Am I a poet?

Photo by: Tim Bindner

I recently was contacted by an old friend who saw one of my pictures on Instagram and inquired about purchasing it. I was initially in shock, then humbled, and finally grateful. So, I reached out to him.

We spoke Sunday for close to an hour. This person used to be my leader at Humana, then we became friends. Our conversation began with catching up, then he inquired about my photography, why I shoot, and the feelings and emotions it evokes within me. He moved to California a few years ago, so I have not seen him since, but I was happy to catch back up.

He asked about my photography. Said statements like “you have really grown” and “your work is beautiful and inspiring”. The one that really got me was when he said, “when I look at many of your pictures I automatically think of great lines from certain famous poets.” WOW. Really? WOW. I told him that was the ultimate compliment and never in 100 years would I think my work would ever conjure up thoughts or references to great poets based on something I did.

My friend sent me this to describe the picture above and the one that he contacted me about. “The initial one I brought to your attention invoked reflections on Robert Frost’ poem, Two Roads. Even though there’s only one path in the image, the color, the landscape, or terrain… it all just made me have this sense of calm and ease, yet uncertainty… where is this path heading… am I on the right one? There’s so much to look at and there’s hints of color on the horizon, but is that enough to assure me I’m in the right direction? It just captures the life journey we all find ourselves on at every point in our lives.”

He described another shot of mine by saying “The one with the empty boat tied at the dock prompted me to think of Hemingway’s, the old man, and the sea… like this was at the very beginning of his journey and this is what it might have looked like to Santiago. If the sea represents all of nature, as many suggest of his book, then perhaps the boat represents the vessel that is actually ourselves and the prep and nurture and maintenance required to survive the unknowns of nature and the wild…I dunno.”

Funny thing is I take pictures for myself. Things I see and love. To be compared to other brilliant photographers would not even be a goal or aspiration of mine, but to have others think of poems or lines to poems based on what I shot. That is just unthinkable for me. The ultimate compliment!

On our call, my friend mentioned the concept of telling stories with photographs. He asked me, “do you have stories for your photographs, and have you shared them?” I told him I had been asked before by my friend Troy about the story behind certain pictures I had taken. During our chat, I mentioned, I do have a story behind every photograph I take, but I never really share it. To me, it is as if someone reads a book and plans their own interpretation in their head about it. Then the author describes something different from your interpretation, it kind of ruins things.

If I give them my story, then that may influence, change, or persuade someone down a different path than if I let them make their own story up in their head. I continued explaining that I also no longer name my pictures. I list them as the file name the camera assigns. I mean, how many of my photographs would be called a path in the woods, or leaf on a trail, or tree in the woods? Heck, maybe I could name one Two Roads?

I have named one photograph recently because of the unique situation upon which I took it, and was happy to share the story (https://timothybme.com/thanksgiving/), but in 99% of the cases I do not name my pictures or share a story unless specifically asked.

The picture above is one that my friend plans to purchase. It is one of my favorite photographs as well. And yes, there is a story behind it, but not one I will voluntarily share.

The initial picture he asked about turned to four pictures he immediately wanted to purchase, with the high possibility of “many more.” I have sold only a few prints over the years, and all to friends, but within the last week I sold over 50 to Dr. Erin and now four more to my buddy. I am still so humbled thinking anyone would want some of my work in their homes or office.

Until next time,

Tim