Ruminator

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography https://timothybme.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/04-Vichnaya-Pamyat.mp3 I recently began watching an HBO miniseries that I must admit I am mesmerized by.    It is one of my bucket list locations, but I know I will never go there in person. My friend Mark contacted me one day recently and say have you started watching Chernobyl on HBO?  I had not, but quickly went to my television and began recording this five-part mini-series.  Mark continued that he had found this podcast ( but please watch the show before watching this video ), containing interviews and conversations with the writer of the show and I also found the podcast fascinating.  The show first aired on May 6 th , 2019 (episode one).  I have since learned that this is one of the highest-rated series on HBO, even as high as Game of Thrones. The show is a type of documentary series with many famous actors including Emily Watson , Jared Harris , and Stellan Skarsgard .  It has received rave re

My interview this week is with Timothy Hsieh. Someone I have met a few times but we have a few things in common. Some you can guess others you may not. Photo by: Timothy Hsieh Photo by: Timothy Hsieh Photo by: Timothy Hsieh I met Tim ( 錦平 ) a few years back at Murphy’s Camera in Louisville. Tim worked there and I was in the market for a zoom lens for my Nikon camera. Tim was happy to help, showed me two different options, and suggested I take both for a spin. I brought along a memory card, and he attached both lenses (not at the same time) to the camera body similar to the one I owned. I wavered back and forth but ended up getting the cheaper of the two lenses. As time progressed I gave up my Nikon for my first Fuji (XT-1), and again was in the market for an additional lens to complement my kit lens and 35mm lens. Again I called upon Murphy’s Camera and asked for Tim. He mentioned a few lenses but recommended the 16mm, which I did end up buying from him. From that encounter on, we beg

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography Purgatory is defined (in the Catholic Church) as a place or state of suffering inhabited by souls of sinners who are expiating their souls before going to Heaven.   Purgatory as an adjective is defined as having the quality of cleansing or purifying. Today I feel the latter definition fits me. Two of the drawings I posted this week best encapsulates those who put up a front in daily life when it comes to depression or sadness.  For most of my life, I have had many moments when I have felt like these drawings.  Masks of a strong husband, father, friend, employee, and family member.  Things are changing. Mentally I have been drowning in the darkness, but at the same time, I have been blinded by the light.  Over the past few months with help from Dr. Erin and support from friends like Mark, Steve, Tesa, Michael and especially my rock, Marcie I have moved from a dark place to what I define as my own purgatory.  Living for years in doubt, fear, anxiety, wor

Photo by: James R Burns My first interview was with Chris Sale .  Today’s interview is with a friend of his named James R Burns.  As I have done with many of the people I have interviewed, I discovered James by accident.  I’m glad I did. James is predominantly a landscape photographer.  There are many out there, but I am drawn to James’ work for a different reason.  His videos.  YouTube is so saturated with gear talk, settings, reviews, etc. that James brings a fresh new perspective with his messages.  He talks about mood, lighting, composition, why he shoots, being selective and even shares his failures (a rarity in this world these days). James does sprinkle in information about his lens and settings he uses but with a purpose of why he is using them, not for technical reasons.  Not gear talk, but explaining his goal for a shot and what he feels is the best setting at that moment to capture his vision. James hikes to all his locations, and from what I can see, many times they are lon

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography My session this week with my doctor was a big breakthrough.  I am opening wounds and discovering the root causes of my anxiety, indecisiveness and why I have little confidence in me.  Some of this was already known to me, but the more Dr. Erin and I spoke, the more validity was given to what I suspected was the sources of my anxiety, inability to make small decisions and live with compliments. Let me start with anxiety, as I wrote about before.  Anxiety is like being hooked up to an electric fence; not enough voltage to kill but sufficient enough to keep things very uncomfortable.  There is not a constant shock, but painful pulses that seem to never end.  My anxiety is driven by the fear of the unknown, and the ability to not be in control of certain aspects of my life.  I have been doing a worry session for about 10 minutes a day.  I allow myself to worry about anything and everything that flows through my brain.  I have gotten better at doing this an

