Monthly Archives: November 2014

 

With a Arctic freeze creeping down the U.S , temperature records are falling!

 

When I was young I loved cold weather, couldn’t wait to get on my parka and gloves and get out in it, not so much anymore.  I’ve really been enjoying a wood burning fire, and working on the eBooks.    A man is blessed if he gets to do what is pleasant and has food on the table!  I pray for those that are cold and hungry in winter, and I thank God that my church and many others watch out for those that are not as fortunate as you and I!  If they are having food drives for the down and out, or serving as hot meal, or preparing baskets for Thanksgiving and Christmas, get involved.  Make a contribution, or better yet, see if they need a hand with putting things together, cooking, or delivering baskets.  Some of my best memories are when I took time to try and help someone else, and remembered, once again, how much showing love does not only for the recipient, but for us too!

 

It is often said that giving is better than receiving, and when you try it,  you remember just how true that is!

 

Be a Blessing,

 

the pilgrim

 

I spent all day today working on  the Fuji X-System User’s Guide, it’s really coming along and it’s great to be home working on books!  I’ve wanted to do this for months and it is so gratifying to get some of this done!  The next few books will include the Americana Photography Guide and the new double volume America From 500 Feet Volumes I & II (the story behind the books!)

 

Thanks so much for being so encouraging by purchasing so many of my books so far, we are up to almost 800 downloads!  Remember there is a free book if you visit the  store before the end of November!  Stay tuned!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I’m fleshing out the form form the new book and thought you might like to see the Chapter Headings.

 

Chapter Headings and Content

 

Preface

 

Introduction

 

A little History:  How the X-System came to be.

 

Chapter One:  Reality Check   (Who are you, as a photographer, and what do you REALLY need?!)

 

Chapter Two:  The X-System  (It’s Strengths and Weaknesses, and who it will best serve.)

 

Chapter Three:  Which camera is best for me?  (How to sort out the system)

 

Chapter Four:  RAW vs JPEG, ( in the X-Trans cameras.  Advantages of each.)

 

Chapter Five:  Five Huge Advantages to the X-System!

 

Chapter Six:  The Fuji Lens System.  (Reviews of the major components in the lens system, with real world examples.)

 

Chapter Seven:  Missing lenses and how to compensate. (What we don’t have and how to get it!)

 

Chapter Eight:  Tips and Tricks  (Settings, techniques, and advice.)

 

Chapter Nine:  Building a System for different uses.  (this chapter also includes recommended accessories, both Fuji branded and third party.  Also includes some of my recommendations for how to carry it!)

 

Chapter Ten:  Great Shooters that have adopted the X-System (this includes a portfolio for each shooter, their bio and their five favorite things about the X-System)

 

I hope the following photographers will be included:    *Jack Graham  –  Zak Arias  – David Hobby  –  *Tony Sweet  –  *John “Snake”  Barrett  –  *Bjorn Moerman  –  Ricky Skaggs  –   *Jim Haverstock  –  *Nick Coury,  Dr. Charles Stanley, and others…..

* Confirmed

Well there you have it, at least this is the starting plan.  Have a great weekend, stay warm and be blessed!

 

In Him,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I got home last night from four weeks out doing workshops and came home to a perfect situation, snow falling, fire in the fireplace, my best gal waiting on the couch!  Could it get any better???!!! Actually this morning I’m starting working on the Fuji X-System User’s Guide and I’ve been anxious to get started on this eBook!  There seems to be a lot of excitement about this book and I think I know why!  For the last year and  half I have been using the X-System’s cameras and lenses and I have to admit my love affair with the system grows every single day!!!!

 

When I worked for Nikon we came out with a game changing camera, the D3.  I remember being in a meeting where we were discussing how could we entice users, of other brands, to give it a try, and hopefully switch to Nikon.  I and several other of the Nikon Professional Service’s PMTRs (Professional Markets Technical Representatives), now you know why they called us PMTRs for short, that’s a mouth full, anyway, we suggested we could simply loan a camera and a few key lenses to those we felt were a good fit for the new camera, an ask them to evaluate it, and then let us know what they thought.  90% of the time we got the same reaction, “How can you help me switch??!!”  The camera was that good, at that time!  Fast forward to my Fuji experience.

