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Isaiah 55:8-9
New Living Translation (NLT)

 8 “My thoughts are nothing like your thoughts,” says the Lord.
      “And my ways are far beyond anything you could imagine.
 9 For just as the heavens are higher than the earth,
      so my ways are higher than your ways
      and my thoughts higher than your thoughts.
How many times have we mandated what we expect from God? Tragedy strikes, people get sick, family members unexpectedly die, and we demand an answer from God. The problem is not with God, but our lack of understanding of Him and His ways. When things happen that we don’t like it is natural to try to find out who is to blame. Blaming God is never the right answer. Just because we don’t understand why, doesn’t mean that God did not have a good reason for allowing things to happen as they did.
I once was without a job for several months, after a while weekends lost their meaning. Everyday was like Saturday, nothing changed. I came to a stark realization, it is the absence of blessings that make them so appreciated when they do come. The same is true of photography. You can go to the same location, even some beautiful place, but until that magic morning or evening happens when the light and conditions are perfect, you never get that ultimate thrill or image. We learn to endure many mornings dragging ourselves out of bed well before sunrise to be on location, just in case, the magic happens, when it does, it is all the more exciting because of it’s rarity.
One of he greatest gifts of this life is anticipation. The hope for something good. God is good and He gives us only good things, but He teaches us to endure so that when we face real difficult times we can hold on through them. Would we like all times to be just perfect? Sure, but we would be unwise to wish for such an existence. Years ago I had very dear friend, who has gone on to be with the Lord. He was very wealthy, far beyond what I could imagine. He once told me that he truly missed the days when he and his family had very little. They took one, one week, vacation a year and they spent months planning, and in anticipation of it. He said, “Now I could pick up the phone and buy airline tickets to anywhere I wanted to go in the world, and the magic is gone. It’s just not special like it was back then, when we had so little.” That’s real wisdom.
We desire to have everything, and have it now. God in His infinite wisdom, loves us to much to spoil our lives with too many blessings in a constant stream. His ways are higher than our ways, His wisdom is far beyond ours. True peace and joy comes when you can rest in the knowledge that He has a plan and it is a plan for our good. Thank Him for all the good in your life, and then know when hard times come He will be right beside you. Good times will come again.
Instead of trying to direct God’s path, how about letting Him direct yours?
Be blessed and rest in Him,
the pilgrim

* Photo Note: Nikon D7000, 24-120 AF-S VR f4 lens, HDR (3 shots at 2 f stops apart) Processed with Photomatix Pro, Painterly filter. Then desaturated in Photoshop CS-5.
* Today’s entry inspired by Dr. Charles Stanley’s In Touch daily devotional for today July 15th, 2011.

Last night I had a rare pleasure, I got to sit at the hospital and wait for a baby to be born. My friend Brandon Pratt and his wife Whitney got the greatest of God’s earthly gifts a new baby.
Lucas Tyler Pratt was born at 7:06 p.m. and one of the largest family gatherings I’ve seen in a long time all gathered in the waiting area erupted with joy. I was there to offer the only service I have the talent to give, make some pictures for him, Whitney and his family. I’m late posting because I spent a lot of the day working on images to distribute to all the grandparents and great grandparents, uncles, aunts, cousins and friends. Brandon has a terrific family, but then our country is filled with families that deeply love one another and are so proud and happy at these most wonderful of occasions. Sherelene and I have three adult children all married and they have brought us the great joy of six grandchildren. I’m proud to say I was at the hospital for all but one of the six. I am not a part of
their family but after almost
four hours of visiting with
them I kind of feel I am now.
Good people that care
about each other and have
found the sweet spot in
life. Being involved in the
lives of others and less
hung up the capital “I”.

I’ve had a rough couple
of days trading emails back
in forth with some people
I use to work with. Turf
battles, one upmanship,
staking out who will be the winner. They can have it. I really don’t care about that kind of stuff anymore, and really never did. Give me people that live a simple life, work hard, go to church, love their families, and stick by each other through thick or thin. Fame and fortune looks mighty dull if you compare it to devotion, steadfastness, sacrifice, and love. Give me what the Pratts have any day over what the world says we need. The world got it wrong…….

Father, bless this family, watch over them, guide them and protect all their little ones, especially the newest member of the clan, Lucas Tyler Pratt. Amen

Take a deep breath and look close around you, and behold the treasure God has placed at your right hand.

the pilgrim

Photo Note: D7000, 50mm f 1.4 and P300.

I’ve spent the last 42 years trying to figure out what to carry and even more importantly, why?!
I’ve always thought that before you can solve a problem you need to define it. So here goes, when you go into the field to make photographs you need to have everything you might need to make said photographs, that you are capable of carrying. If you work for National Geographic
you can take 800 pounds of gear and hire three people the shlep it. I don’t work for National Geographic, though I once had a subscription to National Geographic…….

