Category : Pilgrim’s Chronicles

 

I had a great weekend!  No, I’ve had a great life!  There are many reasons why.  Certainly being accepted and forgiven by a loving God is the biggest reason my life has so much meaning, but the people he has placed in my life are huge part of this “life formula!”

 

Let me start with my life long partner and the love of my life, Sherelene.  It is a wonderful life when you can start almost every day having breakfast with your best friend, sweetheart and one of the people you admire most in life.  Sherelene starts a new job this morning and it should reduce her work hours, and give us more time to do fun things together like this past weekend in Brown County out with Jim and Sue Haverstock!  I’m really excited to have more time with her.

 

God has blessed me with many great friends and acquaintances, but three men stand out in my mind as truly close friends who have contributed greatly to my life.

 

Jim Begley has been my partner in His Light, and a partner in my photographic and spiritual life.  Jim is one of the most talented photographers I know.  He possesses a great eye, a wonderful sense of what will make a great image and the technical skills to deliver on his vision.  Jim is also a spiritual mentor, helping me often find the right path, in the midst of the world’s confusion of voices. Jim is a blast to hang out with and I learn something from him every time we are together.

 

Jack Graham has been a friend for a long, long time.  I first met Jack when he was a student in one of my old Great American Photography Workshops.  Jack was one of those funny, intelligent people you meet and immediately really love.  Jack was a professional musician and really good one, he played trumpet in some big bands and orchestras and played with such luminaries a Frank Sinatra!  Jack left music and became a really good photographer and then a great photographer.  He started teaching workshops and runs one of the most highly respected workshop companies in the industry.  When he asked me to join him in teaching some workshops I was thrilled, not only to work with someone of Jack’s caliber, but to renew an old and cherished friendship.

 

Jim Haverstock is one of those people you meet, and get to know that leaves your life changed forever.  I ran a workshop with Jim back in the spring at Grandfather mountain, when Jim was tied up in worked issues, and he is  natural leader.  Jim is the most soft spoken, yet intense people I know.  I can think of no one I would rather have by my side to pray for someone, or assure them of how much God loves them.  Jim exudes the qualities of caring, compassion, concern, and understanding.  Jim is also a truly gifted photographer.  Jim has this amazing ability to be in the room and not make himself noticed, but would be sorely missed when he is absent from that same room.  Jim is one of a handful of people, obviously including Sherelene, Jack and Jim B. that I am completely relaxed around, that allow me to be myself!

 

So there you have it, I’m quadruply blessed!  For those of you that are coming to Brown County in about three weeks, we did a lot of scouting and think we have some killer locations for you.  The fall foliage looks like it is on track, and we can’t wait to hang out with you and learn a lot of new stuff!!

 

Here are a few images I shot while scouting some of our locations.

 

 

 

At one of our location this sign was nailed to a tree, just the fun spirit of Brown County!

 

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Photo Note: All images Fuji X-T1, 55-200 XF OIS lens

 

 

 

Introducing the first six books in the new Bill Fortney’s Reliable Guides “Foundation Series”.  I want the first volumes to be easy to read, to the point, instructional books  for beginners and intermediate photographers, so that they could fully understand the most important basic concepts of the craft.  These volumes will vary from 60 to 120 pages each and will illustrate every important point with multiples of photographic examples.  As in the illustration below, the basic concept is introduced and then illustrated.

 

 

If everything goes according to plan we hope to have the book store open by mid October!  Other volumes coming soon are;

 

The Joy of Photography

 

Taking Your Photography to the Next Level

 

Abstracts and Patterns

 

It’s in the Bag  * How to build a camera system

 

Getting the Most from Your Fuji X System

 

The Best From America From 500 Feet Volumes I & II

 

Simple Ways to Create Art from Your Images

 

Learning to See Photographically

 

Stay tuned!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Hot & cold, it has to be one of  those two, or warm or cool.  What on earth am I talking about?  Writing a blog is always iffy, if you take a stand,, profess your faith, talk about a camera brand, or share  your feelings someone is likely to not like it.  You guys however have been 99.99% supportive  of everything I do here, and I just wanted to write a blog entry telling you that you’ll never know how much it means to me, to have you join me.

 

I started the Pilgrim’s Chronicles at the urging of my dear friend Scott Diussa, who was, at the time, my boss at Nikon.  I didn’t even know what a blog was, but over the years it has been a great way to share what God is placing on my heart and some photography stuff too.  You guys have been great!

 

 

Thanks for coming along for the ride!

 

the pilgrim

 

Very soon, I will start the next big adventure of my life, writing a large number of eBooks in order to share a lifetime of photography experience.   It really started to ferment when I got to know Scott Kelby and I greatly admired how he could take the most complex photo program on earth, Photoshop, and make it so simple that even I could understand it.  It made me realize that there was a real need for some simple to the point books that would help people get the most important concepts of photography. Every time I teach a workshop I realize that any of this information I have been teaching, needs to be written down, so it can live on.  Photography has been the source for so much joy in my life, I just want to share it with anyone interested!

 

So the birth of  Cut to the Chase Publications   This will be the banner under which I will be doing a large series of different books.  The photo instructional books will be under the Bill Fortney’s Reliable Guides banner.  Here are some of the titles that will be coming over the next several months and in 2015!  Reliable Guides will be just that, the most important information you need to know about many different aspects of photography, simple, to the point, complete….RELIABLE!!!

 

 

The Eye Seeks  (Sharpness – Brightness – Warmth)

 

The Four Keys to a Great Image

 

Exposure Exposed

 

Composition   (Control of the elements in the frame)

 

Creative White Balance   (Getting it right, and getting what you want)

 

Learning To See Photographically

 

Alternate HDR Methods

 

Taking your Photography to the Next Level!

 

The Joy of Photography (…and How To Keep It!)

 

Abstract & Patterns

 

Color for Color Sake

 

It’s In The Bag!  Building a Camera System

 

Shooting with Manual Focus Lenses

 

Getting the Most from the Fuji X-System

 

In addition to the photography instructional books, I plan to re-release a dual volume set of

 

The Best of America From 500 Feet Volumes I & II

 

Another new series will be faith based books called  The New Life Series

 

The first volume is already complete;  “How to Have Peace in a Ticked Off World.”

 

 

….and one last one, a personal project for my grandchildren and someday, great grandchildren, The Life and Time of Bill Fortney  –  read by the author –  this one is for you John Gompf Jr.!!!!  An Audio book with lots of the old stories, from this blessed life!!

 

 

I hope to have the book store live by the first of November and when the store goes live I will offer one free book for first time visitors to the store!!!!  The other great surprise is that most titles will be only $4.95!!!   My goal give my readers a great value!!  Coffee table volumes will be slightly more but my goal is to never charge more than $9.95 for a book!!!!

 

Lots more ideas coming, it’s gonna be fun!  Please stay tuned!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim