Adam Nimoy, whose famous father Leonard turned Mr. Spock on the original Star Trek TV series into a legendary figure honored by generations, will bring the photography exhibition Through Sober Eyes: Photos by Artists in Recovery to Pascal Printing at 5201 West Adams Blvd. on Saturday,  Oct.  25.

Contributor Larry Smathers caught up with the director, documentarian, and author of  The Most Human: Reconciling With My Father, Leonard Nimoy,  for a quick Q&A about the show. 

How did the idea for this show come about, and who are the other photographers featured?


When I stopped using and drinking and began my recovery, my perspective on just about everything changed. Since I was no longer using drugs or alcohol to distance myself from the world, I became more confident about the work I was producing and more determined to get it out in the world. This led to the publication of my two memoirs, the production of the documentary film I directed about Mr. Spock, and now this show of my photographs.

Following in my father’s footsteps, I’ve been a shutterbug since I was fourteen. The time now felt right to share some of the photographs I’ve taken while seeing the world through the lens of sobriety. Joining with other photographers in recovery seemed to make sense, since the opposite of addiction is not just sobriety, it’s community and connection.

Adam Nimoy

Photo by Adam Nimoy

The other photographers in this show are people I have met at 12-step meetings or are affiliated with Beit T’Shuvah, a residential addiction treatment center for which I have the honor of serving as a board member. Chris Rohloff has been a significant voice in the genre of surf photography, and Justin Rosenberg has amassed a vast body of outstanding work as a professional photographer. Jesse Solomon and Cristie Spooner have themselves become prolific in their new lives as sober photographers and have their own stories to tell of people who now experience the world from a sober perspective. It’s a privilege to be sharing gallery space with all of them. Their sense of hope and devotion to their craft and recovery shine through their work.

What equipment do you use, and what types of images are you drawn to?

I will shoot on anything and everything;  there isn’t much brand loyalty to be found here. When I was in my twenties, my dad gave me a compact Olympus film camera, which I still use. My digital SLR at the moment is the Canon Rebel. I’ve shot on every iPhone since Apple started making them, and I don’t go anywhere without my Nikon Coolpix, which my ex-wife gave me as a going-away present.

Your father was a photographer. Did his work inspire you?

The apple doesn’t fall far. My dad’s early work motivated me to borrow his Minolta and start shooting when I was fourteen. One of my early photos appears in his first book of photography and poetry, published in 1973. That was big for me.

Adam Nimoy

Leonard and Adam Nimoy (Courtesy Adam Nimoy)

 Expand on the idea of seeing the world through a sober lens.

In my experience, having attended 12-step meetings for the past twenty-one years, there is a common concern among artists in the early days of their recovery that they will never be creative again, that the substances were a way to find their inspiration, their muse. I have found just the opposite to be the case.

Sobriety has enabled me to see the world without the buffer, the haze that I experienced with my drinking and using. Everything seems clearer to me now as I continue to explore the mysteries of life on this crazy planet, using my camera(s) to help capture what I’m seeing, thinking, and feeling.

Recovery has also emboldened me to get over another common ailment when I was lost in my addiction: the belief that my work doesn’t matter, that no one really cares, so what’s the point? The point now is that everything matters.

 You recently released your memoir,  The Most Human. What’s up next?

In addition to our photography show, I’m also working on a documentary about how an unsung hero in the music industry helped shape the course of music history with some big, fat sounds from his electric bass. So stay tuned for that!