Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

The 505 German U- Boat captured during WW II.

 

Last week I went to the Museum of Science and Industry in Chicago and got a few unrelated images during my time there.  Speaking of unrelated!!  The images are just window dressing so I an share a few images while I talk about something much more important!  So I hope you like the image while I share about Sherelene!

 

The anchor of the German U-Boat 505!

 

The purpose of an anchor is to fix and stabilize the position of ship in a tossing sea.  To prevent it from moving away and coming into harms way.

 

Sherelene has been my earthly anchor.  She has jokingly said that she raised four children, our three and me!  It is not very far from the truth.  I believe that God protected me and held me until she camera along, she has had more to do with what I have become as a man than anyone else, with the exception of my father on earth, and my Heavenly Father.  She has been my Heavenly Father’s instrument here!  As a young married man, I thought I knew what a man was supposed to be, but step by step, Sherelene has helped me to realize how different a real man is from the fictional description I thought I knew all about!!!

 

Sherelene has taught me what sacrifice is all about.  She never told me about it, she modeled it!   I watched how she raised our children, dealt with others, cared for her patience, loved and respected her family, and honored her father and mother.   I saw here work tirelessly for all of us, never complaining, and never slowing down. Always willing to do whatever ended to be done.

 

Sherelene taught me what steadfastness was all about.  I’ve never known anyone that has more drive, energy, dedication, and grit!  There is no quit in Sherelene!  She faces every challenge knowing it will be defeated, and then slogs on into the battle!

 

Sherelene taught me what love and devotion are all about.  I have seen real love first hand.  I’ve seen faithfulness, and kindness, grace, and compassion.  All the attributes I needed to learn God used her to teach me.

 

Thank you Sherelene for loaning me your life for the last 44 years, I would not have wanted to spend it with anyone else, and feel so honored that you gave those years to me!

 

……and now more totally unrelated museum images!!!

 

Aircraft Carrier model.

 

Wagon and bucket.

 

Mike Ditka’s Steak House!

 

Old pharmacy bottles.

 

Sherelene and I had a great trip to Chicago together, today as I drove away from her for the week, I wanted to call off my trip and just go back home to her!   This retirement is pretty great, spending more time together!  Can’t wait for her to join me this coming weekend!

 

Blessed,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

 

If you drove by this little pavilion, above, at the People’s Gas Company in Chicago, you wouldn’t likely even stop.  However when I saw a stunning image made by Angie McMonigal of the structure from inside, I couldn’t get there fast enough and what a day I had visually sliding through the wonderful curves of this structure!  Below is my version of the wonderful shot made by Angie, and then a lot more versions, I hope you enjoy them as much as I enjoyed looking through the lens and finding one striking composition after another!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Oh yes, and some building with some terrific curved terraces like the Aqua building here!!!

 

 

 

This is only about a third of the versions I found, wow, what a wonderful place to get your visual juices flowing!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

This week I will be in Florida at the St. Augustine Birding and Photography Event, i’m honored to be teaching and speaking there including the keynote address on Saturday night!  I will share images from beautiful St. Augustine through out the next two weeks!

 

 

 

 

 

I was the only person at “the Bean” this morning!  Very chilly, but great light!  Really unique piece of art and a “photographers playground!”  Below are a few images from my first 20 minutes of sunlight.

 

 

It was a great morning watching the city wake up and go to work!

 

 

The street scene with the train was shot with the 55-200 and then processed with a heavy dose of NIK Color Efex 4.0, Tonal Contrast!  My favorite pseudo – One Shot – HDR trick!

 

On the walk back down Michigan Ave to the Hilton I saw lots of things to extract from the over-all street scenes, here are few of those!

 

 

The Carry System for this trip:

 

 

All of the images this morning were shot from my smaller CT214 series Induro tripod with the middle of the RRS heads.  Last night I had to shoot handheld, but with Fuji’s OIS (Optical Image Stabilization) I got away with 1/2 second exposures!!!  Above is the kit I’m using for most of what I’m doing in Chicago!   It consists of a Fuji X-T1 body with battery pack and RRS L Bracket (for the Nikon D600, fits great!) with 18-55 f 2.8-4 OIS mid range zoom, 55-200 F 3.5-4.8 OIS zoom (80-300 equiv.), and the new 10-24 f 4 OIS wide angle zoom (15-36 Equiv.)  All carried in a Think Tank Retrospective Model 5 bag in Pinestone.  I like it because it doesn’t scream “Camera Bag!”  It looks more like a college kids book bag, though admittedly I don’t look like a college student, maybe a very old professor!  * (Spare batteries, and cleaning supplies)  In a separate bag an extra, back up body (Fuji X-E2)  I also carry a Fuji X100s (used to shoot the image above)  In a Think Tank Airport Security 2.0 I carry all this and the 23mm f 1.4, 35mm f 1.4, 56mm f 1.2 and my laptop and cords on the plane.  The Think Tank Retrospective easily folds up in my big suitcase, ready to go into action when I land!!!

*Note: yes, those are Nikon lens caps on the lenses above, hey, I worked for that great company for 11 years, this way I still keep some of them with me!!!!!  ….and I like the Nikon lens caps better, better springs!!

 

A special thanks again to Chris Smith and his great scouting info.  I will be speaking to his friends at the University of Chicago Friday night!

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Stay tuned, more to come!

 

 

 

If you want to know how good you are try shooting a scene that someone who knows it better than you do!!!  I really enjoyed shooting from the Hancock Tower tonight, but my images pale in comparison to Chris Smith’s!  Hey, but I learned a lot about shooting through glass!  I am looking forward to making images around Chicago with the help of his excellent book, “The Photographer’s Guide to Chicago!”  In this excellent book, Chris is kind enough to share all the most important details about how to shoot some of Chicago’s most famous landmarks!

 

God willing, and my alarm going off, and with some decent light, I will be back after it again tomorrow morning at O:Dark Thirty!

 

Here are a few of my near misses from tonight, hey Sherelene and I are having a blast, thanks Chris!!!

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim