Monthly Archives: May 2013

I’ve been planning, for some time, the changes to the blog after July 1st, my first day in retirement!  I’m excited about some of the things I plan on doing and thought I might share some of the “coming attractions….?”

 

1.  An Equipment Review Blog.  Once I am not an official representative of any single photo industry company, I hope to do product reviews for my readers.  I will make them practical, and useful for all of us that want to know just how well a certain product, camera, lens or accessory actually works in the field.  Instead of deep, probing, pixel peeping kinds of reviews, plenty of those already exist, I want them to give real insight as to the value of a product and it’s usefulness in making better images!

 

2.  E Books.  I’ve long had a big list of subjects I would like to write about and publish affordable E Books on all kinds of subjects in photography, but not limited to photography alone!  I love to write and I think some good basic starter books on the principles of photography and more specialized books may be in order, as well.

 

3.  More class offerings!  In addition to the His Light Workshops, I hope to run some very small group workshops in locations that will best be approached in groups as small as 6 including myself! Should be fun to work in a small group setting.

 

4.  I am also planning to offer a critique service for those that would like portfolio reviews over the web.  I think the critique sessions are among the most valuable things we do at His Light and I would love to make that available to those that can’t make it to a workshop, and at a very affordable price!

 

5.  I hope to offer scouting information for certain locations.  I’ve long been a huge fan of Photograph America Newsletter, and would never try to take on such a massive  undertaking as Bob Hitchman has, but I do enjoy sharing some inside information with my readers about great places to go and shoot, and some insight about where some great locations, in these spots!  I hope to make this a free service for my readers.  After 25 years and trips to all the major National Parks over 25 times, I want to share what I’ve learned.

 

6.  More posts related to my walk, and your walk, with Him.  I want to really dive into the Word and share those thoughts with you!  He is really speaking to my heart about deepening that walk with Him.

 

Please pray for guidance for me as I turn my efforts to serving Him, and trying to better serve you, to His glory!!

 

So, a little gift for Memorial Day Weekend!  Please take time this weekend to pray for, and honor those that have given so much for America!  I’m excited about the future, please come along for the great adventures to come!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

In the process of buttoning down the Nikon years and traveling to see and me with important customers, and friends, I got to drop by Old Car City and do a little shooting.  This is one of my favorite places to shoot in the world.  It really tests your ability to see and capture graphics, and I always come back from there with a renewed excitement about photography!  Today I had a little while to really just concentrate on the things I love the most about Old Car City, color, and graphic design!  Today I really felt it, and I was in the zone, I hope you agree!  Here is some of the captures from this morning.

 

As I walked around finding one thing after another that got me excited, the best excitement of all was the memory of all the great times with my buddies at this great place.  I took a few minutes at the SFT grave site and remembered how so many people buried their lies!!!  What a powerful thing to happen in a workshop!  What an honor to run with such a great crowd and have so much fun!!!  Thanks, Jim, Snake, Chuck, RC, Raymond, Jim H., John W., and all the rest of our merry gang!!!

 

Can’t wait to get back here again!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

A few years ago I did the second America From 500 Feet II with Mark Kettenhofen.  We made a list of interesting things in the history of America.  One such story was the Mail Pouch Tobacco Barns.  Now I’m not a smoker or a chewer, the story of how a handful of painters, painted thousands of  barns across America, is amazing!  Teams of two painters were went out in pairs with a model T truck, and they crisscrossed the country talking farmers into letting them paint the Mail Pouch message on their barns.  They got a whopping $10.dollars a year for the privilege!    In interviews before the last painter died, he said they could usually paint two barns a day, did you get that, two per day!

 

I’m not saying people don’t work hard today, but two barns a day??!!!  The story was intriguing because of just how committed these men were to a job that paid so little.  It is also a story about a time when people had big dreams and worked hard to see them come true. I believe we need a lot of things in America today, dreams and drive to make them come true are two of those things.  A dependence on God and a belief that He loves us is another.  A strong country, or family, or individual, is the sum of many parts, but the most important part is a determined path to build a life around something more than happenstance.  God, principle, integrity, and honor!  If you’re starting your own list, this would be a good start!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

Leaving Mount Rainier the other day, I saw a bunch of metal sculptures off the side of the road. We stopped to check it out, and spend a good half hour enjoying he incredible work of Dan Klennert!  He has hundreds of metal sculptures and it was thoroughly enjoyable looking at them and making some photographs.  We had such a good time we have decided to take our group there for a short shooting session.  It never ceases to amaze me how talented some people are, hope you enjoy these images and Dan’s art!

 

I’m anxious to share this great place with our friends!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim