Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

While visiting the San Diego Air & Space Museum, our group was aloud to go into the basement area where restoration work takes place. I found the desk of a master craftsman and was fascinated at the curious and interesting collection of things on the desk. It brought to mind that through out my career as I’ve worked with a number of very talented photographers, who each is unique in their own special way. To say someone eccentric may not seem to be a compliment, but I believe it is. People with extraordinary talent are often eccentric, they march to the sound of a different drummer. I think it is this difference that makes so many shooters the visionaries they are.
I had the pleasure of visiting with Jim Sugar, legendary National Geographic photographer and Moose Peterson, legendary wildlife photographer, and both dear friends, at ISAP yesterday.
We really enjoyed chewing the photographic fat and sharing philosophy. Jim spent some time with me showing me some of his bag of tricks with wireless flash, some of his shots of me are below.

Below in a shot by Larry Grace, Moose and Jim are working the lights for the portrait of me
below right. I’m a huge fan of Charles Lindbergh and so I really enjoyed having this shot made.

Of course Jim and Moose are both extremely talented
photographers and great guys. I met Jim many years
ago and we were once working on an assignment
together when he told me he was going to go and
do his work out which was cycling for 10 miles
and then swimming for 6 miles. I jokingly said, “When
you get to be my age you won’t be doing that stuff.”
Jim was quick to tell me he was older than I was. After
some bantering we compared drivers licenses. Turns
out Jim was born February 8th, 1946 at 9:00 p.m.
I was born February the 9th at 6:00 a.m. Nine hours
later….. It has been a source of much fun as every Feb 8th I call Jim and tell him I sure am glad I’m not as old as he is……. Jim has gone on to become one of my best friends in photography.
Moose and I met many years ago as well as we were both working hard to work our way up in the ranks of nature photography. Certainly Moose has succeeded, being one of the most recognized wildlife photographers in the field. Moose has also become a very accomplished
landscape shooter and aviation shooter as well, he is a very talented guy indeed. His son Jake works closely with him and he certainly is a wonderful shooter in his own right.

The joy of these trips is being with people you respect and enjoy their company, along with Jim and Moose, I got the pleasure of hanging out with Jay Miller, one of the nations leading aviation historians and a dynamite shooter as well. I also had time with my dear Christian brother and the dean of Air to Air shooters, Paul Bowen. I was joined with Sara Moosebrugger, our rising star among Nikon Tech Reps and great work mate. Another great aviation shooter Richard Vandermulen is also a long time dear buddy and a great inspiration as a shooter. Then there was David Leininger, Arnold Greenwell, John Slemp, and Tyson Rininger all absolutely incredible shooters, I better stop before I get in trouble here. Needless to say I’m immeasurably blessed by being able to be with such great people…..

All these people have something in common; they excel because they have the workman’s desk, covered with the evidence of their heart, their labor, and their dedication to our craft…….

the thankful pilgrim

And finally some of Moose’s fun shots of us cutting up in the gift shop! Thanks Moose, I think…….
You’re a pal!

* Photo Note: Image of the desk, D7000, 24-120 AFs VR f4, HDR, Topaz Adjust. Shot of the shoot, by Larry Grace, the new president of ISAP and great shooter and friend. Portrait of me
by Jim Sugar and Moose Peterson.

I had a rare opportunity yesterday during our ISAP field day. We visited the hanger of a local legendary aviation figure, Bill Allen. I’ve met Bill before and was shocked that he remembered me.
Shocked because, while I don’t know Mr. Allen well, I can tell you some things about him. He is successful, accomplished, and most of all, generous. Bill owns a stunning collection of classic airplanes, like the one above, many virtually one of a kind. The great thing about Bill is he is sharing his passion with his community, and the aviation community. Our ISAP group of well over a hundred people were his guests for a dinner and outdoor aviation activities yesterday afternoon and last evening. Then when the sun began to set Joe McNally put on another of his wonderful
lighting seminars for the eager crowd. It was a great day and thanks to Bill’s generosity it ended very well indeed.

My point about Bill is though he has done very well, more importantly he has not kept it to himself.
He has been blessed, and he in turn, blesses others. My kind of man. Yesterday was a great day of shooting fun things, enjoying wonderful fellowship with great friends, and enjoying Bill’s great hanger. Below are some images that I believe you will really enjoy. Part of Bill’s hanger is a gallery of priceless, original, aviation memorabilia, including the finest collection of original aviation art posters I’ve ever seen. What a treat, thank you Lord, for such a great day, and thank you BIll for sharing with all of us…..

