Leonard Nimoy, Photographer

Seth Kaye

Leonard Nimoy, best known for his role as Spock on the beloved series Star Trek, passed away Friday at the age of 83.

Many might not know that he was also a photographer and art collector aside from acting. In the 1970s, he began studying photography at UCLA with photographer, Robert Heinecken. In 2003, he formally announced that he would focus on being a full-time photographer. His photography has been presented in exhibition at the Los Angles Country Museum of Art, the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Bakersfield Museum, the Jewish Museum in New York, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston and the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art.  He also published two photography books, "Shekhina" (2005) and "The Full Body Project" (2007).

Early Works (1970s)

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Hand Series (1980s-early 2000s)
Inspired by Spock's Vulcan hand signature, Nimoy became fascinated with the natural form of hands.

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Secret Selves (2010) 

His most recent and first solo exhibition was inspired by Nimoy's fascination with alternative identities after being associated as Spock for so long. The volunteers would reveal their "secret selves" to the camera.

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Leonard Nimoy

Nimoy once said, "The camera can capture thought in a way that's quite surprising and shocking.  You can become very simple and minimal in your work and communicate a lot with just a finger or an eyebrow, or a look, or a glance."