Monthly Archives: October 2011

I try not to show too many things you must buy!  Hey I’ve got the same problem!   I find way too many things I think I can’t live without, only later to try and figure out how to live with the fact that I bought it!!!  Accessories are just a part of life in photography, but I’ve got one thing you must have, “if” you travel and shoot around the National Parks or other scenic lands in America.  You can waste a lot of time, money, and still not get the great shots, but I have a suggestion that will help you immensely!

 

My dear friend, Bob Hitchman, produces, in fact has for many years, a newsletter that guides you to the best places to shoot across America.   You can check out his newsletter on his website;  http://www.photographamerica.com/    To date he has written over 120 great scouting reports that have maps, directions, the best spots, lodging and eating suggestions and as always some of his great images.  You can buy all 120 as a pdf file on a DVD for just $135.   If that sounds like a lot, think of going to Acadia National Park and spending three days trying to find that great beach shot you saw in a magazine!!  When I ran the GAPW and now when I go to any new location, or one I haven’t visited for along time, I can get a full plan together by reading and marking maps based on Bob’s great research.

 

After 22 years of scouting locations, I know of no one I trust more to help me make the most of my time in the field!   Thanks Bob for a great resource!

 

the pilgrim

 

*Coming Soon!  Some great new products from Kirk Enterprises!

Read that title again carefully, I didn’t say 10 people I detest, I said 10 things I detest!  People are people, we all make mistakes, as my grandfather once said, when I spilled milk at the Thanksgiving table, “Even I made a mistake once!”  I had a great weekend with my wife in New York, but New York is New York, and while I’m sure there are lots of nice folks there, they do, it seems to me, exhibit some of my most detested traits, too often, so for the record here goes my list;

 

1.  Rudeness:  Someone who lacks consideration for others and who is deliberately insolent is rude   I was raised expecting a good spanking if I ever acted that way.  Example, you are standing in line to enter a door and someone cuts you off as if you were not even there!  It happens every 3 seconds in the city.

 

2.  Cluelessness:  Last night a young lady got on the plane leaving New York, she got on just minutes before the door closed, the plane was packed, when she go to her seat she looked at the over head bins and made an ugly display of how she couldn’t believe there was no space left!  Duh!!!!!   More on this in entry number 10!

 

3.  Self-Centeredness:  People that are so concerned with themselves that don’t even notice any of the rest of us are in the world.

 

4.  Aloofness:  People that act unfriendly,  are not forthcoming, or are cool or distant, conspicuously uninvolved and uninterested, typically through distaste.  Elitists.  Funny story, I was trying to unload my computer from my back pack at TSA and the zipper came undone spilling my magazines and brochures from the trade show onto the floor, remember this is New York, which magazine do you guess fell out, on top, front cover up, in full view?!!   Handguns Magazine, you can imagine what the N.Y. elitists thought of that!   Ask someone for help, directions, or to stop the man from stabbing you, good luck!

 

5.  Filthiness:  Come On Man!  Disgustingly dirty,  Take a shower, use deodorant,  shave, gees!  I can well remember when men wore suits and women dressed on airplanes, air travel was a big deal.  Today people travel in their pajamas and slippers!

 

6.  Un-appreciativeness:    People that are ungrateful, and do not recognize the kind efforts of others.  Try opening a door for someone in New York and saying good morning!  You will get a look of distrust, fear, or worse, be ignored.

 

7.  Aggressiveness:  Someone that pursues one’s aims and interests forcefully.  Try getting on or off an elevator!

 

8.  Laziness:  The unwillingness to do work or make an effort.

 

9.  A lack of Contentedness:  A lack of happiness for your state in life.  Consumerism on parade!  I like nice things, but we live in a culture obsessed with more, more, more.

 

10.  Control Freakness (not sure that one is a real word):  I’m adding this one for me, I exhibited most of the bad things I hate when in an effort to be sure and secure overhead space for my wife’s carry on suit case, last night, I got in line early to get on the plane as soon as possible.  When zone 2 was called I rushed up to get on and stow her bag, while she finished dinner.   The machine spit out a first class upgrade, which I didn’t want, I wanted to sit with my wife. The ticket agent said I had to go all the way back out to the front desk to get my upgrade cancelled!!!  Of course while I was doing that dozens of people were boarding and getting all the overhead space. By the time I got back onto the plane I had found I was sitting at a bulk head seat and had to put my stuff overhead too!  I was fortunate that I found space a few bins back to get everything stowed away.  While sitting waiting for my wife to show up  and join me, I was acting very Un-Christ like in my heart, my not having control of such a small situation as getting on the plane early had me in a stressed out state.  It sure would be nice to say that everyone has all these problems in their live but me, sadly it’s not so!  I really needed to coach myself to take a deep breath and calm down.

 

Thankfully our acceptance by God is not based on a set of rules, in fact Jesus came and died for us so that we could be freed from the Law.  I hope you enjoy this except from Charles Stanley’s In Touch daily devotional this morning;

 

In other words, if salvation depended on our inadequate self-righteousness, nobody could be saved. But these ten rules weren’t intended to save us. Instead, they were meant to show our helplessness and point us to Christ (Gal. 3:24).

Our heavenly Father knew that in our own strength, we were inadequate to keep His law. Yet out of grace, He sent His sinless Son to take the penalty we deserved for our wrongdoing—death (Rom. 6:23). Jesus bore our iniquities, died, and rose from the grave. In doing so , He conquered sin so that we can be free.

Jesus’ death and resurrection broke the bonds of sin. Are you living in the freedom His blood made possible? We can do nothing to reconcile ourselves to God; our only hope is to accept the free gift of the sacrifice Jesus made on our behalf. In surrendering our life to Him, we find true freedom.

 

 

Does that mean we don’t need to make any effort to be kind, considerate, helpful?  No, when you accept Christ’s love and forgiveness you need to pass on His love and concern to others.  It’s a hard world to do that in, but it is God’s desire for your  life.

 

the pilgrim

 

Note: I leave tomorrow morning for the Breeder’s Cup in Louisville’s Churchill Downs, I will post all week from there!

 

Well we finished the show on Saturday and it was off to join Sherelene to celebrate our Anniversary.  We were married on February 14th, but celebrate our love every time we can get a way together.  I try to do something special for Sherelene when we get to have these evenings away from home so I booked a room at the Ritz Carlton on Central Park.  Now some of you may already know that I’m a big fan of Christmas.  I was so excited to be staying at the Ritz, I bought the Christmas movie Home Alone 2.  You may remember that the character Keven McCallister gets left in New York by mistake and checks into the Plaza hotel, next door to where we are staying, another classic old style, luxury hotel.  I wanted for Sherelene and I to have a nice dinner and then settle in to watch the movie and start getting in a Christmas mood!!   Wow!, did I ever get help!  A freak, very early winter storm dumped several inches of show right on the park as we she was checking in, I joined her later after the Photo Plus show ended.

 

 

The evening was incredible, just being with Sherelene would have made it that way, but we really had a lot of fun.  We took a cab uptown an had dinner at Bill’s Bar and Burgers at Rockefeller Center.  Reported to be one of the best burgers in New York, I had to rate it!  No suspense, it was really good, good enough to enter by top ten, be not up to Shake Shack, Milt’s, or Fava’s efforts.  I did award it a 4.5 which is a very good score, it was a highly enjoyable meal with my bride!

 

 

 

 

 

Then it was over to St Patrick’s Cathedral for a moment to thank my Heavenly Father for His great blessings, o.k. and to do the HDR show below!

 

 

Finally back in a cab and to the room for our movie!  We really are enjoying the extra day in New York together.

 

Blessed,

 

the pilgrim

 

*  Photo Note:  All images Nikon Coolpix P7100.  HDR trick learned from Jim Begley, three images hand held, aligned in HDR software.

 

 

 

A little gift from the hotel, even if they got the number of years wrong, it was a very thoughtful touch!

 

It’s 3:00 a.m., New York City, Marriott Maquis, room 3917.  I went to bed at 9:30 pretty tired, woke up at 2:00 a.m.  Wired, excited about Friday, wait a minute it’s already Friday.  I worked on the blog (Cheeseburgers in Paradise),  for about an hour, went back to bed, God said, “Get back up, I’ve got something I want you to write down and share!  For those of you that don’t come here often or just started reading this blog, I didn’t actually here a voice, but in my spirit it was clear, what He was telling me to do,  was not just for me.  I don’t know who this is for, but I’m sure He does, so here goes….

 

How do you want to be remembered?  I’ve not spent a lot of time thinking about that, but honestly, when a friend leaves us, and more of mine are starting to do just that, I do think about this.  My earthly father, William Pelle Fortney, told me many years ago, “No matter what you accomplish, or how much money you make, if you leave this earth without integrity and honesty, you’ve failed!”   After  years of being a Christian, and reading the scripture, I’ve come to the conclusion that God tells us the same thing, and this;  (this is God speaking),

 

” I love you, I care about everything in your life.   I know you are imperfect,  but I still love you.  I sent my only Son to die for you,  so that you might be forgiven for all your sins.  I want you to trust me with your life, I want you to find comfort, and peace in my strong arms.  I know you want to do it all yourself, but my dear child, you can’t, but I can help you to be all I want you to be,   You do not have the wisdom, strength, or ability to succeed, but  I am standing at your door knocking, please let me in to your heart!”

 

I don’t know why this came to me in the early morning hours, I do know I want my earthly father and my Heavenly Father to both be proud of me, I don’t want to disappoint either one.  I know I can’t be that man I want and need to be in my own strength, but I know through God I can be moving that direction in my life.  I know God is not interested in my being loved and accepted here, just in His eyes.  When I go to be with Him, I pray that at least this could be said of me, (my words),

 

“He was an honest man with integrity.  He loved his wife, his family, and his friends.  He had time to show God’s love to everyone he came in contact with, and the lives of those he touched were better for him having been here.  He wasn’t the greatest photographer, or writer, or blogger, but he always tried to be better each day.  I’ve known few men that were more at peace, and filled with joy.  I know these things for certain; He loved His Heavenly Father, honored his earthly father,  knew Jesus deep in his heart, and was guided by the Holy Spirit!  He went to heaven not wanting anything more than what he was already given.”

 

If I can leave like that, I will have had a wonderful life, far more than I deserve…….

 

the pilgrim