I soon learned that my limit of weight to carry without hurting myself was around 20 pounds. I also knew that I needed lenses that covered everything from pretty wide, around out to 18 mm, and long glass that went out to around 400 mm. Since Wide Angle zooms and telephoto zooms would cover that range, I knew something would have to cover the middle range. Over the years I owned and used a lot of lenses in each of those categories. As of July of 2011, I have found the two wide angle zooms that work best for me. Why two? I use both DX and FX bodies and in the area of wide angles, they require different lenses to get the widest focal lengths. DX 12-24 AFs f4
and FX 16-35 AFs VR f4. The mid range zoom was not as easy, I’ve used the 28-70 f 2.8, the older 35-70 AF f2.8 and the newest 24-70 AFs f 2.8. The only problem for the way I shoot is all of them often had to be removed from the camera to get something longer. When Nikon released the 24-120 AFs VR f4, I got one in my consignment, I decided to give it a try. I fell immediately in love with this lens, it covers a great range on either FX or DX and is tack sharp, maybe a hair less so than the 24-70, but with the addition of VR it is more useful. It also focuses very close and with a diopter, can almost serve as a Micro lens.

On the long end there are many choices and all of them have great merits. Since I don’t shoot a great deal of available light, the 70-300 AFs VR f4.5-5.6 is very, very sharp, and on the DX is the equivalent to 105-450. Since I don’t have a fast lens for those low light moments, I picked up the 85mm f 1.8. It is very sharp, compact, and less than one fourth the cost of the fabulous but very
bulky 85 f 1.4. For most close-up work I use any of the longer lenses with a diopter and or, automatic extension tubes.

I use polarizers a great deal, and always carry a good tripod, head, and cable release.

Is this all I own? Nope, I have a number of other lenses, mostly collectables and back-ups,
and just for fun. One lens that I do use a lot for serious, dedicated close-up work is the 200 mm Micro Nikkor. The point is to make virtually every image I want to make with a minimum of gear.
By simplifying my gear, I don’t think about gear, I think about images. Photography is to important to waste on thinking about anything but the image…….

I could have been any of a number of things, but God allowed me to be a photographer. I will never stop thanking Him for the sheer pleasure of doing what I get to do. God is truly good.

Blessings,

the pilgrim

It’s all about the image……..

Photo Note: All images made with the equipment listed in the post.

Yesterday I had lunch with Jim Begley, and he shared RC Concepcion’s new book with me which has a piece on his work featured in it. It brought to mind just how fortunate I am to count such wonderful people as friends.

First, RC, wow what a talented man and what a great warm human being. I never spend time with RC that I don’t think how fortunate NAPP is to have him as part of the team. He is one of the most giving, considerate gentlemen that I know. In spite of his enormous talent, he is so unaffected by it.
RC is a real joy to spend time with. By-the-way, his newest book, The HDR Book, is a must have if you are into or thinking about getting into HDR. It is, like all his books, easy to read, and filled with great information. Congratulations RC, well done my friend.

Second, Jim Begley. Ever since we met a few years ago at a church photo class I was doing, we have become great friends. He and Chuck Summers, (coming up next), have become spiritual mentors, and wonderful photography buddies. Jim has an incredible eye and has worked hard to become a technical master of his craft. Jim’s HDR work takes a back seat to no ones. As hard as i’ve tried to capture the feeling in Jim’s work, I’m still miles away, and know I will never catch up, as I see his talent continuing to grow exponentially. More than all of that, Jim is a real friend, a man I admire and a person I know I can count on. Speaking of people you can count on…….

Third, and certainly not last is Chuck Summers. Chuck’s and my friendship goes way back. We met many years ago in the early GAPW (Great American Photography Weekend) years. Chuck has been a steady, devoted friend, who has prayed me through more circumstance than you can imagine. Fellowship with Chuck has been a real highlight of my life. Chuck is an immensely talented shooter and a gifted writer. Chuck is a pastor and I’m honored to be part of his flock.
I highly recommend that you visit his blog; http://www.seeingcreation.com it will greatly bless you.
He does Seeing Creation with another great friend Rob Sheppard.

One of God’s greatest gifts to us are friends. I can’t tell you how wonderful it has been to get to work and play with such great people as Scott Diussa, Bill Pekala, Mark Kettenhofen, and the rest of the NPS team. To hold such life long friends as Don Nelson, my brother Homer Fortney, Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, Charles Stanley, Ricky Skaggs, Jack Graham, and countless others. The joy of new friends like; Jim Haverstock, Snake Barrett, Chuck Barnes, Larry Williams, Susan Scharenburg, Raymond Jabola, Carl Turner, Ron Pinkenburg, Tim Isaacson, and countless others that make me smile when I think of them. I know I’m leaving names out, please forgive me, you know I love you dearly.

I can’t make a list without saying my best friend, and the love of my life is Sherelene. No man ever had a better friend or partner.

God has richly blessed me with wonderful people to share this great life with. Thanks to all of
you for allowing me to be your friend…….

Most of all, what a friend we have in Jesus.

Blessings,

the pilgrim

Photo Note: RC’s book photographed with a D7000 and 24-120 lens.