Category : Uncategorized

 

 

When I first starting using the Fujifilm X-System it was mostly catching on with the street shooting crowd.  I think those folks do some great work, I’m just not comfortable capturing others without their permission.  I’m not condemning that kind of photography at all, I’ve seen some amazing images captured on the street, it’s just not for me!  I guess I was just born in another time and place. So enough about that, I went to town today with the idea that I might do a little street photography, my kind of street photography.  Color, patterns and seasonal images!

 

 

 

We are just 12 days from Christmas and I hope to post a number of Christmas related entries for all that time, some serious, some just for fun, stay tuned!  Merry Christmas!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Now that Fujifilm has elevated the top two camera models to the next level, the X-T2 and X PRO2, both sporting 24.3 mega pixel X-Trans III sensors, it’s time to update the User’s Guide!  The first eBook sold over a 1,000 copies and I am excited about all the upates and new information that will be  going into this new book.  The primary goal for the Volume II is to offer real world information on how to get the most out of these new cameras and all the new lenses released since the first volume was released.  I hope to have the new book out by mid to late January,  allowing time for any new releases at the beginning of this coming year!  Below is a early sketch of the Contents and I am open to suggestions fo additiona things “you” woud like to see covered!

 

Contents for

New Fujifilm X System User’s Manual

Volume II

 

Chapter One: My Brief History with the Fujifilm X-System

Includes an explanation of X-Photographers Program

 

Chapter Two: Choosing the right Fujifilm X-System Body

or more than one!

 

Chapter Three: Five Advantages of the X-System

and how to make the most of them.

 

Chapter Four: How to Set Up Your Menus

*Full explanation of choices.

 

Chapter Five: Updated information on High ISO

Noise Performance.

 

Chapter Six: The Fujifilm –System Lens Family.

A full description and real world examples from all lenses.

 

Chapter Seven: Film Simulation in 2017 and how to choose the best for each individual situation.

 

Chapter Eight: The Quick Menu, My Menu,

and the Custom Function Buttons

 

Chapter Nine: Close-Up Photography with the X-System

 

Chapter Ten: The Vastly Improved Autofocus System

and how to use it.

 

Chapter Eleven: Building a system for Nature, Travel, Landscape, Wildlife, Wedding Portraiture and many other areas of photography. Customizing your body and lots of recommended accessories.

 

Lots of new images and illustrations!!!!!

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Suggestions can be made in the Comments Section below or email to me at:   billfortney@ eathlink.net or bill@billfortney.com

 

 

Jack and I are very excited about these new Summits, we are working with the full backing of Fujifilm and these events are coming together wonderfully, we already have over 20 signed  up the first one in the Smokies!  If you want ot join us, please act quickly, we are sure both will be sell outs!  Thanks for considering joing us!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

When you get to be my age you either have most of what you want, or know it was never meant to be, or maybe you really never needed it anyway!  As we finally get the house and family shopping finished,  I’ve had time to think of a few things I would love to have this Christmas!  Bear with me, some of my list may seem like criticism, but it’s not!  I’ve passed every wish through one filter, my only filter;  “Would Jesus Wish For This?”

 

Wish Number One:  One of my first jobs was being a newpaper photographer, now they call them photojournalists.  I had an editor who was a straight arrow, a right down the middle provider of the news, not opinion, but the news.  He was so fair that even if his own mother had shown up on the local police arrest list he would have published it.  He believed that journalists don’t take side, they keep the pubic informed so they can draw      their own conclusions.  I wish we could get back to that.

 

Wish Number Two:  Wouldn’t be wonderful if we could get rid of political correctness, micro- aggressions, safe spaces and all that stuff.  And by-the-way when I say you guys, and women are involved, it’s not meant to be demaning, honest!!!  If we spoke to one another in love, Christ’s love, we wouldn’t be questioning what people “meant” by what they said.  If we didn’t like the way a person talked, we could try to be around them less, but then we might loose the opportunity to help them (or us) change! That’s not on your agenda???  Maybe it should be, just saying……

 

Wish Number Three:  Maybe we could stop awarding everyone that competes, win or loose.  It seems like the ultimate act of kindness to not make anyone feel bad, but it sets us up for something much worse than the pain of loosing, it steals the opporutnity for us to learn that loosing is part of life and we need to know how to deal with it, with strength and character.  My High School football coach insisted, in fact made us, get on our normal face and walk down the line and shake the hands of every player on the opposing team, even when we lost.  By the time you got to the end of that line you realized why you played the game and that’s why they played it to, and there can only be one winner. Everyone who gives everything they have is a winner, no matter what the scoreboard says, but still there is only one winner according to the scoreboard, just learn how to live with it.    

 

Wish Number Four:   That people would respect each other’s beliefs.  I saw a segment on Fox News this morning about a billboard sponsored by atheists that said,; Make Christmas Great Again – Skip Church.  O.K. My first reaction was anger, then I thought about it, God gives us free will.  We need pray for those that don’t believe, not in judgement, but because we love them (“Christ made that a requirement”)!  I wish that people that don’t believe would just not believe and not broadcast it, but then in all honesty,  I guess  they wish I would shut up too!  Fat chance of that, so I guess freedom of speech works both ways!

 

Wish Number Five:  As much as I deeply believe that we need to put Christ back in Christmas, I even more deeply  believe we need to put Christ back in our hearts, to stop the hate, the anger, the failure to believe that all lives matter, that black folks and yellow folks, and red folk and white folks an any other color you can imagin, all matter!!!  God loves all of us, and the way we treat each other, the ugly things we say, the lies we tell, the resentment we let build up in our hearts, it grieves him.  So my wish is simply this, Let us fill our hearts with the love and aceptance and kindness that the Savior of the world gave us over two thousand years ago.  Let us remember, every day of the year, that the forgiveness he gave us, the pardon, the release from all our sinful past, is available for everyone.  If He offers this as a free gift, can we refuse to offer to forgive.

Merry Christmas.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim