I am asking just 100 people to donate $20.

What does it mean to map a life in photographs?

To bear witness to joy and grief, movement and stillness, the seen and the unseen?

I’m Tim Benston, a photographer and writer committed to documenting Black life in all its dignity, complexity, and beauty. For the past two years, I’ve been working on a self-published photo book titled My Geography in Four Movements—a visual narrative with text.

This project is deeply personal. It traces the shifting geographies of Black presence: across cities and sidewalks, stoops and silence, intimacy and resistance. It’s about everyday moments and historical weight. About being seen—and choosing, sometimes, not to be.

But self-publishing isn’t easy. I’m asking for your help to complete this work with the care and craft it deserves.

Why I’m Raising Funds

Your support will help cover:

Archival and editing tools to sequence the final work

Equipment upkeep (camera, storage, software)

A test printing of the book’s first draft

The breathing room to focus and finish the story

This is a labor of love—and a map of memory.

A Glimpse into the Work

Movement I: Rootedness

Movement II: Motion

Movement III: Witness

Movement III: Geography

Movement IV: Opacity

Why This Matters

I’m doing this on my own—with no institution behind me—but I know I’m not alone.

This book is for all of us who have ever searched for ourselves in a photograph, in a story, in a map that didn’t yet exist.

If you believe in this kind of art—quiet, powerful, rooted in community—I’d be honored by your support.

How You Can Help

Donate any amount—every dollar brings this closer to print.

Share the campaign with someone who loves photography, Black art, or independent publishing.

Follow along as I post updates and behind-the-scenes progress.

This isn’t just a book. It’s a geography of care, resistance, and Black presence. Help me bring it to life.

With gratitude and fire,

T. Benston