Top Ten (#6)

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

Here is # 6.

Technical aspects:

Camera – Fuji X100F

Aperture – F/5.6

Shutter Speed – 1/0.8 sec.

Focal Length – 23mm

ISO – 200

Film Simulation – Classic Chrome

Location – Gatlinburg, TN (https://goo.gl/maps/hiES4ccAV3LvH5Cj6)

Date – April 24, 2019 @ 6:41pm.

As the saying goes a picture paints a thousand words.  This particular one, for me, told me a story.  I am not sure if it is the shot itself or the experience that landed it in my top ten.

We left Indiana on April 24^th around noon for our trip.  We headed south in the yellow Jeep swapping stories and chatting about what things we would be seeing over the next few days.  As we reached our first destination, we stopped had dinner, then made our way to the hotel to check-in and drop off our belongings.   From there we took a short drive to the destination of this shot.

Mark had been here before and stated a few times along the drive “it is just right up here”.  This, of course, was all based on his recollection of the location and the drive he had done in the past.  Roughly 40 miles later we reached Greenbrier Road.  As we turned left off Highway 321 onto a gravel road we were only a few hundred yards from the parking area, but I could see and hear to my left a rapidly flowing stream.

We parked, unloaded, grabbed our cameras and walked toward the stream.  The light of the day was beginning to fade and the temperature was in the upper 60’s.  We crossed the gravel road then hopped down an embankment and we were greeted with the magnificent creek before us.  The roar of the water, the mist in the air and the peacefulness all around us were hypnotic.  I sat for a moment just soaking it all in.  The current was deceptively swift and strong, with a vicious undertow.  The deep, clear water revealed a majestic blue that I tried to capture in the shot.  I raised my camera slowly to my eye and took this picture.

I have been to and seen many streams, creeks, small rivers, etc. in my day, but this was the most majestic than I had ever been too before.  I was floored again by blue color.  Everyone I had been to before, if it was flowing this hard the water was brown, green or tan due to the mixing of the mud, sand or clay below the surface, this was as clear as a Caribbean island.    Within that rare moment of this shot, I knew this would be a color shot for me.  A deviation from my normal black and white photography.

As we walked about taking shots, this place felt right to me.  Many of you reading this are drawn to places like sandy beaches, amusement parks, crowded bar or nightclub, overcrowded states like Florida, California, New York, etc.  This was my paradise.  I was drawn in by the seductive curves of this snaking landscape.  Mark and I along with a few select strangers were there in nature’s paradise.  No admission cost, no lines, no being directed where to go, no wonder about following a herd of people, no sidewalks, no buildings, no concrete, just nature’s beauty.  A few folks, that day, quietly viewing a natural wonder that many will never even see.

The energy here and the ambiance is what landed this shot in my top ten.  I have received a few compliments on this shot as well.  I even decided to print and frame this and it is currently hanging on my wall in the office.  This was the start of our 5-day trip and where I began to truly relax and unwind.  Standing next to this creek, just doing nothing, I had a moment of serenity (or a few) that rejuvenated my mind, body, and soul.

West Prong Little Pigeon River on this day was a symbol of how far I have come mentally.  The rocks and pebbles that line the banks with its rustic hues are much more priceless than any jewels I have seen.  The water carried my worries and anxiety away.  I brought back a small rock as a keepsake, a few pictures and many wonderful memories of this place.  I left a lot of worry, fear, and anxiety in the serenity of this mystical place.

Until next time,

Tim