I’m pleased to announce a new series of workshops, The Master Class!  What is the Master Class and why now???

 

What:  For a long time I have wanted to create a new and unique form of a workshop.  An intimate gathering of  just 5 attendees and myself.  Highly personal, hands on work in the field and sharing in a classroom setting, not lectures, just a lot of image reviews and discussion about techniques and the asthetics to shooting and composing great images. The workshop would be limited to advanced intermediate to advanced photographers.  If I am not familiar with your work, a portfolio would have to be submitted for review, for acceptance into the class. All Master Classes would be a Wednesday night to Sunday morning in length and the fee would be $950.

 

Why:  This year, 2019, I am celebrating my 50th year as a serious photographer, many of those years as a working pro.  I’ve been a newspaper photojournalist, (during those years I was counted among a team of shooters to win a Pulitzer Prize),  AP rep, magazine photojournalist, medical photographer sports photographer, (Once the offficial photographer for the Washington Redskins NFL team).  I worked with Homeland Security and NASA on photographic projects and shuttle launches.  I’ve covered counless air shows including, Osh Kosh, Sun n’ Fun and many Reno Air Races.   I started and ran one of the most successful wsorkshop franchises in photography, The Great Ameircan Photography Weekends, His Light Workshops and now The Master Class.  I have been teaching with Jack Graham in his Jack Graham Photography Workshops series for the past 6 years, and will be again in 2019!  Early in my workshop career I taught with and became friends with the legends of our business; Art Wolfe, John Shaw, Bryan Peterson, the late Galen Rowell, the late John Netherton, Jim Brandenburg, Jim Sugar (both of National Geographic), George Lepp, David Middleton, Pat O’Hara, Rod Planck, Ken Jenkins, L.L.Rue Jr. and Sr. and many many more!  I was named a a Fellow by the prestigous North American Nature Photographer’s Association. I’ve written or produced 5 coffee table books three of which have been runaway best sellers, 12 eBooks and countless magazine articles in leading photography magzines.

 

 So, Why?  I’m ready to share all I’ve learned from all of these wonderful photographers and teachers and countless experiences!  I think I have a lot to share to help others reach their full potential as a photographer!

 

2019 Master Class Workshkops and Dates:

 

 

March 27th-31st  – Old Car City and the Southeast Train Museum  Americana Shooting.   Full details upon registration.

 

May 22nd to 25th  –  Shaker Village at Pleasant Hill Kentucky –  Historic Shaker Village, Kentucky Horse Farms.    Americana Shooting

Full details upon registration.

 

July 31st to August 3rd  –  Close-up school in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – Cades Cove   Full detail upon registration.

 

December 4th to 8th  Christmas in the Great Smoky Mountains

Full details upon registration.

 

How to register:

SPACES WILL BE FILLED ON A FIRST COME – FIRST SERVED BASIS.

Contact me by email:  billfortney@earthlink.net    or         billfortneyphoto@gmail.com to express interest

or call me at:   (606)-528-6119

                             (606)-344-0455

 

Thanks, and be blessed,

 

the pilgrim

 

Corbin, Kentucky is becoming a great little community for downtown resteraunts and the most recent, Shep’s Place is a great bar food spot!  I tried their burger tonight and wow a 5 pickle burger done right!  Flat top grill, can be order medium, which I highly recommend, wonderful bun, Hellman’s mayonaise, American cheese.  This was a nice big, I’m guessing 1/2 pounder, burger.

 

The owner, Mark Shepperd has done it right.  My cook tonight was Jeff Adams, great job Jeff and our server was Gina Allen, a very good server indeed.  But it all comes back to that burger!  If you are in Corbin it’s right on Main Street.  Drop in and let them delight you too!!

 

5 Pickles!!!!!!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim

This weekend I will be attending and speaking at the Southeastern Photojournalism Conference in Nashville, TN.  I’m always thrilled to attend this conference and this year I get to be a part of something very special  a Lifttime Achievement Award for Dr. Charles Stanley!  We will also be    joined by Ricky Skaggs who will also make a presentation!!!

 

I will share images and news from the conference over the weekend!

 

What a blessing,

 

the pilgrim

 

Boy, did I get emails!!!!!  Fair enough, let me address them.  Am I a member of the bag of the month club?  You bet, in good standing too!  I thought you used a rolling bag, do you?  Yes, when I travel by air and have to walk through airports, you bet, a rolling bag is the easiest to mange. What are the Donke bags for?  Glad you asked.  I love the Jim Domke inspired canvas bags, they are such a part of my heritage as a shooter.  When I was a photojournalist, long long ago in a galaxy far far away, I used the famous Domke F-2 bag to carry two Nikons and four lenses, almost everybody did.  It was actually the official bag of the White House Press Photographers Association, of which I was once a member!  That bag is still a mainstay for photojournlists using mostly Nikons and Canons, (translation big bulky DSLRs and lenses).

 

When I went to the Fujifilm X System (mirrorless) I need smaller bags with smaller compartments to match my new lighter and smaller system.  I was thrilled that some of Jim Domke’s smaller bags were a perfect fit!

 

Why a three bag system.  Let’s clear this up, when I travel in my SUV which is by far, by way far, my favorite way to travel.  I prefer smaller bags that I can actually carry if I need to.  These Domke bags are perfect and I have broken them into three catagories;

 

Domke F-6   Field Work Bag   (Range 15mm – 200)

Most coverage regardless of  bulk and weight.

 

X-H1 body

X-T3 or X-T2 body

10-24 f 4

18-135 f 3.5-5.6

16mm f 1.4

60mm f 2.4 Macro & Ext tubes

 

 

 

Domke F-5XB   People/Speed Bag   (Range 35mm – 85)

Avaialble light, people and low light work.

 

X-Pro 2 Body

23mm f 2

56mm f 1.2

 

 

 

 

Domke F-803   Travel  Bag   (Range 27mm – 300)

Most coverage at the least bulk and weight. Small and portable.

 

X-H1 or X-T3

27mm f 2.8

18-55  f 2.8-4

50mm f 2

55-200 f 3.5-4.8

 

By having these “systems” pre-packed I can grab the one that suites where I’m going and packed with what I know I will need.  Of coure any of this can be altered if the assignment, most of mine now are self assignments,  changes.

 

I still using rolling cases for air travel, and I still have special bags when the need arises, too many in fact, but this is a system that I think will work for me!

 

What about the beloved 100-400  It in a very nice padded Think Tank lens case all to itself, and it will always be be in the SUV with me!

 

Food for thought, please chime in your ideas, thoughts and questions!

 

Blessings,

 

the pilgrim