Charles Henry 7/9/25 Charles Henry 7/9/25

One-Eyed Dog

Photography is a gentle way to see oneself alive.

Charles Henry 7/9/25 Charles Henry 7/9/25

Rangefinder

There are cameras, and then there are ones that reveal heartache long buried. I think we’re chasing understanding when it comes to our photography, and a high-quality rangefinder is one of those rare cameras that has nothing to do with specs and everything to do with the heart.

Charles Henry 7/5/25 Charles Henry 7/5/25

Film

It’s pictures made with film that I want to print most — a perfect blend of being choosy and patient.

Charles Henry 6/27/25 Charles Henry 6/27/25

Expansive

Wind lifts loose soil and shuffles mesquite branches and swirls across a vast horizon.

Charles Henry 6/18/25 Charles Henry 6/18/25

Experiment

Many people know that we have more to learn, and from the moment we realize that we’re not the center of everything, it gets better.

Charles Henry 6/8/25 Charles Henry 6/8/25

Tough. Friendly. Hardworking.

Odessa is a pretty good place.

Charles Henry 6/5/25 Charles Henry 6/5/25

One Big Small Town

If you take pictures from town to town and put everything together, it’s like you’re seeing one big small town.

Charles Henry 5/31/25 Charles Henry 5/31/25

Abandoned Buildings

Abandoned buildings dot rural Texas, but if restored, they’d make great workspaces, and I’d gladly rent one.

Charles Henry 5/30/25 Charles Henry 5/30/25

Colorado City

Colorado City has potential and possesses a great central business district. It’s on busy Interstate Twenty, far out but not too far away, and surrounded by rolling plains.

Charles Henry 5/30/25 Charles Henry 5/30/25

f/8 and be there

F/8 is typically the most optimal aperture for everyday lenses.

Charles Henry 5/29/25 Charles Henry 5/29/25

The end of photo archives

Image archives will become unrealistic because we’ll have too many new photographs.

Charles Henry 5/26/25 Charles Henry 5/26/25

Watching the sky

Cumulus clouds rise above the horizon, resembling snowcapped mountains where Abilene needs rain — a grudge is a burden none can afford.

Charles Henry 5/22/25 Charles Henry 5/22/25

Endure

One must be blind or drunk or in love to live somewhere worse looking than Odessa.

Charles Henry 5/15/25 Charles Henry 5/15/25

A Home in the Monochrome

In every color image I take, I see a black-and-white photographer trying to escape. It’s black-and-white or bust. Mine are pictures of rust, dents, and dust.

Charles Henry 5/12/25 Charles Henry 5/12/25

Far from perfect

There are things we can control and things we cannot. There are things we can get out in front of and things we cannot. Therefore, we must do is our best and grow. It’s life.

Charles Henry 5/10/25 Charles Henry 5/10/25

More Modern

Art made more sense in horse and buggy days because the technology of 1855 more closely resembled that of 1555 than 1955. The first tintypes appeared around 1855, making photography more modern.

Charles Henry 5/6/25 Charles Henry 5/6/25

Twangy

It’s pedal steel, a high-treble electric, and a six-string acoustic; its fiddle, snare, and upright bass and lyrics about heartache.

Charles Henry 4/29/25 Charles Henry 4/29/25

Harsh Daylight

I’ve tried to photograph harsh light for years. Unlike film, digital has less latitude in bright light, which is why you must find techniques to elevate consistency.

Charles Henry 4/19/25 Charles Henry 4/19/25

Calm

In a sea of chaos, be an island of peace.

Charles Henry 4/14/25 Charles Henry 4/14/25

The Westerner

Sometime in the mid 1960s, passenger rail ended for stops serviced by the Westerner. Gone were the days of streamliners west to El Paso or east to Fort Worth. Cars and airplanes replaced passenger trains as speed and convenience took hold.