By Ted Grussing
… five years ago when I was visiting my daughter and her family, Ted and I went down to the harbor and out on the fish cleaning docks and a few people were cleaning their catch. What could a guy ask for more than that, and the gulls and pelicans were vying for the food that was tossed back into the water … this guy was no exception and he made this slight turn inches off the water before going for the reward. His gear (webbed feet) are on the way down and a brief moment later he hit the water and the prize was collected.
I was looking at the metadata and this was about my last fling with the Canon 7D MK II … I have a love hate with the 7D and 7D MK II bodies. Owned 3 of the 7D’s and 2 of the 7D MK II’s. Makes no sense, but I kept hoping it would deliver what I wanted under conditions I wanted. Not to put the camera down as Canon has sold a ton of them and a lot of very fine photographers love the camera. Used the 24/70 lens which I absolutely love.
Heading back up to HMB sometime in March for a couple of days and hoping for some beach shooting, seagulls and of course Filoli Gardens. Things like the partial tulip last night and the seagull tonight are what keep me at it. I have a different way of viewing the world than most people and it is through the limited view of the viewfinder … searching for that perfect combination of subject matter, composition and balance that creates a narrative from perhaps 1/2500th of a second … all of the photos in my new book, and there are close to one hundred of them represent about 1/4th of a second in real time … but the narrative goes on for much longer.
Time to wrap the day and it was a good one. A close friend was here for a terrific visit … we both started at Macalester College at the same time; if I recall correctly he saw the Dean, just after the Dean had expelled me and was told that if he continued to follow in my footsteps, he would be next. He corrected course and excelled in everything academic and I enlisted in the USAF on the way home … I thrived in the USAF and when you get to learn electronics and nuclear weapons and are trusted to work on them at age 18, how good life is! Wouldn’t change anything in my life; it has made me who I am and I happen to like me. So it was a day that will last and bring smiles for a long time as we reminisced and drank wonderful espresso … Yemen Mokka.
Have a beautiful day, be kind and take the time to look in the mirror this morning, smile and tell yourself that you love yourself … it is a good thing to do.
Cheers,
Ted
For a few hours here in the still morning I wash myself clean of civilization, and purge myself of things and the accumulated rubbish of time.
I push back history, dismiss interpreters, and stand erect before the dawn, looking the universe in the face, and asking my own questions.
Tomorrow I shall return to the human wheels; but now I defy the world of customs and laws, of sophistry and serfdom; and I yield myself childlike
to the light and the air and the sweet scented dew.
— Max Ehrmann
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The easiest way to reach Mr. Grussing is by email: ted@tedgrussing.com
In addition to sales of photographs already taken Ted does special shoots for patrons on request and also does air-to-air photography for those who want photographs of their airplanes in flight. All special photographic sessions are billed on an hourly basis.
Ted also does one-on-one workshops for those interested in learning the techniques he uses. By special arrangement Ted will do one-on-one aerial photography workshops which will include actual photo sessions in the air.
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