Monthly Archives: November 2012

 

While in Monument Valley Sunday I saw this tree, ( a Pinyon Pine), in the deep sand.  I wondered how in such a dry land,  in such harsh conditions this tree could survive!!??  The summers are blazing hot, the winters can be brutally cold, there is not a lot of rain and the soil is mostly sand!!  Yet this sturdy tree is thriving in the harshest conceivable environment?  I’m told that this tree has deep roots that reach out under the soil in search of all the moisture it can find.  The tree has a thick strong bark that protects it from the conditions it must endure.  Somehow it survives and has for many, many years.

 

If we hope to survive in a hostile and difficult environment, as this world, we must learn from this successful survivor!  We must reach out and develop a root system that reaches to God for life giving water. Without God’ sustaining love we can never hope to survive those conditions that would destroy us.  We must fortify our protective covering which is our constant reliance on Him.  He has already defeated the powers of this world, and He is the only thing that can keep us safe in such a harsh environment.

 

Lastly, no matter how severe the storm, the heat, the cold, and the onslaught of this world, we must keep our eyes on Him, trust Him, and know He always has a plan that goes far beyond our understanding.

 

 

We are enjoying incredible conditions, and working with a fantastic group of folks as we have been exploring Arizona and Utah.  What a joy to spend time with such great folks, and shoot such wonderful scenery.  I had the distinct pleasure of riding with Carlos Phillips in Monument Valley yesterday, son of the late, great Tom Phillips, in my opinion the best Navajo guide ever.  Carlos has big shoes to fill, but I know he will work hard to fill them.  He and his team of drivers provided us a great tour of this magical land  all day yesterday.

 

Today we shot some early morning shots of the mittens, (famous features of the valley), and then drove back to Page to go into Lower Antelope Canyon.  I rally haven’t been shooting very much, spending most of my time helping the guests.  I’m happy to share some of the few images I’ve made today.

 

 

Thanks for joining me on this journey, if only in spirit!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

 

How helping a participant with a white balance problem led to some interesting variations!  One of our attendees at the Red Rock tour this morning was having some white balance issues and we were working through the check list to see if we could help him get it lined out!  In the process we discovered what a dramatic different the white balance settings make!

 

The three images above are three different white balance settings for the same scene, no other differences! In my opinion I like them all!!!  I would tell you which is the most accurate, but what fun would that be??  You look at them carefully and pick the one you like!  The fun thing to do is pick a white balance setting you think is close and then turn on your Live View and cycle through the white balance settings making note of the ones you like as possible variations.  Then have fun!

 

It’s going great, wonderful group of people, and great light this morning, more to come!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

All journey’s start with a first step, going to the airport is that step for me, well driving to the airport hotel to be close for an early flight is the first step!  I can’t tell you how excited I am about the week ahead!  It’s not going to theses incredible locations, I’ve been to them many, many times.  It’s not the hope of making another really nice shot, done that too!  It’s seeing how excited these folks are that will be joining us for the workshop.  You have to understand that if you’ve never been to a His Light Workshop it’s not like other workshops!  Don’t get me wrong their are many great workshops and workshop leaders out there, but very few that put Christ at the head of the table!  If you are a serious photographer, and a committed Christian, our workshops are the marriage of an unbeatable formula. What happens at our workshops goes way beyond just learning, but boy do our people learn!!

 

I am blessed with a great team of teachers that really know how to shoot, and love sharing their knowledge, but even better than that, they love people, and they enjoy meeting new people and renewing old friendships.  Something wonderful happens when you find your self surrounded by people that really know how to shoot and really care about you getting the shots you hoped you could make.  They’re a terrific group of men!!!

 

For years, I’ve run workshops and I’m not bragging, but I’m used to getting letters, calls and emails that say, “I had a great time learned more than I ever thought I could, and laughed a lot!”  Now I get those same calls, emails, and letters that now add,  “….and it changed my life!!!”  Now that is an experience worth looking forward to!

 

More soon from the blessed,

 

pilgrim