Tim Bingham, Award-Winning Street & Documentary Photographer, Content Creator and Trainer
Tim Bingham is an Award-Winning street and documentary photographer from Ireland. Tim has a passion for working with diverse cross-sections of communities, encouraging individuals young and old to capture their streets using their cameras to tell their stories.
Tim’s work has been described as descriptive narratives in pictures, bringing a poetic realism, combining a passion for the in-depth recording of people’s lives whilst at the same time demonstrating deeply empathic artistry.
This is particularly evident in his environmental portraits that he captures while out in the streets of communities, towns or cities that he visits, and his work has been exhibited in a number of exhibitions across Europe and the USA.
“Firstly and foremost enjoy it, take your time to define your own style of photography and not to define success by the amount of followers on social media. The key to success is to be professional in every project. Treat everyone equally. Having a big ego can block creativity. Build up trusting relationships and collaborate honestly with others.”
Tim Bingham
Tell us about your current role and what you like about your career/role or areas of focus.
I think for this interview, it's easier to focus on my work as a Photographer. In my previous work, I was an academic researcher mainly focused on marginalised communities.
A particular piece of work involved taking photos on the street. This was my introduction to Street Photography, and I suppose for a few years I dabbled in it afterwards. It wasn't until an image of mine was selected for an exhibition that I started to take it more seriously.
The past few years have been a journey of discovery. More recently, I have been running various photography workshops, including facilitating workshops on storytelling which is enabling and empowering various communities to tell their own stories through smartphone photography.
What inspires you, motivates you, helps you to make each day count?
For me, there are two parts. Firstly and foremost knowing I am there for my family if they need anything.
Secondly, there has to be a creative element for each day and at the end of each day, knowing that I have achieved something.
by Tim Bingham
Outside of your professional work area, what hobbies or interests do you have or what other areas of your life are of real importance to you?
My family are very important to me as they have really been the ones behind me when times have been tough. Since the pandemic, walking in my local countryside with the Dog every day has been a vital part of my day and helped me keep my focus.
During the start of the pandemic, I started Instagram Live conversations with various photographers which at the beginning was a step into the unknown, but the feedback was very encouraging, so I will be continuing these.
When it comes to your life chosen career, is there a phrase, quote or saying that you really like?
A couple of phrases that have always stayed with me in whatever career I have been in.
"Always say hello to the people on the way up, because you never know who you are going to meet on the way down." - "Don't let others rent space in your head for free."
What are you most proud of in your life?
Firstly my family, especially my son and daughter. Secondly, I had my first solo exhibition in Cork, Ireland in 2018, that same year was hosted in Bordeaux, France for a few weeks and won an International Photography Award in 2019.
What do you wish you had known when you started out?
That's a good question because I am constantly learning each day. To be myself, and not be influenced by the number of likes that a photo gets on social media and focus on the human connection.
I wish that I had explored creativity much earlier and taken up photography at a younger age.
by Tim Bingham
by Tim Bingham
by Tim Bingham
Who do you most admire in business, academic or creative circles?
I admire people that genuinely wish to collaborate and those who wish to support and facilitate marginalised communities to have a voice.
What companies, brands, or institutions do you like or do you think are getting it right?
Two brands from Smartphone are FiLMiC Pro and Kinemaster.
In regards to larger organisations, Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders), Mozilla Firefox, LauraLynn, Ireland's Children's Hospice.
What is the best advice you have ever received?
Keep it real and stick to your own ethics.
What drives or motivates you each day in a work environment?
Planning the next project and exploring creative ideas for future projects.
What are your thoughts on the future of social media?
It's a very useful tool to connect and discover other photographers and creatives.
I do have my concerns that we are being overloaded, and understanding algorithms are becoming important in promoting work rather than the work itself.
There is a risk that it's just going to implode especially with most platforms having stories and now Twitter having fleet.
What is your favourite social media platform, and why?
That's a big question as I find that different platforms have different audiences.
Such a Twitter, I would have followers from the media and photographers. Instagram, I would have followers who would-be photographers and members of the general public. Facebook would be a variety of different colleagues and friends. Then you have LinkedIn, which would be more professional.
Out of them all, I use Twitter and Instagram the most, however, I am finding LinkedIn is becoming more important to me as I am getting more work from this platform.
Do you have a mentor, or have you ever been a mentor to anyone?
I wouldn't necessarily call them a mentor. I am lucky I have a number of people I can contact for their trusting advice.
How do you network? What is your prefered way to network?
I tend to network at conferences through direct messaging on social media; however, I still prefer face to face.
What advice would you have for someone looking to get into the same area of work?
Firstly and foremost enjoy it, take your time to define your own style of photography and not to define success by the amount of followers on social media.
What do you feel is the most common reason for people failing or giving up?
I'm not too fond of the word fail. People can stop for a variety of reasons. Particularly at the moment during the pandemic.
I see and speak with some very well known creatives who are really struggling, I have also spoken to some who went full time and because they had to be focused on commercial work lost the love for photography and literally burnt out.
How do you define success, and what lessons have you learned so far that you could share with our audience?
Success means so much to different people. For me, it's about being happy in what I do.
I was thinking that I have had so many incredible experiences; I have had the honour to be involved in some incredible projects, met some incredible people and have lifelong friends all through photography.
What skills do you feel have helped you to become successful?
It's difficult for me to say I am successful because I don't define myself as being successful. I can say that I have been happy with a project that has been successfully completed, and I am as good as my last project.
I would consider myself a lifelong learner. The key to success is to be professional in every project. Treat everyone equally.
One person said to me a few years ago, having a big ego can block creativity, so I am as good as my last project or photography. Build up trusting relationships and collaborate honestly with others.
Is there anything new that you are working on or involved in that you would like to share?
I am currently working on two new exciting projects that I hope will be released in 2022 and also a new photography venture in the middle-late 2021.
by Tim Bingham
