Flying high with scott kelby………..

No I’m not the pilot and Scott is not in this plane. Actually he and I are on the ground shooting together, but that is not the story. Please allow me to start at the beginning.

For ten years through the nineties and into early 2001, I ran the Great American Photography Workshops. We hired the absolute best nature photographers in America as the star talent at our workshops. Names like; John Shaw, Art Wolf, Galen Rowell, David Muench, Jim Brandenburg,
John Netherton, Pat O’Hara, Bryan Peterson, and on and on……. Given a couple of months they would easily fill up a workshop. Tuesday, Scott announced our Moab Event on his blog. The workshop was sold out with a 10 person waiting list in only 24 hours!

Why does Scott Kelby have such a following? Well, let’s see, he is arguably the best Photoshop instructor in the world, he is a exceptional photographer, and he is one of the best presenters, on stage, you will ever see. Want more? O.K. he is also a great musician and a one man comedy act on stage and TV. Did I mention that he is the biggest selling author in the Photoshop and Photography world by a very, very long margin? He’s also a really nice guy. In spite of all those accolades I think the reason for his phenomenal success is something completely different.

Matthew 6:33 (New Living Translation)
33 Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Simple, Scott lives his life by that scriptural principle.
I know Scott Kelby, and I know the people that are closest to Scott, and I know what they think about him and why. If you got to know “the real Scott Kelby” you would find he is a very down to earth, honest man of integrity, who cares deeply about his family and his friends, and most of all honors God in his life. Read the introduction of any of his books an you will see that the last paragraph is devoted to his thankfulness for all God has bestowed on him.
“To God and His Son Jesus Christ: Thank you for always hearing my prayers, for always being there when I need You, for blessing me with such a wonderful joy-filled life, and such a warm loving family to share it with.” Scott Kelby
There are several ways to display your faith. Some shout it from the hill tops, I guess I fall into that category, and for some people that is how God chooses to use them. Honestly even more effective is what people learn about God by how they see you live, that is the category Scott falls into. Ask anyone that really knows Scott how he treats his friends, family and complete strangers. The answer will explain it all. His day to day life is his proclamation of faith.
I’ve always been honored to call Scott Kelby my friend, and we are joined together by a love for many of the same things, the most important being, that God that has given us all we have or could ever hope for!

the pilgrim

* Photo note: Sun n’ Fun 2010, with Scott, D700 – 70-300 AFS VR.