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography Day 4; Today was to be the epic day.  We were going to tackle Grandfather Mountain .  As we hit the BRP the weather was in the low forties and the wind was blowing quite strong.  There was a spot famous for shots of the BRP and Mark wanted to see if we can get the shot as well.   This location is called the Linn Cove Viaduct.  We pulled off on the side hopped out and immediately were being cut through by the wind.  We walked by the viaduct and made our way to this iconic spot.  We took several shots, and I pointed out a large rock across the street.  Before I knew it Mark ran across the parkway and was climbing the rock for a better angle and he got the shot.  The cold didn’t keep us there for long and we soon were back in the protection of the Jeep and on our way to Grandfather Mountain.  As we arrived the winds were still strong and the person at the gate told us the “top was closed due to high winds”.  We were given the option to go in for half pri

Today’s interview is with a man who like others I discovered through YouTube, yet fell in love with his work and voice instantaneously.  I found him because I owned a Fuji but stayed with him due to his similar love of black and white photography, his passion and drive with his work. I was new to Fuji after purchasing my XT-1 and as usual began my research online to help me learn about the camera menus, settings, and functions.  I soon came across Ted’s YouTube channel and that is where I got hooked.  First, there was his raspy voice, his appropriate use of ‘yeah’ and ‘man’, but mostly his passion for shooting.  As mentioned above he shoots mostly monochrome, which is a particular love of mine as well.  This was the first video I saw of his. Photo by: Ted Vieira Since I first discovered him he has moved from mirrorless to film cameras but for an amateur eye, his look is mostly the same.  Ted’s utilization of lights, shadows, and even grain is something I strive for myself in some of m

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography Day 3; We again hit the BRP and made our first stop at the Pisgah Visitor Center .    I bought two hats, looked around a bit and then we headed to Highway 276 and Looking Glass Falls .  This massive 60-foot fall was flowing hard.  The thunderous noise could be seen and felt in the parking area.  This location provided a wooden staircase down to the falls.  Quite easy in fact, but I was feeling the strain from the day before.  Like a giddy child, Mark was all over taking shots, getting wet, but had a smile from ear-to-ear the whole time.  I enjoyed the beauty and power of the falls, took one shot, but stayed where it was dry. Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography As we returned to the Blue Ridge Parkway the clouds parted, the sun came out and we both said we were in for a beautiful day (weather-wise).  We stopped along the BRP a few times capturing shots of the shadows on the road, an old rock bridge covered in moss and as we made our way up the BRP the clo

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography On this my 51 st birthday (at the time this post came out), I figured I would also answer the questions I had asked many others to do.  This may provide some insight into why and what I shoot. In high-school (I don’t remember the specific year), I was asked if I want to be a photographer for our school newspaper and yearbook.  I said yes, was handed a Fuji camera, some film and given assignments to go shoot.  We shot Fuji or Nikon cameras and either Fuji or Kodak 35mm film.  I learned to process and develop my film (monochrome only) and regularly had shots in our newsletter.  It was there that I discovered a love for photography, though it would take decades to realize it. After high school, I went to college, graduated and started a family and career.  I took shots rarely with my phone, but in 2015, my wife, son, and mother-in-law took a trip to Maine.  I only had a Samsung phone to shoot with, but the fire for photography was rekindled.  Upon our re

Day 2; 4:15 am comes early as it did this Thursday morning.  I had no idea that this one day I would walk/hike 8.5 miles, take 17,853 steps and burn 3500 calories.  Did I mention 4:15 am comes early?  Why did we get up so early?  We planned to travel 30 minutes from the hotel to a location to catch the sunrise.  That location was Max Patch Bald .  As we left the highway we turned on a two-lane road, and then made a turn on a side road called Max Patch Road .  Maybe 100 yards down this side road the pavement turned to gravel.  The gravel had potholes.  The Jeep’s suspension was tested.  The road was a slow ascent in the pitch black.  The headlights illuminated our path ahead but to both, the left and right was a blanket pure darkness provided by the trees.  Almost every horror movie I have watched has at least one scene where lowly travelers travel down this type of road. Soon we reached a small gravel parking lot as the rain started to fall.  The light had started to brighten and we kn