Thanks, Larry……

Image by Richard Siggins

I got in this evening after a great visit with an old friend, Mark Boris, formerly of Kodak.  We shared a few hours catching up and it was great to see him again.  He is a great shooter and I hope to stay in closer touch.  Here is a link to his wonderful book:  http://www.blurb.com/bookstore/detail/129870

I think his website is under construction, but google his name and you will see some wonderful images!!!

When I got in this evening I checked my email and got one that really meant a lot to me.  Now please don’t take this as self serving, but I wanted to share this nice note with my answer in red type.  Please know, all of you, and there are many, that send me kind emails and encouraging words, how much I appreciate it!  It’s all Him, and to His glory, but the kind words are nice to hear!

Bill,

My goodness, I feel like I know you now.  I hope you consider that a very high compliment, because I intend that as a tribute to your teaching style.

Larry, I’m honored and I appreciate those kind words.

I have just finished watching the trilogy of Kelby Training programs you’ve done, besides the first one I watched, when you and Matt were doing the “gear” episodes.

Anyway, from the first time I began researching you and I came across the Pilgrims Chronicles, my heart began to sing!  Then, as I continued to watch you…like when you were in that freezing temp in the Smokies and your close up episodes, I could see God’s hand working through your life, reaching out to touch us viewers.  Again, thanks Larry, I am fully committed to serving God in every area of my life, so it is just natural that in my love for photography I want Him to be at the center of it all!

I don’t think I’ve ever really told anybody this, but when I first became interested in photography back in about 1970 or so, I found that the activity gave me a special way to glorify God’s creations.  My having grown up on a Jersey dairy farm in Starkville, MS (home of Miss. State University), reared by the finest Christian parents anyone could have had, I had innumerable opportunities to witness God’s handiwork in nature…from helping a cow “birth” a calf, to watching plants grow in the pasture, to understanding how bees were really our helpers by pollinating the flowers, and on and on and on.  You’ve certainly experienced some great “God Moments”, yourself!

There are so many emotions and thoughts racing through my mind, but this message is really not about me.  I want to commend you for being so bold with your faith!  We surely need more people to show, in a gentle, loving way, the love of God through their lives.  You exemplify that to perfection…at least, from my perspective.  That is truly my goal, not to judge anyone, but to introduce them to my loving Savior!

God willing, I shall be fortunate enough to meet you someday.  If not hear, than surely in Heaven.  I hope we can do both!!

I am 64 years young, so I’m old enough now to find great joy in helping to teach young people about the joy of photography (I was a junior high Industrial Arts (some called it “shop”) teacher, then middle school principal, and then retired from having taught at Miss. State).  I love the idea of “passing it on.”  And, even better, I shoot with Nikon gear.  My current camera is a D80 that I bought from a friend about 4 years ago…and I’ve decided not to move up to a more robust camera until I learn this camera so well that I can shoot it in my sleep!

OK, enough from me.  I just wanted to thank you for your inspiring teaching and for holding up your faith so others can see.  May God richly bless all your efforts now and into eternity.  Larry, He has richly blessed me and blessed me even more when wonderful people like yourself take their valuable time to share these thoughts!

P.S.  If you’re on Google +, I’d love to ask you to consider being a guest sometime on one of my Google+ hangouts that I host for “Apple Photo Educators” (those people who are Apple Distinguished Educators and who teach some form of photography in their schools).  Count on it!!!!

Larry

Dr. Larry S. Anderson

Larry,  thanks again, and thanks to all of you that lift me up in prayer, I can feel them!

the pilgrim