First Installment of COLOR CODED / 001: YELLOW

Thanks for grabbing the first installment of COLOR CODED / 001: YELLOW.

This one's for the photographers who see signals where others see scenery. Inside, you'll find a quick dive into yellow's emotional weight, cultural punch, and how to make it work for your images.

💬 Drop a comment on Instagram (@johnhendrick_photo) or under the blog’s Field Note, would love to hear what stood out. All I ask is that you not share it with anyone directly, if you think someone would appreciate or can find this useful, that you redirect them to the website.

Let’s keep learning, one color at a time.

📍 Shot, written and designed by a San Antonio Leica street photographer.

Why Color Still Matters

Introducing “Color Coded”, A Visual Challenge, A Creative Practice

Color does more than fill the frame. It directs the eye. It shifts the mood. It speaks when words fall short.

Over the years, my photography has shifted between chaos and clarity, capturing moments of motion (utilizing slow shutter speeds), shadows (in monochrome), and sharp edges (with a deep depth of field). However, one thing has remained constant: color has always been a guiding force. Sometimes obvious, sometimes hidden in plain sight. But always saying something.

That’s why I’m introducing a new alternating series called Color Coded, a weekly invitation to see what color is trying to show you.

What Is “Color Coded”?

Color Coded is my way of bringing you into the conversation between light, tone, and emotion.
Every other Monday, I’ll post a featured color, starting with yellow, and explore how it shows up in life and art. I’ll break down what it means, where it hides, and how it can shape a story within a frame.

But it’s more than just a study.

It’s also an invitation:

📸 Seek out this week’s color
🏷️ Tag me and use the hashtag #CCByHendrick
🔁 I’ll be sharing selected submissions on my stories and future FN (blog) post.

Let’s start tuning our eyes to the subtle language of color.

What Happened to Field Notes?

Don’t worry, Field Notes isn’t going anywhere.

That series, which explores the conceptual and emotional side of photography, will now rotate weekly with Color Coded. It gives space for both intuition and instruction, reflection and repetition. Think of it as two parts of the same mission: to look closer, feel deeper, and make work with intention.

• Field Notes → Thought-provoking insights, voice-led stories, quiet questions.

• Color Coded → Visual language, color theory, weekly photo prompts.

Each series will alternate, giving you something new to chew on every Monday.

Closing Thoughts

I’m building something that balances education and emotion, presence and practice.
If Field Notes is the journal, then Color Coded is the lesson.
And when you put them together, you start to see the work a little clearer, frame by frame, week by week.

Thanks for being here.
Let’s see what yellow brings.

- JH
Explore More Work →

NEXUS: Leica Lenses, Evolving Vision, and a Gallery in Progress

Six years in one place, San Antonio, has taught me a lot about photography, but even more about patience.

If you read my last post (Finding My Frame), you already know how this city held space for me to rebuild after two decades of motion. But this post isn’t about the beginning, it’s about the gear, the shifts, and the decision to finally share what I’ve been building: NEXUS.

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San Antonio Leica Street Photography | John Hendrick

What Is NEXUS?

NEXUS is a living archive, an evolving street photography series captured throughout my time in San Antonio. It’s a visual reflection of presence, movement, and personal change. Some images are refined. Others feel like sketches. But that’s intentional. Because this work is less about perfection, more about process.

I’ve just published the initial gallery, and I’ll be adding new images in the coming weeks as I continue combing through my archive. There’s more to uncover.

Gear That Shaped the Vision

San Antonio Leica Street Photography | John Hendrick

Throughout this project, I shot exclusively with Leica cameras—specifically:

• Leica M240 – For its versatility and depth in color

• Leica M246 Monochrom – A lesson in light, shadow, and restraint

• Leica Q-P – Compact, fast, and surprisingly intimate with its fixed 28mm

• Leica SL – When I needed precision and presence in more composed frames

But beyond the bodies, the lenses told the story. Each one shifted how I approached the frame:

• 50mm Summicron – Classic, crisp, and balanced

• 35mm Summilux – Soft yet fast, ideal for close moments and evening light

• 90mm Summicron – Taught me to wait, to observe from a distance

• 28mm Elmarit – Brought into the environment, the edges, the tension

Why Share This Now?

Because for a long time, I thought I needed to finish a project before putting it into the world. But NEXUS isn’t something to finish, it’s something to return to.

I’m inviting others, curious photographers, local artists, and Leica lovers, to follow the arc as it builds. Whether you’ve lived in San Antonio or just passed through, I think you’ll find something here.

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San Antonio Leica Street Photography | John Hendrick

What’s Next?

This isn’t the end of the road—far from it.

NEXUS is one part of a larger structure I’ve been quietly building over time. Each project I’ve released is tied to a letter of my last name. From Homeland to Kaizen, Interwoven Cities to Recollection, each one marks a place, a philosophy, a phase.

This is the “N” in HENDRICK.

Not every letter is filled in yet. And that’s intentional. These aren’t just photography series, they’re milestones. Memory-mapping through cities, seasons, and shifts in self.

By the time the final project arrives, each letter will speak to a different piece of the whole.

For now, I hope you’ll explore NEXUS and maybe even return as it grows.

👉 View the NEXUS gallery here
👉 Read the first post: Finding My Frame