A photographer’s life……….

It’s July, and in Tech Rep terms, that means, very few meetings or conventions, it’s vacation season for most of my clients. Other than some phone calls, emails ,and calling on some papers, and other pro calls, it’s the second slowest period of the year, the other being mid to late December. Everything in your office that has been put off for months now gets some attention. This is a project, that I will start today, but will mostly complete on my own time. Facing on the inevitable, what to do with 42 years of images. Except for the last nine years of digital work, you’re looking at the net photographic result of one man’s photographic career.

This is my projection/editing room in my up stairs offices of my home. Two four drawer file cabinets (filled to the brim), 16 boxes of paged slides, and 53 slide trays of 35mm color slides that have to be sorted, scanned, (only a small percentage), and finally carried out to the trash. Keep in mind these are supposed to be the edits, the keepers, over 50,000 color transparencies. In a closet nearby are over 15,000 Black & White negatives. This process is going to be a major trip down memory lane for me.

With every page of slides the memories of great shooting trips, workshops, students long lost from my life, friends, and associates, all of whom, like myself have gotten much older, some are even gone. Even with all of this you see before you, I can still remember, the first time I pressed a camera to my face and squeezed the shutter release. In the past 42 years, I’ve driven over a million miles, flown three quarters of a million more. I’ve photographed in virtually every one of the 50 United States, many times, add Africa, The Galapagos Islands, South America, Europe, Canada, Nova Scotia, the list goes on. I’ve shot underwater video around the Caribbean, flown 500 feet above the ground in ultralight airplanes, logging over 150 hours in 90 locations from coast to coast. Photographed 6 sitting Presidents of the United States, Photographed and or interviewed over 70 celebrities including, Johnny Unitas, Paul Bear Bryant, Barbara Mandrell, Red Skelton, Harrison Ford, and many more. I’ve been to multiple Masters Golf Tournaments, Shuttle Launches, Air Shows & Races, sporting events, the Pan Am Games, many NFL football games, numerous college football and basketball games, countless other major events. During the GAPW days I was honored to teach with and become friends with; John Shaw, Art Wolfe, David Middleton, David and Mac Muench, John Netherton, Galen Rowell, Jim Brandenburg, Jack Dykinda, Jeff Foote,Tom Mangelsen, Cliff Zenor, Rod Planck, Lenny and Len Rue, George Lepp,
Bob Krist, Bryan Peterson, Moose Peterson, Joe McNally, Scott Kelby, Matt Kloskowski, RC Concepcion, Pat O’hara, Larry West, Chuck Summers, and Jim Begley. Then there is the Nikon NPS team, Scott Diussa, Bill Pekala, Fred Sisson (now retired) and the rest of the great group I call my work family. Add to that list wonderful friendships with Charles Stanley, Chuck Summers, Jim Begley, Don Nelson, Stan Burman, and Ricky Skaggs, the blessing are really mounting up…… The list could go on and on but I will spare you.

Please believe me, I’m not bragging, I’m praising God. When I start looking through these slide pages and trays, I know memories will well up in me that will bring a lot of smiles and a few tears. I am no one special that should have deserved this kind of life, I didn’t do anything to warrant these kinds of blessings. My life as a photographer has been a blessing of grace, from God. Early on in my career, after surviving cancer at age thirty five I dedicated the rest of my life and work to honoring Him. In turn He gave me this great gift called, a photographer’s life.

He wants to do the same for you, all it takes is turning it all over to Him, and asking that everything good that comes into you life, would cast the glory onto Him.

Start your adventure today,

the pilgrim

*Photo Note: Nikon D3s, 16-35 AF-S VR with a bounced Nikon SB-900 Speedlight.