If you’ve come here before, you’ve no doubt seen some gear posts!  This year is my 56th year of being a serious photographer.  I’ve been super serious from the day I started, thus the Nikon, Nikkormat FTN above!  I was a high school teacher and football coach and decided I had always wanted a “real” camera so I went out and bought one, how was I to know that would change my life!  For the next 38 years I was mostly a Nikon shooter!  I had some flings with large format (4X5) Medium format cameras (Mamiya TwinLens Reflex and RB-67 and Pentax 645),  a short affair with Konica, but mostly a long happy marriage with Nikon!  The reason was simple; for almost all those years Nikon dominated the pro market and that is what I fancied myself as being, a Pro!  Nikon was reliable, had one of the very best lines of lenses,  both in diversity and quality and I learned on that system, was used to it and loved it!  I even ended up joining Nikon as a Pro Market Tech Rep and NPS (Nikon Professional Services) Rep for the Southern United States.

While working for Nikon I developed a torn rotator cuff in my right shoulder that required surgery.  The full recovery took a couple years and I found it very difficult to carry Nikon’s full frame cameras and big lenses.  I needed a small, but high quality, camera to use while I got my strength back in my shoulder.  While at the Photo East  show in New York I slipped around to all the camera companies booths looking for what might work for that task!  Remember I’m working for Nikon, so had to be careful about this!  I found a very nice, very compact camera from Fujifilm and ordered one from B&H at the show!  Planning to keep it secret!

 

 

 

I fell in love with this little camera, it had everything I needed f0r the situation and I kept it a secret but learned a lot more about Fujifilm and really fell in love with what they were doing with their new camera line.  I was retiring from Nikon that summer and so I quietly started to invest in some more bodies and lenses from them.  The X10 caused me to simplify my photography and I produced some of the best images had made in years which led to more fascination with their system.  After retiring from my Nikon position I fully moved over to Fujifilm and have used it to this very day.  Two years ago had some dramatic health issues and sought, once again, a lighter smaller system, I invested in a bunch of Micro 4/3rds gear but have recently sold it off and  returned to using Fujifilm for all my work!

So that’s the history lesson, what have learned?!

 

1.  After a careful review of 56 years of my work I have come to the conclusion that mega pixels don’t matter as much as what we thought!  Some of my best images are from cameras from Fujifilm and Nikons with only 16 mega pixels or less!
2. Trading a complete systems is very costly, an seldom worth the trouble.
3. The best Nikon camera I ever used (based on close inspection of images in my files) is the D700 which had only 12 megapixels!
4. All quality made lenses,  if shot around f 8 are plenty sharp enough if shot off a quality, steady tripod!
5. If used properly, (great technique),  Even Micro 4/3rds works fine!
6. Are there advantages to full frame sensors, yes, but not as much as we are led to believe!
7. All of these are my opinions and you’re milage may vary!

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Jack Graham – Fujifilm 18-55 Kit lens!

 

Nikon D700 –  200-400 Zoom

 

Fujifilm XE-1  –  18-55 Kit lens

 

Why we do this, the joy of making a photograph!

 

 

This month, 7 years ago, we lost Wesley.  He’s not gone, he just changed addresses, but he’s not here, but then he is, very much alive in our memories!  It seems to me that the value of a life is contained in what you leave behind.  The night of his Celebration of Life, his family, all of us, stood in a line to receive the sympathy of friends and family from far and wide.  We greeted people for over 3 hours!  I learned things I never knew about my own son.  People he worked with, old friends from as far back as grade school, close friends that flew or drove in from states away, all sharing stories and memories that touched our hearts and showed us just how much he gave to others

 

Wes wasn’t perfect, but he really cared about others.   When we did our book together he looked for people that needed help or a hand up, and offered it every time he found that person in need, that’s how much he cared.  I’ve found that every person that I’ve lost from this life, over time, I remember the good things and let the, less than good, fade in my memories.  Wes was a good son, brother, husband and father, not perfect, but he loved us and we love him.  I can’t wait to see him again.  Till then, take care son, and rub Chester’s ears for us!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

Tomorrow, February the 9th I will be 80!  My wife and family conspired to have a surprise birthday party for me yesterday.  I knew my family was coming in to celebrate Cade’s, my grandson’s, birthday so it was a complete surprise to me!  Family came in from far and wide to help in the celebration!  I should have suspected something when Sherelene started moving in extra card tables and chairs, but I never dreamed they were doing it for me!  I have to admit that is was a wonderful out pouring out of love and I appreciate it, but don’t deserve such wonderful attention!  My brother’s wife Terri, a incredible photographer herself, was the hit of the party with cookies she created, baked and shared with the group!

 

 

 

 

 

AI at it’s finest!  Thank to all the wonderful family and friends that have reached out to celebrate this occasion!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim