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? "

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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.

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

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

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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.

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

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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.

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"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. 

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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.

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

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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."

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

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

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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.

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Leonard Nimoy, Double self-portrait with Light Bulb.

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

For more photos - Leonard Nimoy 1931-2015

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

"Live long and prosper." #LLAP

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