To finish off my sharing of my images from past, I decided to share a few sports images.  I used try do a lot of sports, but not some anymore.  Above is one of my favorite shots of the great running back Earl Campbell.  I have often seen it take 7 people to bring him down!  I asked this defensive back for Cincinnati, ” Is it really that hard to tackle Earl?”  His response was,  “have you ever heard of AmTrak?”

 

After having been the Washington Redskins official photographer for a couple of seasons, I later went back to cover a game with the Tennessee Titans.  This was one of my favorite shots, it was my first NFL game using an auto-focus lens!  Wow, was that’s a lot easier!

 

When covering NASCAR I had to learn to really do good pans.  (Moving the camera and lens following a subject)  At 170 mph it is tough.  The first 200 shots are empty frames or front or back bumpers, but with little practice you start to get it!

 

The same principle is used for a race horse, this was a practice session a the Kentucky Derby, which I covered 9 times.

 

I had the opportunity to cover 10 Masters Golf Tournaments during my Nikon days.  It was at the Masters that I got this shot of tiger Woods.

 

One of the most fun things to do at the Masters was go down to the Interview room and photograph the luminaries that were often there.  this was a great opportunity to photograph 3 of the greatest golfers ever, together, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicholas and Gary Player.

 

Hope you enjoyed the trip down memory lane!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

While covering the Reno Air Races for Nikon we had the chance to photograph the Navy’s Blue Angels.  One morning a group of us were out at sunrise to photograph the planes on the tarmac and the Blue Angles F18 Hornets were all lined up and perfect for a portrait!

 

On another morning while out on dawn patrol great pre-sunrise light provided great background for a silouetted Glacier Girl – P38 Lightening.  The Glacier Girl was built about 50 miles from where I live so I got to follow the process of the rebuild. She was so named because she was extracted from deep under the ice in Greenland.

 

On another early morning, this time at Sun  n’ Fun Air Show in Lakeland Florida, I had the chance to capture a Harrier at sunrise. This McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier was performing at the air show.

 

This beautiful example of the Ryan open cockpit airplane was at the Sun N’ Fun antique aircraft section, graced by early morning light!  Nikon D800 with 24-70 lens.

 

One again early morning pre-sunrise light was what this Canadian Trainer needed to show off it’s silver skin!  Reno Air Races.

 

While working for Nikon I was blessed to photograph 6 shuttle launches.  This one was captured from the VIP site at our compound with a D300 and a 500mm lens with a 1.4 converter The launch pad was 2.5 miles away and this set-up was equivalent of 1,125mm lens!  Even that far away the rumble from the rocket engines is pounding!

 

This only a few of my thousands of aviation shots, I hope you enjoyed them!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

Bonus shot!

While working the Reno Air Show I got a ride in one of the T-6 Texan Racing planes to go and photograph Lake Tahoe for my second America From 500 Feet Book, while coming back we got close to another Texan and I as able to photograph it air to air  This is me below in the one I was flying in.

 

 

Male Lion resting on the Serengeti Plain of Kenya.  Shot with a 80-200 Nikon lens and a Nikon F3 camera on Kodachrome film.

This series of images are from the early 2000’s and before, and all shot on film.

 

This is the old school house at Cumberland Gap National Historical Park, in Middlesboro, Kentucky.  Nikon F2 camera and a 18mm lens, shot on  Kodak Tri X film.  Of special interest to me as the last year I taught school, my 6th grade class had a wood burning stove much like this one, the last school room in Kentucky to have a wood burning stove for heat, was torn down the year after I left teaching.

 

There is two ways to make this kind of shot; 1. Wade out in the swamp and find a group of baby alligators and make close-up shots while keeping one eye peeled for momma!  Or 2. The safer way is to go to the Alligator Farm in St. Augustine and have them bring you a couple of babies and put them in a black dish washing pan with a little water and then sit on the ground, while eating your sack of McDonald’s breakfast, and photograph them in safety!  You can guess which way I shot these!  Nikon F3 and a 200m Micro Nikon lens, Ektachrome film, and no casualties!

 

This was shot in Kenya from a van, Nikon F3 and 80-200 lens shot on Kodachrome film.  I had the chance to photograph a lot of Elephants they are magnificent creatures!

 

I found this tree frog on the outside of our sliding glass door, I carefully captured him and placed him on a house plant with a lamp back lighting him and then shot this image with a 105 Micro Nikkor lens on a Nikon F2.  with Ektachrome side film. He was released back into the wild of my backyard!

 

Shot at Schwabachers Landing in the Gand Tetons N.P.  Nikon F4 and 24-70 zoom lens, on Fujifilm Velvia film.  One of my favorite spots that is now getting very crowded with as many as 100 photographers!

 

While shooting an assignment at a recording studio the florist delivers roses to the receptionist.  I asked if I might have a rose from her dozen and peeled off two rose pedals to place on the Yamaha piano keys.  The redline at the back of the keys added to the shot!  Nikon F3 with a 55mm Micro Nikon lens, and shot on Velvia film.

 

I don’t miss film, we have so much more control over the process now!!!!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

Bryan Peterson and I were taking a group on a  tour of the South of France, on this day we were in the lavender Fields and it was spectacular.  The aroma of the lavender was really something!  Using a Nikon D700 (just released) with a 24mm lens I shot this scene at 1/20th of a second @ f 11 at ISO 400.  It was used in the Nikon catalog of that year as the lead image for the D700. Shot on July 5th, 2013.

 

In November of 2012 I was teaching a workshop on Zion National Park and found    this line of trees in the Canyon near the river.  I loved the symmetry of the trees and the back ground of the canyon red rock walls.  Nikon D800, 24-70 @ 48mm  1/5th of a sec. @ f 11  ISO 400.

 

Flying in a Cessna over the Swanee River in Florida for the America From 500 Feet Project, May 26th 2007 I shot this image with a D700 and the 24-120 lens @ 40mm 1/400th of sec. @ f 4.5 sec. @ ISO 1600.  I loved the rivers winding through the swamp creating a great S pattern. Wes and I had a great time discovering America together!

 

Another of those images that I really love and can’t tell you exactly why!  I  think it is the wonderful combination of colors and the simple composition. I shot it May 13th, 2011 in Arkansas at a Train Museum on assignment for Nikon.  With a Nikon D7000, 24-120 @105mm and 1/4 sec @ f 16 and ISO 320.  i would love to know  how you react to it!?

 

While shooting Lobster Floats at a fishing dock in Acadia N. P. Mike Roberts offered to let me try his 18-135, I did and had one ordered as soon as I got back to the room that night, it turned out to be one of my favorite lenses from Fujifilm!  X-T1 with the 18-135 @ 69mm  1/10th of a sec. @ f 16 and ISO 320.

 

 

While covering the Reno Air Races in Sept of 2011 in early morning we went out to shoot a collection of antique airplanes in first light.  As I recall Bill Pekala, Moose Peterson, Scott Diussa and I were there with three or four others, and we had a great morning.  This was my attempt at photographing parts of airplanes as art. Nikon D7000 with the 24-120 @ 112mm and 1/6 of a sec @ f 11  ISO 200.  I love silver skinned airplanes in this kind of light!

 

 

I think this was shot in Nova Scotia, I think?  I just loved the rope leading your eye up to to the boats bow.  This is another of those images that just grabbed me, not sure why, but it was shot with the X-T1 with the 18-135 @  40mm and 1/20th of sec. at f 11  – ISO 1600. I know I was with a great group of friends and we had a blast!

 

O.K. thanks for joining me again, and I hope you are enjoying this as much as I am!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim