Top Ten (#5)

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

Here is # 5.

Technical aspects:

Camera – Fuji XT2

Aperture – F/8

Shutter Speed – 1/60 sec.

Focal Length – 18mm

ISO – 400

Film Simulation – Classic Chrome

Location – Mount Saint Francis, IN (https://goo.gl/maps/7sWjx6Stu1AcFREx5)

Date – April 8, 2018 @ 8:15am

On a cool Sunday morning, I made my way to my favorite local hiking spot, Mt. St. Francis.  I didn’t know it yet, but I would soon be taking one of my favorite shots and in this case number 5.

The sun was breaking through the trees casting long shadows over the sidewalk and the lake I was quickly approaching.  I moved from the concrete path onto the frosted grass leaving a set of single, uniform footprints behind to show where I had been.  I made my way toward the first path noticing for the first time in quite a while that there was no mud for my boots to sink into.  As the gentle thud of my boots echoed on the wooden bridge, I felt my body slowly begin to relax.  I moved across the bridge and turned right onto the path eyeing my favorite spot in the whole area.  I didn’t stop like I normally do in this area, I just moved along the path toward the next bridge and eventually the one I shot above.

As I became enveloped in the surrounding woods I approached this wooden bridge that I had crossed many times.  The light was hitting it just right and I bent down to take a picture of the bridge.  It has turned out to be one of my favorite shots.  I made my way across the bridge, with my footsteps reverberating underneath me.  It felt like each step and deep bellowing sound was in rhythm with my heartbeats.  I was soon on the other side and made my way to the steep slope.  At the top, I turned left and stopped to catch my breath.  As I did I stood there in mostly silence looking down the path I just ascended and viewing the bridge I have just traversed.  The only sounds I could hear was a distant woodpecker rhythmically searching for food, and the melody of songbirds singing a tune.  These were such sweet sounds, and I needed them.

The reason this shot reached my top ten (top five actually) is because of the purity of it.  It was late winter, on an early Sunday morning as mentioned.  The frost still clung to the grass, trees and even on this bridge.  The stillness of the water echoed the stillness on my mind at that moment.  Ironically the wooden bridge itself provides symbolism of my journey from chaos and anxiety into a much calmer and relaxing place.  There is a bench on the left if I choose to stop and gather myself, I do not, and a signpost ahead beckoning me to cross.

This always seems to be my gateway into peace.  Depending on the direction I go this is a ¼ mile from where I park, and seemingly always the point unto which the anxiety starts to loosen its grip on me.  I have crossed this trestle many times before this shot and will do so many times after today, but this day, time and moment will always be captured in the photograph above.  I will leave you with this quote I often think of when I cross a bridge on any kind by Gene Brown “The bridges that you cross before you come to them are over rivers that aren’t there.”

Until next time,

Tim