Monthly Archives: September 2015

 

 

Friday morning Jim Begley and I fly up to Halifax, to join Snake and group of friends to tour Prince Edward Island, and then join the rest of our group in Halifax to do our tour of Nova Scotia. I love this region of Canada, and the people are friendly and helpful.  We have a local photographer, Kevin Finch, who is not only a good shooter, but really knows the country!  We will be shooting the culture, the ports and fishing communities and the beautiful coast!

 

I will be in planes all day Friday, but hope to have internet service in the evenings and will blog as much as I can.  Wish you were going with us!

 

By-the-way, I spoke to SNAP (Southern Appalachian Nature Photographers) in Knoxville, Tennessee last night and we had a great time, love those folks,  it’s a great club!

 

Stay tuned!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Yes, the photo is from Maine, Acadia N.P.  Promise, I will have some Nova Scotia stuff soon!

 

 

 

Photography & Faith, that’s what it says at the top!  I endeavor to write a blog that brings photographic information, introspection, and entertainment, I also hope it brings, inspiration, challenges us, and help us become better Christians.  I got an email a few weeks back from a local person asking what kind of camera they should buy, it went something like this, “My daughter is getting married next year and I’ve always wanted to make better pictures.  I don’t have a large budget but I want something really good!?  I don’t want a big camera and bag full of lenses, just something I can make really nice photographs with, maybe a little video too???!!!”

 

I really try to help people the best I can.  I remember back to my absolute love affair with Fuji X10, which introduced me to the Fuji System.  I know a X20 came next and currently the X30 is the top of the line smaller serious camera from Fuji.  I had read some reviews and had actually considered picking one up myself, so I recommended it.  Then I decided I really missed that class of camera and bought myself one.  It is a terrific little photographic instrument.  I started thinking if I am going to recommend this to others maybe I should prove it is truly capable by taking on a future trip as my “only” camera!!!!  I started thinking I have an upcoming tour to Nova Scotia next week and maybe I should leave everything else home and just take the X30!  I talked about it with Jim Haverstock and he talked me off the ledge, but I am going to take it along with my pair of X-T1’s and the lenses and I’m going  to try use it at every location, in addition to the Fuji X-System I normally shoot.  I will post some comparison images and report over the next couple of weeks!  I already know what I will discover, if you treat any camera, even a small one like this like a real camera, it will give you really great images!!!

 

Now the Faith side of this!  I think we should be committed to live by our words, to do what we say we will do, and not offer advice or help to anyone if we are not prepared to offer something of value.  When I attempt to witness my faith I really try to be sure I’m on firm footing in the Word before I step out and share on such a meaningful subject. Do I ever mess it up?  Sure, but it isn’t because I haven’t prayed about it and tried to prepare my self for the conversation.  I know that I don’t do anything more important than when I  point people to Christ.  I just pray I prepare myself to do it  in a way that yields results for the kingdom.  Sharing our faith is not about us, it isn’t trying to prove anything, or make ourselves more holy, it’s all about Him and sharing His love and forgiveness with others.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

I’ve been following the saga of Brian Bosworth’s conversion to Christ and yesterday found an incredible talk he gave at the KKLA Mariner’s Church to a group men and athletes.  It is over an hour long, but I will make you a promise, if you INVEST an hour in this video, it will bless you beyond measure!  It has a reminded me in a fresh way just how much my salvation means to me, how thriilled I am to belong to Him, to serve Him.  Please, please, please invest the time to watch this, even if you are already a follower, it will make a difference in your life.  How many blog entries can I say I’ve offered,  that can do that?  This one will!!!

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdBQ7zcL6h8

 

Blessings and His love,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

As a Charter Member of the Bag of the Month Club, I am always excited when something new and really good comes along!  First let me share a little camera bag history with you, not the history of camera bags in general, but “my” history with them!  As a photojournalist I used the same bag virtually every other newspaper photographer used in the 70’s, a Domke bag. It was not elegant, but very functional and it was with that bag that I started to help me appreciate, the value of form and function.  I got involved in nature/outdoor photography and the backpack of choice at the time was the Lowepro All Weather Trekker series.  In the late 70’s and 80’s I owned a number of different ones of all sizes including the Pro Trekker which was so large that filled with 3 film cameras and 14 lenses it weighed almost 70 lbs.!!!!  Not doing this anymore.

 

The next bag company that really made it’s mark on the pro market was the Think Tank.  I still think they are one of premier companies out there making well designed tough camera bags that just simply work.   Then I found out about Guru Gear bags through jack Graham my teaching partner.  I knew Greg Schern from when he owned and ran Moab Paper Company.  I knew he had an eye for quality products.  When he sold that company he formed Guru Gear and they joined the ranks of the very best bags you could buy.  Well designed, top quality materials, and real form and function factors made them one of my very favorites.  I still own several.

 

Fast forward to today,  Greg and Guru Gear bought Tamrac.  Now Tamrac has for many years been very good mid-level camera bag company.  Let me explain that, in my opinion, and in only my opinion, camera bag companies fall in three categories, o.k. make that four; Pro Grade Top of the Line, Mid level, Inexpensive, and Cheap (not worth your time).  Now except for the last category, some decent bags can be had in the middle two groups.  In the Top category, they’re really terrific, and it’s a short list,, and that’s why they reside there!  ….and that is exactly where Tamrac finds itself now!!!!

 

So that bring me to today’s review of the new Tamrac Anvil 15 backpack.  Greg has folded his magic with Guru Gear into this new line and it sits squarely in the top category.  I am using the new backpack for my upcoming fall trips to Nova Scotia, Northern Ohio, the Great Smokies and Zion National Park!  I expect I will love it too.

 

 

Why would I put it in such a high category?

 

First:  build Quality.  This series of bags, and I have two, to test, the Anvil 11 and Anvil 15 are up to very high standard of the previous, Greg Schern designed, Guru Gear bags.  Top quality materials, high tech padding (ten different kinds!), YKK zippers with great zipper pulls!, clear TPU pockets you can see through and they are tough as nails.  Great organizing pockets on the  back cover and a handy and spacious laptop or iPad sleeve in the lid.  It comes with a high quality rain cover and nice wide waist belt that can double as waist belt system, with some of their handy lens holding pockets and pouches.

 

Second:  Thoughtful interior design.  The customizable main compartment is perfectly proportioned for both full size DSLR systems and smaller Mirroless systems like mine.  Illustrated in the top image is my first packing of the bag for up coming trips. The bag will comfortably hold two X-T1 bodies, and the following lenses; 10-24, 16mm f 1.4, 16-55 f 2.8, 18-135 f 3.5-5.6, 60mm Micro with automatic extension tubes, the 90mm f 2, and the 55-200 f 3.5-4.8 (or the 50-140 f 2.8).  I will also hold two chargers and 12 batteries!

 

Below, the top lid holds;  an electronic cable release, USB thumb drives, cleaning brush and compression straps (included), allen wrenches, and lens and sensor cleaning supplies. all very clearly visible, a feature I love!

 

 

 

 

Third: Someone I trust behind and backing the product.   Just I have trusted my friends at Think Tank, and continue to, I trusted Greg when I bought several Guru Gear bags, and I now am thrilled with his latest offering.  This may just be the first date, but all indications are,  this will be a lasting love affair!

 

Blessings,

 

 

the pilgrim