Category : Uncategorized

 

I’ve had a few emails asking, in a very kind way, what has happened to me? One said “I used to enjoy reading a different blog entry every day and now it is a long time between posts.”  That is true and while I don’t feel I need to explain, I want to.  First, when Wes was diagnosed with cancer early this year, it changed all of our lives.  Most of 2017, when not traveling, to keep my word, I’ve been involved with helping Wes and his family. Over this year I’ve come to be much more invested in my family, something that should have happened long ago.  I’ve not been an absentee father and husband, but I’ve been gone way too much and been too obsessed with photography.

 

I’ve re-ordered my life.  My first goal is to serve my Lord and share His love.  My second goal is to be the father, husband and family man I always should have been!  I still love and enjoy my craft, but my devotions have been shifted to goals one and two!

 

I still have a passion to teach and shoot and be a photographer, it’s just finally in it’s rightful place.

 

If any decisions I’ve made have affected any of you in a negative way, please understand that my finest responsibility is to goals one and two.  I’m not really retired, still at work for Him, but I will try to keep up here, but not at expense of one or two!

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I’ve lived in Photography’s past, it’s present and hopefully will see some of it’s future. Here’s what I know.  “I’m not a prophet or a sage…. I’m just a better prognosticator because I have a base of knowledge or I believe I do!”

 

If age has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t “know” very much.  Experience gives us insight to predict what will happen based on what we already know “has” happened.

 

The history of photography has taken us from metal and glass plates, to film emulsion on celluloid and on to imaging sensors of the digital age. There has always been one thing that is common no matter the method of captue, “to capture and image!”  Remember  that, we will be coning back to it!

 

Let’s talk about what is happening to photography.  Camera and lens sales have been in a steady decline for over a decade, to the point that some camera makers are in financial distress.  Many major photo magazines have ceased publishing. Newspapers are laying off staff photographers, camera stores are disappearing, even from major cities.  ….and worst of all the average age of  “serous amateur photo hobbyists” is now about 68 years of age.  It is important at this point to define “Serious photo hobbyists”   If you are a photo hobbyist and you  have a camera bag, a tripod and one of two cameras bodies and at least three lenses you are what the market defines as a “Serious Photo Hobbyist.”  That market is aging and is not being replaced in equal numbers by the photographers in the age classes several decades younger.  The photo hobbyist class is in decline, serious decline.

 

In the last two years more photos were made than in the entire rest of the history of photography!  How can this be if the photo hobbyist is in serious decline???!!!  The vast majority of people today that make photographs, do them with a smart phone. The biggest selling accessory for photographers today is the selfy stick!  Check Amazon, they offer over 150 different models.

 

Should we be distressed?  For me, it’s sad that photography as I have known and loved it, is slowly fading away, but things change and nothing, no matter how much it is loved, lasts forever.

 

Back to the statement near the top, the point of photography is to capture an image, the shot at the top of the post was made with an iPhone!  All things change, and photography will too, but as long as we are capturing images, there will always be photogrpahy, maybe not like we enjoyed it, but the craft will live on.

 

Sure some photo hobbyists will still exist and will have access to millions of very usable used cameras and lenses and the infrastructure to continue on as more serious shooters will exist, but our numbers will be smaller.  Unless, like vinyl records, there is a big comeback!  Who knows, we can only hope!  But keep imaging, no matter what you use to do it!  The craft can, and will survive, just in a different form.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I just had a fantastic two weeks in the most unexpected way!!!  You already know about how everything was wrong but ended all RIGHT in Buffalo with a great bunch of photographers!!!

 

I went on to Akron to join Jack Graham for our Semi-Annual Amish Country Workshop, well there was NO color, it was bald sky sunny everyday, but once again a  great group of students worked hard, improved everyday and we had a wonderful time!

 

Tired and sick, I trudged down to Liberty University where I had promised to speak to classes for Tim Isaacson, (head of their photo department, and a dear Christian brother), and to do an evening community wide program.  I came within a hair of cancelling, but the Holy Spirit said, “rest and I will hold you up, you’re here for a purpose!”   I was obediaent.  The program went great but the real blessing came on the morning before I spoke when Tim took me to the Convocation program held three days a week for students, I walked into a beautiful basketball arena to find the 9,000 seats filled with students singing and praising!  An American college campus in 2017, with more than half of the student body there to workshop and it’s not mandatory!!!!!  My heart was filled with joy, and it carried me through all the classes and evening program!  I took a trip to the Well!!!!

 

This song by Casting Crowns tells it all!

 

 

I just did a one day seminar in Buffalo, New York, actually Hamburg and it may have been the most enjoyable one I’ve ever done, “for me!”  The Frontier Camera Club Council brought me in and Fujifilm partially sponsored the event as well.  When I arrived in town I went over to the meeting room facility, as I always do, to check out the room.  To my shock it was set up for 125 people in big round tables!!!  Additionally the club member that was suppose to bring their 14 foot screen had gone on vacation and didn’t arrange for anyone to get it!!!  I was really stressed, I only had a 70″ X 70″ screen which I feared would never work for that size room and everyone spread out!!!!!!!

 

 

I always try to make my programs as effective as possible for my audience, but this was a disaster, or so I thought!!!!  I finally decided the only thing I could do was “suggest” everyone grab their chairs and move in to a close to the screen as possible!!

 

This is where the miracle happened!!  This group was great, they got into the spirit of the situation and came in close and we had a great day together, lots of laughing and learning.  By the end of the day it was obvious, God had laid his hand on the event.  Mike Dziak was a wonderful host and the entire club and guests were a real delight to be with!!!  This morning 25 of the students signed up for a field event at a local train museum with me, and once again, it was a great experience for me, and I feel sure they felt the same as many of them expressed that to me!!!

 

I’ve often said that when this is all over for me, it will be the people that mean the most, this weekend’s experience certainly underlined that!!!

 

Thanks guys for a great weekend for me, I pray it was for you too, you truly deserve it!!!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Shot at the top was at the train museum, Fuji X-T2 and 50mm f 2 lens!!!