And one last favorite from earlier in the day, at the San Diego Air & Space Museum, a model of a WWII aircraft carrier shot in HDR and filtered with NIK HDR Efex Pro.

Blessings, the pilgrim

* Photo Notes: Gallery images with Nikon Coolpix P300. Others with the D7000 and 12-24 AFs
f 4 lens. Carrier shot above with the 24-120 AFs VR f4 lens.

As a pilot I’m well aware of what a parachute is for and when it is needed. A parachute is a bulky cumbersome thing to have to wear, until you need it, for it’s intended purpose. A parachute is used when you must leave the plane so you can float down to a safe landing as the plane is not getting the same benefits out of life! Of course, some people use parachutes recreationally for the thrill of falling through the sky at terminal velocity (120 mph). Not sure if I think that would be thrilling for me. The point is, the purpose of a parachute is to be there if nothing else will work to save you.

God is like a parachute in one way, He is the only thing that can save you. Unfortunately many people make the mistake of treating God like their parachute. God can do so much more for us than just save us. God is a lot more than an emergency procedure. Go desires to have a moment to moment relationship with us. He wants us to bring all our cares and concerns to him, not just the life and death ones. He also desires for us to worship Him and be thankful for His involvement in our lives, and the lives of others. He wants the relationship between Him and us to spill over into how we relate to others too. Of course God saves us, He also provides our daily bread, but He provides much more than that. Would life be worth living without, peace, joy, and love? Not for me! No I need God in my life every moment, and I desire to worship Him and tell Him how much I
love Him and appreciate all He has done for me.

Don’t make God, just your parachute. Make Him your altimeter, your engine gauges, your air speed indicator, your compass, and most of all your GPS. Your God Positioning System…..
Where are you in position to God? God is not my co-pilot, God is “the” pilot, and the navigator,
at best, I’m learning from the right seat.

the pilgrim

*Today is field day at ISAP. We are going to some incredible aviation sites including Mirimar,
home of the Top Gun – Naval Training Center, hope to have some great images for you tomorrow!

Before leaving on the trip I’m currently on, was around home for the better part of a couple of weeks. One day, over a weekend, driving back from the lake I saw this roadside scene above.
I was taken by the portrait of Jesus on the left. After delivering family at home, I drove the couple of mile back to shoot this image. When I photograph someone else’s art I ask their permission.
George the artist (in the image to the lower right) was happy to let me shoot some images, mostly because I was using my little P300 and it probably didn’t seem very harmful to have this rank amateur with his little point and shoot making images. We had a nice conversation and I bought a small board sign for my grandson. I left having gotten the images I wanted and more importantly some nice fellowship with a fellow pilgrim moving through the world.

So it goes in life. You can rush
through, very busy, very focused
and missing a lot of the subtle
joys that lie along the path. I
am not suggesting my way is the
only way, or even the best way
but, it’s my way, and it works for
me. I also am very concerned
about sharing God’s love and
you can’t do that rushing by
holding to an impossible
schedule. Take a deep breath
and enjoy the remarkable
experiences and images that
are all around you. For this
week and the next few weeks
I will be in places where very
extraordinary things to photo-
graph will present themselves.
What I won’t do is be too busy
to take a moment and meet
the great people along the way.
They are God’s gift to us, we can
learn much from those that we
take the time to get to know.

Thanks George for giving me a little of your time, and sharing your talent with me. I think God was smiling on both of us.

Slow down and smell God’s incredible roses, His people……..

Blessings,

the pilgrim

I loved this portrait of George with a very gentle application of Glamour Glow.

Scenes from The International Symposium On Aviation Photography in San Diego.

*Photo Note: All images with the Nikon Coolpix P300.

FLASH…… Prayer request. You guys have proven that you’re real prayer warriors. I had lunch with a friend today and he is facing some challenges in his life. That is another way of saying God is shaking things up and will make them even better for him. He is facing his challenges with the courage and confidence that God is in control. I would like the ask that you join me in asking God for three things for my friend, You can refer to Bill’s friend in your prayers, God knows who he is.
Please pray that he will (1) Be encouraged to keep trusting that God is in control. (2) That God will bless him and meet all his needs, and (3) lastly that he will feel the indescribable peace of knowing that God’s plan is the best plan for His life, that God loves him more than he could ever know, and that he can truly trust God with his life…… My promise to you is that I will share the victory that is coming for him, when he shares that with me. This can be a wonderful exercise in building all of our faith as we see how good God is to all of us.

Thank you in advance for helping me seek His answers for my friend.

the pilgrim