Bring Your (Good) Camera

Posted byGary FultzPosted inabundant life, accomplishment, accountability, adventure, eternal, Faith, Fishing, fishing adventure, Gary Fultz Blog, knowing God, Nature, nature pictures, Peace, perspective, Photography, quality of life, relationship building, relationship with God, solitude, Sunset pictures, victorious livingTags:, , , , , , , , , , , ,

Yes, I totally understand if you skip my ramblings and go straight to the pictures.

Life Lessons: Learned the easy way. I have a brother who claims he has learned most of the painful life lessons by watching his older brothers and then not doing that. The skeptic in me highly doubts that, even though he has quite a list of life choices which seem divinely guided (It is). He has broken more bones than me but I have more stiches and seem to be more accident prone by sheer lopsided statistics so we are even (I think). I’m not sure how our mother made it raising seven kids with extremely high risk taking penchants.

When I was 15, I acquired a “Farm Permit” to drive a vehicle within 25 miles of our farm. The “why” escapes me to this day, what was I thinking? I had raised my hand at the boys club meeting that I could supply a car and drive 80 miles into Canada for a week long camping trip. The club expedition leaders did not check my drivers license. The Canadian officials did not check my license at the border. The United States officials did not check my license even though they totally ransacked the car. I was the oldest one in the car at 15 and looked young for my age. But, dad found out and I was in more trouble than anyone else could have put me in.

Two things. 1) We can all agree here that I wasn’t thinking. Zero. Nada. Dad claimed this happened a lot. It still does. 2) I brought my first camera and four rolls of film. I totally mis-documented the trip with poor quality photos.

I learned that in one area of my life, I could actually pay attention to the details.

I’ve stretched paying attention to detail to a few other areas thankfully over the years. My value as a husband is determined by how much I invest in my wife and our relationship. My value as a father to 3 children, the same. being I value my relationship with God, I invest alone time meeting with my creator. I value capturing good images of life around me and the beauty God created should one pay attention to detail. I think God has rewarded that in my life.

So without further explanation I want to share a couple of photos with you as the scene was gifted me while fishing a few hours ago. This is the lake we live by. The same lake I have shared many stories from and will continue as it is intertwined within me from several generations back to the homesteading days.

Pictures taken from my boat between casts and unhooking fish. I brought my good camera and three different lens options, otherwise, one cannot begin to end up with images that look like what you saw through the view finder. I shoot on settings that do not wash the color out of the picture. I put the light sensor on the brightest area of the picture. I took these shots on my sports continuous shooting settings as I was standing in the boat with a stiff wind and rough water (because the fish were biting I did not go in to shore and use a tripod). and yes, Ted…Thank you for pushing me (you may have noticed these comments in other blogs comments section). I have started putting several of my photos on a free sharing website, but that’s another blog to come.

It’s my birthday today and this comes to mind as I am retirement age: Remember your Creator in the days of your youth, before the days of trouble come and the years approach when you will say, “I find no pleasure in them” Ecclesiastes 12:1

Sigh…That’s so true.

Gary

Published by Gary Fultz

Outdoors Man, Hunter, Fisherman, Guide, Writer / Author, Photographer, Public Speaker, Musician, Song Writer, Story Teller, Follower Of Jesus. Love God and family and total strangers

62 thoughts on “Bring Your (Good) Camera”

  3. Happy birthweek, Gary. I so admire terrific outdoor shots like this. I “shutter” at the thought of missing beautiful moments without my old camera. Alas, it happens all the time. Click-away! I’ll be viewing. God’s grip – Alan

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    1. Thanks Alan, Love the play on words. I am hoping to offer neighbors who love this lake an inexpensive (but expensive looking) canvas print of their back yard lake. A fun project and a way to get to know the neighbors.

