Monthly Archives: November 2016

 

 

 

I got my Fujifilm X-T2 just before my three workshop swing in October and early November.  I had come to love the X PRO 2 and in fact had bought a couple of them.  I was thinking that might be my body of choice!  The X-T2 has really grown on me, and in fact is my go to body now!  Don’t feel bad for the X PRO2 bodies though, they still  are still in my bag and I use them often, and still love their own special feel and class!

 

Why has the X-T2 come to the front of the line?

 

1.  The 24.3 mega pixel sensor has more resolution than it’s rating would suggest. I continue to be amazed as the rich detail and files form the camera. (O.K. the X PRO2 has the sums sensor, so this applies to that camera to!
2. The dual folding LCD is just so handy and I use it all the time, and really miss it when I’m using the X PRO2!
3. The Speed of operation is amazing.  Focusing speed, download speed, the operational parameters are all much quicker.  The camera feels very fluid and seamless in operation!
4. Te shutter release is heavenly, so smooth and so easy to use to get tack sharp images.
5. ng ISO dial is a great feature.  It’s easy to unlock and change an then you have the assurance of it being locked and not moving until you’re ready to move it!  I like the ISO dial on the X PRO2 and in spite of the criticism, I don’t think it is so bad, but the X-T2 is much better.  I wish the exposure compensation dial had gotten the same treatment.
6. When shooting vertically the Battery Booster is great for improving handling and performance. 

 

 

When I first joined the Fuji X-System family I knew I had found a camera system that simply worked, and worked great for my style of  photography.  The lens family is simply stunning and now we have two bodies great enough to take full advantage of them.  You might say I’m a real happy camper!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

The Fujifilm X-Photogrpahers Summit web page is now live!!!!  The address is:

 

www.fujifilmxphotosummits.com  

 

Please stop by and check it out and even better, go to the registration page and claim your spot.  The Summits will feature 4 X-Photographers and will be limited to 60 attnedees.  On  first come, first serve basis, please join us!!!

 

Blessings and Happy Thanksgiving,

 

the pilgrim

 

In a couple of days we will all be with friends and family celebrating Thanksgiving.  If that is not the case for you, I wish you a warm and great Thanksgiving, if you’re near me, come on over, trust me everyone else is, we have 22 coming for Thanksgiving dinner!!!  So back to my Thanksgiving thoughts.

 

I have so much to be thankful for;

 

The greatest decsion of my life was the day I asked Jesus to come into my heart and life and take over.  I’ve wrestled with Him for control most of the 54 years since, but I finally surrendered and it’s been a lot smoother sailing since then.

 

I’m married to the most beautiful, caring, kind and intelligent girl & woman!  She is truly the love of my life!

 

She has teamed up with me to have the most incredible family, three great kids, (adults now), and they have given us 6 grandchildren!  The Holidays are great when we can all be together.

 

I’ve been blessed with some wonderful friends.  Jack Graham has been such a great friend to work with teaching and running workshops together, he really makes me laugh!  Jim Haverstock has been the brother and friend that has been a constant reminder of character and class!  Jim Begley helped me start His Light Workshops and remains a dear friend.  Now that my parents are gone my brother Homer and I are what’s left of our side of the Fortney family,  I really love him!  So many other friends to count, Carl Turner, Charles Stanley and many many others!  I’m so blessed!

 

I love to make images, and hold a camera in my hands, and I’ve been blessed to be able to do it for 47 years.

 

I am so blessed that I get to write and share with others and doubley blessed that you read this stuff!  I hope it blesses you!  Thanks for coming along and Happy Thanksgiving.

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

 

 

 

 

Well, I’m at the end of another season of workshops and it’s been a  great year!!!!  I love teaching and it is really a pleasure to see so many students see their own work get better and better!  I don’t take credit for that, but I do attribute that to their hard work, but it’s nice to know I’ve steerred them in the right direction!  Around the end of each season I realize that I’ve learned even more myself and have learned some new things about how to make a workshop more fun and productive. I thought it would be nice to share those thoughts with  you!  So here goes some suggestions, insights and observations that can make 2017 even better for all of us!

 

1.  Don’t take it so serious, but then do take it serious enough!!!!  A workshop should be a lot of things; a learning expereince, a time to get better at your craft, a time to get in touch with your own visioin, and it should be fun, lots of laughter, lots of new friendss, and fellowhiop with old ones. When you get  home you should feast on all those magic moments standing before grandeur with people you really enjoyed being with!  Your goal should be to learn and put yourself under a little pressure to really get a little better, but not to the point that it ruins the fun aspect of a workshop. No none ever goes to a workshop as beginner and leaves a seasoned master of the craft, that takes time, practice and lots of field time and study!  Accept each workshop as a step in the direction you want to go to, and enjoy it!!!!!

 

2.  Come ready to embrace the experience!   Workshops are frantic and the hours are long, the learning intense and the scenery is often overwhlming!  You need to arrive at a workshp rested, and you’ll need a recovery time after one!!!   If you are rested you will learn better and hear more of what is shared with you!  Concentration is required to pick up on all the things that get shared, and passed along.

 

3.  Be sure you pick the “right” workshop!  Research the workshop company and see what others that have attended have to say about the experience. The word gets out about workshops, some are truly well planned and run by expereinced leaders that put the students first, others, not so much!  There are a lot of really good workshops run by great shooters and instructors, but some are not so well planned and not all instructors are effective teachers or care a great deal about the students learning.  That is not meant as criticism, but for the last few years I’ve been working with one of the best workshop providers in the business, Jack Graham.  Jack says he learned it all from  me, and I doubt that seriously, but if he learned anything from me, he has worked very hard to build it into much more.  You worked hard for  your money, spend it wisely!

 

4.  Know your camera!  It is very important that you know how to set your camera, and you have your camera manual close-by!  A good instructor will help you get the most out of your camera and lenses.  When the light is perfect, you want to be capturing it, not fiddling with your camera!!!!  We worry a great deal about whether or not we havve enough mega pixles, when we all  have cameras that can make amazing images, we will be better off if we simply learn how to use the camera we already have!!!!

 

5.  This is a tough one, accept that when you submit images for review that the instructors will still find areas that you need to improve on.   It’s easy to start to believe we are incredible photographers, I’ve even thought that about myself, but the reality is we are all students needing to learn more and make improvements. A review can help us sort out what we need to improve on.  If you truly want to get better, you have to accept that we are not there yet, I certainly know I’m not, and it keeps me hungry to learn and get better!

 

6.  Try to help your instructors to give you what they want you to have, a great experience!  Know that your leaders have worked really hard to be sure they get you to the best spots in the best light, (when possible), and they really want you to learn and have fun!   Understand that the leaders often get to the workshop location a few days early to finish the work they do for you. Even though it is tempting to try to find them and hang out with them for those extra days, it is not fair to the rest of the attendees if the leaders don’t get their scouting and planning finished.  The hardest thing for a leader to do is to not spend time with valued  students, in many cases old friends, but our greatest obligation is to make the right peparations for all our guests!  After all, your experience is paramount!

 

7.  Make sure that the workshop you are attending is the right level for you!   Some workshops are aimed at the beginner others to intermediate photographers some to only the very advanced!  Ask  your leaders when looking into a workshop if they think you will be a good fit for them, and they will be a good fit for you!!  A good workshop leader will not steer you wrong  just to get your money!!

 

I hope that helps as you think about where to attend a worlshop in 2017!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim