Throughout my life I have never considered myself artistic, or even had much of an interest in art, but when I started digital photography and photographing models something clicked inside my head which made me want to capture beauty in my images, and then I found that other people appreciated my images as well, and it’s such an super feeling to share your images with others. Now I seem to have flipped the other way, I am now very interested in many things artistic and creative, and I’m finding myself reading books on art rather than photography to try to improve my image making.
I also like networking and collaborating with other creatives who work in other media and recently met a poet called Roger Noons, who some years ago was a member of the camera club I am a member of and was a leading photographer of nudes and portraits in the camera club world at that time. He had to find models the hard way, approaching strangers or friends of friends and persuading them to pose for him, with the Internet and the number of excellent professional models available we have it so easy nowadays.
Roger gave up photography and took up writing and poetry, and has written poetry about some of my images, which he has very kindly let me share here. I think he is very talented, and I hope you enjoy them as much I as do.
The first seven poems are Tankas. A Tanka is a Japanese form comprising five lines with 5-7-5-7-7 syllables. It is read according to the punctuation.
Protected figure,
cradled in splintered facets.
An offering to
the heavens; for Gods who feast
their eyes on worldly beauty.
Amazonian,
caught in the blink of a lens;
captured during flight,
against a boundless background.
Silkiness before roughness.
Giant leap of faith
through angel dust into night.
Trusting the God who
will secure and sanctify;
guarantee mortality.
Demure beauty, a
woman of whom I will dream,
though eyes not for me.
Innocence from white chemise;
skin too delicate for touch.
Mirrored flame above
and below ivory form.
Double image offers
twice the beauty, yet promise
of unattainability.
Tread carefully, while
climbing up or stepping down.
A surprise awaits.
A dormant figure lies still;
taut spring snares the unwary.
A neglected room;
open doors, a balustrade.
Nymph awaits the guest;
bareness dominates the scene.
Will the visitor appear?
These images have some four line verses written about them.
An offering to the Gods,
framed by ageless stone.
If plucked by careless one,
the tabernacle will crumble.
Surrounded by a bottomless pool;
harsh womb, almost empty;
emerging goddess awaits a winged hero
to carry her to safety.
No forceps required.
No cord to cut.
The hands of Hippocrates will
raise and deliver Ostara.
Harvesting a thousand oysters
would never best your eyes.
Pools of many fathoms
offering miraculous surprise.
Silky strands; braids of chestnut
flow and cascade over rocks.
Highlighting the gentler side of a
rough and aged warrior.
This image has a complete poem.
Ransacked by rain; worn down by winds;
solarised by sunlight, I have waited.
On a wide-scaped, open-skied beach
beneath cumulus and cirrus. Waited
for the mind of a man;
the eye of a camera, and
the body of a woman.
Waited to fulfill my destiny.
Calmly, gently, I hold the princess;
contain her body, a smooth pearl;
an offering to the Gods.
For their eyes only, for she is to remain
forever young; eternally pure.
Clutched in my hewn and splintered arms,
she lies safe in my grasp;
protected by my strength;
my many years of existence.
Thank you Roger, your words are so beautiful and complement the images so well, and thank you to the models for providing the inspiration for both Roger and myself.
13 Comments
Beautifully fitting words xx
They are indeed Elizabeth.
Thank you for sharing these beautiful images and words
Thank you Colin, The words deserve to be shared , I do feel they enhance the images.
Some of the images already known but made more enjoyable by the words of a like minded artist. Also remember Roger’s pictures with pleasure.
Thank you Irene, it was great to collaborate with Roger.
Wonderful content, both with the visual depth and the written word. I have attempted to write rhymed poetry to compliment a lot of my images. I felt the desire, coupled
with the inspiration of what you have kindly shared, to write the following. Hope you don’t mind.
Nakedness in all its form, such beauty to behold
Emotions of a different kind, deep feelings to unfold
Beauty there for all to see, absorb with little haste
Art-form of a cultured style, with so much warmth and taste
Best Regards,
Les Loosemore
I don’t mind at all Les, I’m glad that we inspired you to write something.
Delightful combination of words and images, impressive indeed.
Lovely work, Tim and some lovely words to go with them.. my admiration…
best
Rod
Timpile.co.uk is educational as well as entertaining.
As a meat eating, tool swinging, beer drinking form of a man, I can second
that art is something that finds you. Anytime you build a house, set a table,
plant a garden, or talk to a friend, you arrange it, shape it, adjust it, tweak it.
Art.
We’d certainly notice it, if it wasn’t there.
(count- 1 photo with doors) :)
A lovely body of work, both images and prose.
[…] and fellow creative Roger Noons has written more poems to go with some of my images, as he did in a previous post. It’s interesting to see a different person’s perspective on some of my images, as […]