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  4. Can’t believe that you are the older brother who taught the younger brother what not to do. I always thought that you were the good brother. I noticed that in your last story of your life you included Minerva Lake rather than the boundary waters. I think that’s a real step forward. Makes me feel involved with a life that I remember but I never Saw any such dramatic pictures of Minerva lake and it’s surroundings. Keep positive as you always are.

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    1. Sorry for the deception John. I’m all better now. There is room in my heart for Minerva lake as well as Boundary waters. I admit I had to grow a bigger heart though…sigh

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  8. Wow, those sweeping clouds are something else!
    Thanks for the photo tips; I enjoy taking photos, but have never studied how-to. Looking at your photos leads me to think a bit of study might be worth the investment in time.
    Happy birthday!

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    1. The investment is sure worth it kathy. Unless it’s wildlife, I also put it on a 2 second timer and try to hold very still when the shutter clicks, otherwise the motion of clicking the button all by itself shakes the camera and it looks like focus is off at the very least….thanks for the interest and have fun

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    1. Thanks for the birthday wishes David. My reaction to what to pay attention to… Right on. That could be a book with quite a few chapters David. Perhaps a small group discussion starter type book!

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    1. Thank You, I took the last picture from the dock after landing the boat. The water looked crimson from the sky reflections. The camera never really captures everything but I could share a slice.

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  20. Thanks Much Mitch. My parents constantly took the letter P off that word. As I remember the adventure was worth the punishment in the long term. It just took a few years to earn their trust back on certain things.

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  21. Love the pictures and that you took pictures between catching fish! Sometimes the looks back at our past teenage antics, and pictures from today out on the water, help us see things we would totally miss otherwise!

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    1. Thanks Cindy, I agree. I think I am going to all the neighbors around the little lake (all 6 of them) to see if any one wants a canvas print of that sunset…I’m going to have at least one for us.

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    1. Thank You Cherie. maybe beauty could cure the ugliness of much of our world. You are one who recognizes and appreciates beauty is drawn to it, I must admit it was a “drop what you are doing” moment.

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  27. First, I am doing some catch up on blog posts, so I apologize for this belated birthday wish! I’m a stickler with time management, so it bothers me that I’m behind. LOL Second, these pictures are absolutely stunning. They could be mounted in a frame and displayed! Lastly, God has seen fit to keep you safe (even during those dumb decisions–smile). He is using your life in ways you probably can’t count or imagine. But here on this blog, definitely to bless us with your inspiring words and amazing pictures! God’s greatest blessings on you and yours!

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  28. Thank You Stephanie, your encouragement is a balm to a sometimes troubled soul. God puts someone, even in the remote woods of Mn, in my path each day it seems to speak life and encouragement into them. I’m learning to pray more. Should have done that long ago.

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  29. Lovely pictures Gary. I can feel the wind and smell the water . . .
    When those days come, we who know Him, find our pleasure the Lord, and He, in turn, revives our pleasure in His beautiful creation!
    HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
    Ron

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    1. Thank You R J
      I had a great birthday. I tend to spread it out and celebrate slowly these days. A grandson asked me how old I was. I told him I would like to have 5 birthdays a year so I can get really old and get lots of birthday gifts. He said “Grandpa that won’t work for me, all I ever get is clothes for my birthday and I don’t like clothes”

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    1. Thanks Linda. I think I am still celebrating. But the lake froze over today. Not safe to walk out more than 15 feet out yet. Ya, i tried it.
      When your ice testing pole goes through ahead of you it’s time to walk gently backwards.

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    1. High praise Wayne as you do quite well with your frames. Thank you.
      As you know, the better one gets at anything, the more they discover how much they have to learn. I’m at the discovering a lot stage.

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      1. Thanks Gary. Yes we do get better. There is always more to learn. I recently picked up the book, “The Art of Photography” that has really opened my eyes. I have so much to learn.

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    2. Those kinds of books push us to think ahead more. “What kind of shot do I want here?, depth of field? shadow and lighting” I’m studying our flag off the deck thinking “How can I get an eagle to land on it?” right now a hummingbird or a sparrow would do.

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