83, died in Los Angeles, February 27, 2015.

      For more photos - Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Leonard Nimoy/Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

    • Leonard Nimoy

      Leonard Nimoy - photographer, writer, poet, actor, Spock - 1931-2015.

      "Live long and prosper." #LLAP

      Courtesy of R. Michelson Galleries

      Credit: Seth Kaye/Courtesy of R. Michelson Gallery