Monthly Archives: June 2015

 

 

Every time I go out to teach or share, I hope that God uses me as a blessing to those I meet.  I hope His love, His grace, His care and concern comes through whatever I share.  I don’t do this because I want to draw attention to myself, I do it because I want all attention turned to Him!!  There is a great reward to putting Him first, it allows Him to bless me too!!!

 

At my talk for Fuji at Dury’s I met a man I’ve long been a fan of,  and didn’t even know it!!!!  Tommy Coomes has been responsible for much of the music that I have enjoyed and worshipped God to for many years!  Here is little information about Tommy;

 

 

He was a pioneer of contemporary Christian music in the 70’s as a member of Love Song, and was the Creative Director at Maranatha! Music in the 80’s and 90’s, producing or executive producing several hundred recordings. Tommy has devoted his life to ministry since 1970: leading the music teams for Franklin Graham, Billy Graham, Promise Keepers, Greg Laurie, and Chosen Women, as well as developing and hosting seminars to train and equip the church in the use of music for worship and evangelism. Tommy is a singer, songwriter, producer, performer and worship leader. He and his wife Shelley live in Nashville, Tennessee (Music City).

 

The Tommy Coomes Band is a team of 12 professional artists, songwriters, arrangers and producers formed to facilitate new forms of worship and evangelism. They have recorded 12 CD’s on Maranatha! Music, Integrity Music and their own label, and have ministered in over 28 countries on 6 continents with Billy Graham, Franklin Graham, Promise Keepers, Chosen Women, and Greg Laurie’s Harvest Crusades.

 

In their careers they have worked with artists such as Kirk Franklin, Andrae Crouch, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Quincy Jones, BeBe & CeCe Winans, Israel Houghton, Donna Summer, Michael W. Smith, Don Moen, Paul Baloche, Tommy Walker and many, many others.

 

Several of their members serve as worship leaders in their local churches and they all love to share their experience and knowledge by conducting seminars to encourage, train and equip church leaders and musicians.

 

So this man, (Tommy), walks up and hands me his card and some of his CDs, which by-the-way I’ve been wearing out driving home from Nashville and worshipping with like crazy!  Tommy is not only an exceptional musician, singer and musical artist, he is also a warm and sincere believer and now brother in Christ.  I was so blessed to meet him, and was happy to have him in our class at Dury’s!!!

 

Tommy is good friends with Phil Keagy and Ricky Skaggs so I see a great trio of believers fellowshipping on future trips to Nashville!  You can learn more about Tommy and buy his CD’s (and they are wonderful I love them all but was so blessed by My Savior’s Love! ) at:

 

 

http://tommycoomesband.com/the-band/

 

Then there was the great folks that attended my programs and the fellowship with Jackie Hillyer and Cy Franks of Fuji, and of course Ron and the great crew at Dury’s!!!  We really had a great time and I sure enjoyed sharing my love of the Fuji X-System with the good folks that attended the two classes Saturday!!!  Wow, was the response to the new Fuji X-T10 great!

 

Then of course I made it home safely last night, (thank you Lord), got to go to early church with Sherelene before she headed out to the clinic, and heard a great Father’s Day sermon from my Pastor Weyman!  …… and today I will go to see Jurassic World with Catherine and Clint, Cassidy and Cade as their Father’s Day gift to me!!  How blessed could a man be.

 

I’m headed to the Smokies tomorrow to do some scouting for a future workshop, have some great Bar-B-Q with Sherelene and then get ready to fly Wednesday at O:Dark Thirty to Portland for the Oregon Coast workshop with Jack Graham. Blessed????  You bet!!  Please pray for extra special energy for me!!!

 

 

Blessings to you, and Happy Father’s Day!

 

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After just as few days at home it’s on the road again, first as quick stop in Nashville for the Fuji X-T10 release, and then Tuesday back to the airport for a flight to Portland , Oregon for the Oregon Coast workshop with Jack Graham!  I’m really looking forward to shooting the coast with Jack, he really knows this region!  I’m trying to cut back my gear load for this trip and I’m taking the following:

 

1 – Fuji X-T1

1 – Fuji X-T10

1- Fuji X100T

 

The following lenses:  10-24   16-55   –  18-135   –   50-140   –   Nikon 200mm f 4 small telephoto

 

* I could probably leave the 18-135 at home, but I really love that lens and use it a lot! 

 

 

That will give me coverage from 15mm to 300mm in just four lenses.  I will try to keep up enough energy to show you what we are shooting and keep you up to speed on using this range of lenses.

 

I’ve really been blessed this spring and have met a lot of great people, and had some great fellowship.  Please pray for our attendees, and Jack and I, we want to really give these folks a great experience!

 

In Him, Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

If anyone had walked up to me in the last two days band said, you’ve got it made, running workshops! I might have slapped them up side the head, o.k. I wouldn’t but up at 2:45 a.m. and back into bed around 10:30 p.m. four four straight days!!!!!  The Palouse his beautiful, but this was my 8ht our ninth trip there, and probably my last.  I love the region and the people and working with Jack is a delight, noir to mention Pete and the Top Notch Cafe!  Maybe after i rest up, I will rethink it, but man is it a abeam to do a  workshop in June that far north!!!!

 

Our group was fantastic, and I enjoyed every minute with them, but an alarm at 2:45!<?*&^@*&%$!@  O.k. on to some photography.  On this trip I was shooting the new Fuji X-T10 exclusively.  I do programs in Nashville this weekend for the official release party and I wanted a good knowledge of the camera for that.  The more I shot it, the more I loved it!  Here are some images with technical info on each.

 

Abvove;  Fuji X-T10 with the 18-135 zoom lens.

 

 

Fuji X-T10 with the 18-135 at 135.

 

 

Above:  The Fuji X-T10 with the 18-135 @ 18

 

Below:  Same set-up with the advanced orange filter.

 

 

Below; a rusted implement wheel with embossed numbers, with the Fuji X-T10 and the 90mm f 2 @ f 2

 

 

Below:  painted numbers and letted ion a grain silo in late light. Fuji X-T10 and 18-135.

 

 

Oh those folds, even in last light, Fuji X-T10 and a Nikkor 300mm with adapter!

 

 

Sorry it took so long to recover!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

NEXT WEEK:  THE HIS LIGHT 2016 Schedule of Events

 

 

Running like crazy, too much to shoot, too little time, some more images from this week!

 

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim