Category : blog

 

Look at this image carefully and decide which of the two options are correct:

 

1.  This is an actual photograph of a homeless man.  Shot witth a Nikon D3, 70-300mm lens at f 8.
2.  This is a AI created image made when the following instructions were typed in to the I program:  “A photo realistic image 0f a  bearded older homeless man who resembles Ernest Hemingway.”

Answer in the comment section below, I will reveal the truth after I receive several guesses!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

 

Image Number 1

I watched a youtube video by Andy Mumford last night and I was intrigued at how he explained camera settings.  I really like his works and enjoyed the video but wanted to approach this from a slightly different angle!

 

This is my overall approach to shooting;

1.  I set my camera on Aperture Priority.
2.  i start with my ISO set to the base ISO for my Fujifilm X-T5 – that is 160.  I only raise it if I need a higher shutter speed.
3.  I choose the lens that allows me to frame the subject most effectively.
4.  I choose the aperture setting that gives me the appropriate depth-of-field that I need.
5.  I pay close attention to good technique, tripod if needed, polarizer or other filter if needed, I fire the camera with the self timer to avoid camera shake.

Image Number 1 (above)  I was shooting practice at Churchill Downs the morning before the Kentucky Derby.  I wanted to show the illusion of motion so I choose an aperture that gave me a shutter speed of 1/2 of a second.  Each time the horse and jockey came around the track in front of me, I panned and fired the shutter during the movement of the pan.  It gave me the slightly blurred image that I think gives the feeling of movement.

 

 

 

Image Number 2:  While teaching a workshop in Old Car City in White, Georgia I found this hood ornament on a Cadillac.  I wanted to feature just the face so I used the Fujifilm XF 60mm macro set at f11 and shot at 1/250th of a second.  Even at F11 all that was in sharp focus was just the facial features allowing the background to go soft.   it is still on of my favorite images. The light was slightly overcast which was perfect for this shot.

 

 

Image Number 3:  While teaching a workshop in Nashville, I found this door decoration (top image), a man had welded a group of rusted tools together so I first shot the entire collection, then I started to zoom in an try to find a less cluttered composition and settled on the bottom shot.  Using the Fujifilm X-E1 with the XF 18-55 zoom set at 55mm and f 8 and 1/7th of a second exposure.  It was in a shaded area that was dark so I used ISO 1600 which on the early 16 mega pixel Fujifilm cameras was still noise free!  I’ve made this image into a 3′ X 3′ Crystal Archive print and it is stunningly sharp!

 

 

Image Number 4:  On a photo trip with some His Light Workshop friends we were shooting on a small farm in New Hampshire and I found this scene.  The window light was lighting the barrels perfectly and the fall color and red building through the window added a nice touch.  I used a Nikon D7000 with the 24mm to 120mm lens set at 44mm and an aperture setting of f 11 and a shutter speed of 2.5 seconds.  A sturdy tripod was used, of course.  Using a tripod slows you down and helps you work your compositions, carefully!

 

 

Image Number 5:  I love to shoot in antiques shops and I found this military uniform with medals and loved the color and texture.  I used my Fujifilm X-T2 and the XF 60mm macro lens, set to F 5.6 and a shutter speed of 1/2 second @ ISO 200.  I used a small LED light panel to throw light on the medals. A F stop of 5.6 allowed the background to go soft.

 

 

Image Number 6:  While shooting in Death Valley at Zabriskie Point, I loved these lines across the sand ridges.  Using a Fujifilm X-Pro 1 and the XF 55-200 at 95mm and a f stop of f 11 and a shutter speed of 1/30th of a second @ ISO of 200, the late afternoon light revealed the texture and the paths going into the distance.

 

 

Image Number 7:  Teaching a workshop in Arches National Par several of us went through North Window to capture the spectacular light show that happens on a clear morning at sunrise.  The late Dr. Charles Stanley climbed onto the rock face to make the shot and his silhouette was perfect for my shot.  Charles loved the shot and had a 4′ X 6′ foot print made to hang behind his desk at In Touch, I was honored!  I used the Fujifilm X-T3 with the XF 18-55 zoom set at 18mm and f 11 @ 1/3oth of a second at ISO 200.  At F11 I had great depth-of-field through out the entire frame.

 

 

Image Number 8:  Fall in Acadia National Park is one of my favorite locations, this particular year the color was fantastic!  One of my favorite lenses for doing the intimate landscape is the XF 100-400 zoom on this day with help of a polarizer to deepen the color i shot with my Fujifilm X-H1 and set the lens at         f 5 .6 and a shutter speed of 1/250th of a second @ ISO 400. The bare tree in the foreground against the great color behind it was really appealing to me!

 

 

I hope that gives you some insight to how I approached and made some of these images!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim

 

While I have been recovering from May and June’s “events” I accepted the challenge of helping a friend put together a system for what he hopes will be a deeper dive into his photography. He hopes to be a generalist like me, and shoot nature, landscape, travel, Americana and some wildlife like birds and mammals.  He is not as old asI am but he’s not wanting to carry a massive amount of gear either.  So I went to work helping him assemble what I think will serve him best for what his photographic goals are!

 

My basic advice to anyone entering this kind of equipment search is to build a system around two bodies and a wide angle lens, medium zoom, and a mid and long telephoto zoom, throw in a macro lens for dong closeups and the needed accessories and you are ready to go!

 

He had a Fujifilm X-T3 and the XF 18-55 and XF 55-200 zooms, which was a great start!  He will add the new Fujifilm X-T5 to complete his two body set.  For the wide angle I suggested a Fujifilm’s XF16mm f 2.8 which is the equiv. of a 24mm.  The 24mm is wide enough for wide angle effect but not so wide that it is hard to compose with. I often find that giving someone a 14mm (21mm equiv.) is a little daunting until the photographer gains some more experience.  The old saying is true: give a beginner a super wide and he will struggle, give him a telephoto and will thrive!  Telephotos force us to confine what we compose and shoot, a very wide angle invites clutter.

 

18-55 Zoom

 

55-200 zoom @ around 100mm equiv.

 

Add a Nikon 5T diopter and you can shoot t his close with the 55-200!

 

His 18-55 (equiv. 27-84) and the 55-200 (equiv. 80-300) reply cover the bases for tight shooting.  Both of those lenses are very sharp and easy to use!  To get something long to deal with birds and wildlife I suggested the Fujifilm XF 100-400 (equiv. 160-600) It is tack sharp and can do birds especially with a 1.4 converter which stretches it out to 840!

 

 

This Puffin shot by Chris Klapeke with around a 600mm lens is what the 100-400 can do for  you!

 

For macro shooting he will get the Fujifilm  XF 60mm macro f 2.4 (equiv. 90mm)

 

XF 60mm Macro lens

 

Add to all that extra batteries, cleaning supplies, SD cards, a swiss army knife an ,multi tool, a mini tripod and LED light panel, iPhone bracket and he will be ready to cover almost anything he wishes to photograph!  Oh yes the bag, my personal favorite is th Guru Gear Kiboka 2.0 16+

 

 

I can’t wait for him to start enjoying his new gear!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the Pilgrim

 

 

 

Let me start by thanking all of you that have called written, texted and emailed to ask about how I’ve been doing!  The short answer is “Every day in every way I’m getting better and better”  (Quote from the Pink Panther movie!)  There have been challenge along the way but I’m healing up and feeling better all the time.  For anyone that wonders if prayer really works, I’m living proof of it!

 

For the last couple of weeks I’ve had a wound pump on to help heal up my largest incision and I think it is making enough progress that within a week I will be free of that!  Will be nice to not have to carry around a 5 pound pump and battery back everywhere.

 

Let me share some of the great things that have come out of this experience.

 

1.  More closeness and a greater appreciation for my bride, Sherelene.  She has given so much time and effort to help me recover while juggling a 12 hour a day job!  Her moral support and love have been my life line to hoping to get back to a normal life!

    2.    The support and prayers of so many friends and family members has made         all the difference!  I can never repay all of you!

 

3.   A wonderful new friendship with my Doctor,  Tony Rogers.  When I met my surgeon to review the procedure I was about to have, something incredible happened.  It turns out he had attended a meeting of the Lexington Camera Club on an evening that I was the guest speaker.  He had a great interest in photography and really enjoyed my talk, he remembered me and we struck up an immediate friendship over photography,  and as we got to know each other we found we had a number of similar interest, not the least of which was our total dedication to our savior Jesus Christ.  Getting to know Tony and his wife Donna has been a high point of May and June!

       4.   Learning to walk one day at a time, trusting in Him and knowing He, (My Heavenly Father), has it!  I’ve often been called a Comfort Junkie by my wife, and she is right, I don’t like discomfort of which I’ve had plenty over the past 6 weeks!  But through it all God has helped me take it one minute at a time stretching into hours, days and now weeks.  We can endure all things though Him who loves us! 

 

    5.    How much I miss going out with a camera and shooting!  I hope to be back at that soon and will have a new appreciation for my craft and the exercise of just seeing again!

 

I hope to get back busy posting something that has nothing to do with health concerns soon!  Till then, thanks again for hanging in there with me!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim