Monthly Archives: May 2016

 

Jack and I had a great group of folks and really enjoyed one of the most beautiful National Parks!  Olympic is so diverse and we had great conditions to capture it’s wonderful features, here are a few more, the X PRO 2 is really excelling as a nature camera!

 

 

 

After we finished the workshop, Jack and I came back to Seattle so I could fly to Florida on Monday.  Mike, the president of the Indianapolis Camera Club who hosted me last weekend had a great image of a interesting building, I asked him where he shot it, I couldn’t get there fast enough!!  Turned out it is the EMP Museum in “SEATTLE”!!!!  Jack and I got over to it today and boy is it a fun building to photograph!  Here is my take from today!

 

 

 

 

This Frank Gehry designed building is a photographer’s dream!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

All images with the Fuji X PRO 2 and the 18-135 lens.  The close-up with with the 16mm Fuji Automatic Extension tube.

 

 

Sorry I’ve been so long getting anything up, these workshops this time of the year are dawn to dusk and those are long days!!!!   Jack and I have a great group and we have been wringing out everything we can from the light and conditions, which have not been perfect, but we are sure having fun!

 

Here are some samples!

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed them!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

For a couple of weeks I have been inundated with emails about the rumor that Fuji has decided not to make the 120mm f 2.8 Macro lens that goes 1:1!  First I do not know whether that is true or not.  I’m sure Fuji will produce some kind of longer focal length Macro lens, until they do I have a my Macro System; the 90mm f 2!!

 

Below is a series of images made with the 90mm lens, each are labeled.  The 90mm f 2 is one of the very sharpest lenses I’ve ever shot, maybe “the most”!  If you have the two Fuji automatic extension tubes ( the MCEX-16 and the MCEX-11), and if you can pick up a high quality two element diopters like the old Nikon 5T and 6T you can do a lot of close-up work to beyond life size or 1:1.

 

 

My example is a cigar box art, the image below is for your perspective.

 

 

Bottom Line:  Macro lenses are convenient and I’m sure at some point Fuji will offer us an upgrade in terms of focal length to the current 60mm Macro, which is an excellent lens, but does not offer a ton of working distance, until then, the Fuji 90mm f2, automatic extension tubes and diopters are a great solution!  If you happen to own the Fuji 1.4 converter you can put that behind the two extension tubes stacked and get even closer!  Fun stuff!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

I just returned to a trip out to Topeka, Kansas to visit with my wonderful Fuji buddies Jackie Hillyer and Cy Franks and the great folks Wolfe’s Camera.  What a fin store and a top notch staff!  I did a talk for them and a photo walk over to the Capital which has just undergone a multi, multi million dollar renovation and it is one of the nicest capitals I’ve ever photogrpahed!  One of our folks we met was Ken Metz, a terrific photographer from the Topeka area and retied Kansas State trooper.  Meeting the Wolfe folks, and Ken and getting to spend time with Jackie and Cy was a real pleasure.  i also met a young man named Jesse who will become my next scholarship student!  All told it was worth the 25 hours of diving to get to and from Topeka!

 

Before I went to Topeka, Sherelene and I joined her sister Debi and her husband Eddie for a trip to  uffalo Trace Distillery and to Keeneland for the Spring races, I got a few shots at Buffalo Trace.  Below are some of the images from these trips!  Next up, a weekend in Indianapolis with Robert’s Camera and the Riviera Camera Club!

 

Our group in Topeka for the walking tour of the capital.

 

The famous Kansas historic figure John Brown!

 

Some of my images from Buffalo Trace;

 

Barrell stencil.

 

Lots of history and a lot of driving for one week!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

Bourbon note!   When a young college student I consumed more than my share of Kentucky Bourbon, but I no longer drink, well, and occasional glass of wine, but I got most of that out of my system in college.  I do not judge anyone that drinks, I hope they do it in moderation and stay off the road when they do, but as part of my faith I’ve given up hard liquor, but Bourbon  is a part of the history of my state and that history interests me, even if I did not sample any, even when a guest there!  Just so you know!

 

Photo Note:  All images Fuji X PRO 2 and 10-24, 18-135, and 16mm f 1.4.