 

After shoulder surgery, large DSLRs were simply out of the question for me.  I looked around for a while trying to find the smaller camera system I could be happy with.  I expected I would have to make sacrifices, but knew it didn’t matter, less weight was inevitable.  I tried as the Olympus OM series and really liked them, but the smaller sensor, (Micro 4/3rds), just couldn’t deliver the kind of low noise at higher ISO I desired.  Same with all the other similar size sensored brands.  Sony looked promising, but the lack of lenses, and impossible to navigate menus were the deal breakers, and I just couldn’t get used to the operational controls and form factor.  I finally got around to the Fuji X-System and my introduction camera to the system was the X-10, which I loved, and still do.  My first interchangeable lens camera was the X-E1.  There were plenty of things I didn’t love about it, but the image quality was the major trump card, exceptional image quality, the tack sharpness of the lenses, and the solid build quality added up to the winner for me!  I learned to live with the short comings, to have that image quality, and Fuji fixed many of those teething pains with firmware updates!!!  It turned out I didn’t have to make hardly any sacrifices in quality to downsize, and that made me a very happy camper!

 

Now to my point, a lot of people, and I mean a lot, asked me, “why the switch!!!???”m    It was completely understandable since for previous 45 years I had been a die hard Nikon guy, and had even spent 11 years employed by them!  So, when people asked if the Fuji system might work for them I said, rent one for a week and make your own decision.  90% of my friends, associates and complete strangers that took that advise are now Fuji owners, many use it as their only system!  Honestly, the system simply that good!  The most common remark I hear from new adopters is, “It’s just made photogaphy fun again!”  That is a statement worthy looking into, and we will in the new book!

 

So in preparation for the upcoming book, today I will release the PREFACE and hopefully I will get all the participants images and info in and will get this out by December!  This book will be $9.95!

 

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preface

noun

the preface to the novel: introduction, foreword, preamble,prologue, prelude; front matter; informal prelims, intro,lead-in; formal exordium, proem, prolegomenon.verbthe chapter i 

prefaced by a poem: precede, introduce, begin, open, start.

 

The Fuji X-System User’s Guide  –  Preface

 

Why another Fuji X-System User’s Guide?  First, because I wanted to write it!  Second because I wanted a true “User’s” Guide, filled with real life experience with the gear, and helpful suggestions own how to get the most out of the system!  This is NOT a book of features, going over all the menu settings, what all the buttons do, and repeating what is in not only the Owner’s Manual, but a number of excellent books on that aspect of the camera’s operation.  I own the books by Rico Pfirstinger and the Video Guide from The Luminous Landscape with Kevin Raber and Jarred Spicer, but this book is not a repeat of what they covered very well. In this book I will talk about what the Fuji X System cameras and lenses do best, make spectacular quality images, and how to achieve that through features, accessories, and solid technique!  In addition the book will feature not only my work,  but also the work of a number of today’s top shooters of the Fuji System, including;  Zak Arias, Jack Graham, Tony Sweet, David Hobby, Bjorn Moerman, John “Snake” Barrett, Ricky Skaggs, Nick Coury, Jim Haverstock, among others!  The book will be a guide to not only the operational aspects of the system but also advice on system building, and what parts of the system yield themselves to each task we face as photographers!

 

The next question should be, “Why are you the guy to write this book?”  Well let me start with what I am not.  I’m not officially affiliated with Fuji, as an advisor, X-Shooter, or in any official way.  I was offered the opportunity to be an X-Shooter and while honored I declined for two reasons, I want to remain independent so that my opinions and comments will be accepted as just that, uncolored, un-influenced opinions.  I also still have great respect for my former friends and the Nikon company, and feel I’ve been a representative of a photo industry company once, and think it is time to remain unbiased and independent.  I do not get special deals from Fuji, or have not been sent equipment to evaluate.  I have sold images to Fuji for their marketing use, but I’ve done that for a lot of other photo industry companies as well.  My relationship with Fuji is as an admirer of how they do business, respect for the products they design and build, and the customer care they exhibit!  I’m a consumer just like you.  I think this gives me a unique position to share from.

 

Further, I’m a full time photographer with over 45 years experience in the field and as an educator have had the chance to use and see many cameras models and brands, and I think I know my way around the industry as well as most anyone.  I am not trying to sell cameras and lenses, just enthusiastically enjoying sharing my, new found, photographic love!  The Fuji X-System is a perfect fit for some photographers, and if you’re one of them, this book is for you!

 

 

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So there you have it, I’m going to get busy and hope to have this for you as soon as possible!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim