Thrilled to have the Sony RX100 Mark VI

So today I finally upgraded to the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  It doesn't have the apps from the Sony Play Memories App store.  Which is OK because I have all the apps on the Sony RX10 Mark II.  I have to buy an adapter to attach filters to the lens.  Which is OK again because I don't think I'll be upgrading cameras for a while unless I upgrade to the Sony RX10 Mark IV.  I think the next item on my wish list will be the 2018 iPad Pro with the 512GB hard drive.

Today is December 31, 2018.  Last day of the month and year.  I am looking forward to 2019 and see what the year brings.  The girlfriend is sick so we shall see if she comes to Parc Omega with me tomorrow.  We were going to go to the movie today but I think that's out of the question.  In mid February, I'll start looking for a job out in Calgary.  I cannot stand living in Ottawa anymore.

Tomorrow I am looking forward to using the Sony RX100 Mark VI at Parc Omega.  I have a 128GB card in the camera so that should be enough for all the photography and footage.  I just have to bring a few batteries with me.  That's the only thing that I'm not impressed with, with the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  Battery life is atrocious with Sony cameras.  We shall see tomorrow how many I will need for a day of shooting.

I am also looking forward to moving out west to Calgary.  I do miss the mountains.

So the new year is coming

2019 is here in a couple of days and I cannot wait.  I haven't done much photography this year but that is changing.  I've told the girlfriend every Saturday this year is mine and mine alone to do what I want to do.  So I will be doing photography every Saturday this year.  No matter where it is, it will be photography.  I'm planning on going to Parc Omega every Saturday until the end of March until we leave for Calgary.  Even out west, every Saturday will be mine to do photography.  It will be luckily in the mountains out west.  

I need to do more photography for my sanity.  It's the only thing that brings joy and peace into my life.  I work all week and don't do much on weekends.

The trouble with Sony

So I upgraded my Sony RX100 Mark V.  I actually got the new body instead of fixing the broken Mark V.  I'm on my second body here and I can't for some reason upgrade the firmware or install any of the apps that I've purchased.  I still have the old broken Sony RX100 Mark V which connects fine.  I also have the Sony RX10 Mark II which connects fine with Windows 10.  I cannot figure out why this new body will not connect and update the firmware and install the apps.  I've disabled the firewall and antivirus software.  It's really weird.  I've copied all the settings from the broken RX100 Mark V body and verified the settings are the same on the new body.  It is screwed up.

Windows 10 or any Microsoft operating system

Versus Linux, Mac OS, Unix, the Windows 10 operating system is a dysfunctional disaster.  It's a disappointment.  On my early 2013 MacBook Pro, the fans hardly ever ramp up.  Only when editing 4k footage, would the fans ramp up and run hot.  With Windows 10 running on my Asus laptop, just running Firefox the fans ramp up.  I can't wait to edit footage or photos on the laptop.  Windows basically is crap on a hard drive.  

I work with Windows 10 all day with my full time job.  It spies on you sending everything back to Microsoft.  It's the Google Android of the laptop/desktop computer market.  I've never had a problem with editing photos or 1080p footage on my MacBook Pro.  I cannot wait to get my Apple iPad Pro.  I think though with the bendgate problems with the iPads, I'll wait for the next itineration of the Apple iPad.  I can't justify a $2000+ product coming out bent out of shape from the factory.  No company is perfect but come on Apple.  The iPad comes out bent and it's a part of the manufacturing process.

I actually don't know if I even want the Apple iPad.  I have two decent laptops that can edit photos and footage pretty well.  Actually the MacBook Pro with Final Cut Pro X is pretty amazing.  I think this weekend I'll wipe the machine and do a clean install of Mojave on it.  Install all my regular programs and just use it to edit photos and footage.  Thankfully I got rid of the iMac.  That was an eyesore if I ever saw one.

I honestly don't know what 2019 will bring.  I know by April I do not want to be in Ottawa and Ontario.  I want to be in Calgary and be living close to the mountains.  I want to take two weeks and head down south thru Montana, Utah, Colorado to Arizona, up thru California and see the coast.  I would love to do photography and shoot some footage out there.  That is my goal for next year.

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone.

December 2018 = BME this year

December 2018 has so far been my best month this year.  The month and year are not over yet but I've sold more this month than most months combined.  Thanks to a few video sales this has been a pretty good month.

I am looking forward to 2019.  I think there will be a few massive changes.  I'm going to start looking for a job out west.  I cannot stand Ottawa and Ontario any more.  There is nothing to do here.  I loved being out west in the mountains.  I love nature and I love being out in the mountains.  The air is so fresh.  I love the mountain landscape.  I want to do some astrophotography in the mountains..  One of my goals is take a week or two off and just travel down to Arizona to do some road trip photography. I cannot wait to get out there.

That is all for now.

Fourth best month ever!!! So far.

The month isn't over yet and I'm having a pretty good month so far on Shutterstock thanks to a few video sales.  One particular one for $104.70 is simply outstanding.  And the month still has just under two weeks left in it.  I know next week will be slow because of Christmas.  I figure I won't make any sales in Europe, North and South America, Australia and basically any Christian nation because everyone will be celebrating with their families.  I hardly sell anything in any Middle Eastern countries or in Asian countries.  Although I sell a few there a few times a month, it's rare that I do.

I want to upgrade a few of the internals in my Asus laptop.  I want to upgrade the hard drives to SSD drives and I want to add 16GB of RAM to get a full 32GB.  I also want to upgrade the operating system to Windows 10 Professional instead of Windows 10 Home.  I got rid of my 2015 Apple iMac and I'm thinking no one will buy the early 2013 Apple MacBook Pro so I might just keep it to run Final Cut Pro X on it.

The next big purchase will be the Apple iPad Pro.  The 512GB version with the 12.9" screen.  I already have the cameras I need.  I bought the Sony RX100 Mark V again.  I'm still wanting to get the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I think I will get that in the new year.

Sales on Shutterstock

Sales on Shutterstock are actually picking up.  I've sold more this month so far than I have sold in the past two months combined.  I've sold three footage clips which make up the majority dollar value of said sales.  A lot of subscriptions have been sold as well.

It's kind of funny but I haven't sold a photo on Pond5 or Storyblocks in a long time.  I think I've sold one photo between the two sites.  I've sold one clip on Pond5 in the past month and nothing in months on Storyblocks.  I still upload in the hopes of making sales in the future.  There is always hope for a sale here and there.

You can always see my portfolios on the right hand side of the main page on my blog.  You can also become a customer or contributor and help me out by buying or selling on Shutterstock.  It's a great passive income for photographers and the prices are great for customers as well

And on this day...

... I got another Sony RX100 Mark V.  I was going to get an Apple iPad Pro 2018 today but just came up financially short.  I wanted to get the Sony RX100 Mark VI today but I'll probably get that one in 2019 along with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I just needed a backup camera quick today so if anything happens to my Sony RX10 Mark II, I'll have a backup for now.  I pretty much spent the day alone today which some days is needed.  I didn't even get a haircut today.  Tomorrow I guess.

I've been trying to upgrade the firmware on the Sony RX100 Mark V for about 2 hours without any success.  I've followed the instructions on both my Apple and Asus laptops and the connection keeps failing.  Both computers recognize the camera but neither will connect to it to run the update.  It's pretty weird.  I will try again tomorrow.

I also purchased Serrif' Affinity Photo for the Windows 10 laptop today.  I actually want to start using it in full in the new year.  I am glad I no longer use and pay for Adobe Photoshop.

My last day.

Today is my last day with an Apple computer.  I am selling my early 2013 MacBook Pro and my late 2015 Apple iMac with the 27 inch 5k monitor.  I am buying a 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I'm going to get the 512GB storage model with 4GB of RAM.  I have external storage that I can use with the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I am really looking forward to my new purchase and get away from desktop and laptops.

I'm selling my iMac on Kijiji and the people trying to buy it are ridiculous.  Some people are offering me like $150 or $300 which is an insult.  I honestly hate haggling over price.  I just want to sell it so I can get my iPad.

I hope this week ends soon.

Yes it's Christmas time.  It's extremely stressful at work now.  Deployments all over the place.  On the home front, I got the new Windows laptop on Monday and I've been running Windows updates since then.  I truly hate Windows.  I was thinking this week just to install Linux on it but there aren't any good photo editing apps on Linux.  So for now, I think I will just stick with Windows 10 till I get the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.

 

I think the girlfriend and I are going to head to Montreal this Saturday to one of the nature museums to see some animals.  Parc Omega is charging $33 per person to get in right now which is ridiculous for an entrance fee.  But my photography sales more than make up for it.  I just wish weekends were a bit longer and I could do photography full time.  That is the plan anyways.

Finally did it.

Switched to a Windows 10 laptop.  The hardware is great.  Great screen.  Fast bootup times.  No memory issues whatsover.  I will upgrade the second hard drive to a 1TB SSD instead of the 1TB 5400RMP mechanical hard drive.

So far I've noticed this laptop has a better keyboard.  Hard drive and memory are much faster and the graphics card is great.  I still haven't shot some footage to edit on this Windows 10 laptop.  I'm hoping I can do that this weekend.

The only bad thing about this laptop is the operating system.  Windows in all it's glory is a colossal failure.  Windows started sucking with Windows 8.  This is my first full day with the machine and I'm still running Windows updates on it.  It's been like this since about ten last night.  I have fast internet at home and at work and it's taking forever.  I would have been done with OS X updates already.  I am looking forward to getting the Apple iPad in the near future.

I have most of the programs I use to edit photos and footage on.  I'm just missing a video editor and Affinity Photos.  I think I'll get those this week when I get paid on Friday. 

I am finally doing it.

I've got my big 2015 Apple iMac formatted and at some point later this week, I'll format my early 2013 MacBook Pro and bring both to the Bayshore Apple store and get some credit for both computers to get my 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I'm only going to get the 512GB model as I have two external hard drives that I can use to back up my photos and footage.  There is a small device you can buy online that can be used with the iPad to attach external hard drives to backup my photos and footage.  

I am so excited.  I need to upgrade my computer equipment.  When I get my tax return in March I will buy my Sony RX100 Mark VI.  My Sony RX10 Mark II is a fantastic camera that I am using right now.  I just want the Sony RX100 Mark VI as a backup camera or main camera when I'm going downtown to photograph street life.

I cannot wait for 2019 to come.  I think there will be a lot of new and exciting changes next year.

Need some photos, footage or some illustrations?

If your website needs some professionally shot photos, footage or some other art work, you can purchase it here at Shutterstock.  I've been a contributor for almost 5 years now and if I needed something for my website or YouTube channel, I'd buy it at Shutterstock.  Shutterstock offers affordable plans from a small blog to a multinational corporation.

Another great place to get photos and footage is Pond5.  I prefer both Pond5 and Shutterstock as they are both great sites for both the contributor and the customer with fantastic support and fantastic photos, footage and illustrations for any kind of website or documentary.  Please stop by and purchase something during the Christmas season.

Some good news. Some bad news.

So I have a friend from high school who works as the finance manager at a local Jeep dealership here in Ottawa.  Hopefully on Monday before three in the afternoon I will get a good news phone call from him telling me I got the 2018 2 door Jeep Wrangler.  The only thing that's not good news is this past year I co-signed a loan for my girlfriend for a 2015 Jeep Patriot.  Her ex really did a number on her credit and now it affects me.  Maybe I shouldn't have signed it but I thought it would be better for her to not pay 20% interest on a loan.  Instead we cut it down to 8% I think.  Now it affects me which totally sucks.

I do hope I get the Jeep Wrangler.  I totally hate the Hyundai Elantra.  It's not good for my body anymore.  I find it difficult to get in and out of the vehicle.  After driving my girlfriend' Jeep Patriot I enjoy the SUV much more.  We shall see on Monday.

I was hoping to do some photography today but it's just so cold out.  It was -14 degrees celsius this morning and now it's -7 degrees celsius.  I think I need to do more photography at Parc Omega which I can do from the warmth of my car.  I haven't been to Parc Omega in a month.  The girlfriend doesn't like doing the photography thing.  That is not good for the relationship as I love photography and shooting footage of nature, landscape and animals.

I actually have a day...

...to myself.  Girlfriend is gone out with friends so I have the day to myself where I can do what I want and where I want.  I just finished breakfast and I think it's time to go buy a new vehicle.  I've been wanting a Jeep Rubicon for about the past year.  I've been driving a 2015 Hyundai Elantra and I can't stand the car anymore.  I just need a bigger vehicle.  Since I'll be moving out west in early next year, you need a bigger vehicle out west.

I also bought a new laptop.  It's a Windows 10 based laptop.  I'll be using it a backup to my new 2018 iPad Pro whenever I buy that.  I still don't trust that an iPad can be total desktop replacement.  Apple laptops now are way too expensive for what they are.  You cannot even replace or upgrade any parts so bye bye Apple laptops.  I'll be selling my early 2013 Apple MacBook Pro and my late 2015 Apple iMac at some point this year.  Well, whenever I get my new Windows 10 laptop.  I plan on upgrading the hard drives and adding more RAM to the new laptop.

Time to go get a new vehicle.

Head west middle aged man!!!!

I have pretty much made up my mind to head out west in the spring of 2019.  I've been living in Ottawa since 1983 I absolutely despise living here.  The winters are harsh and the summers are short. I realize it's pretty much the same in Calgary weather wise.  Ottawa is located in eastern Ontario in a valley that spreads pretty far and wide.  So you get damp winters with lots of snow and a lot of rain in the summer which turn out to be hot and muggy.

When I was in Calgary last year, I loved it from the start.  I could see the mountains whenever I wanted.  They were a 45 minute drive.  I'd spend every weekend travelling the mountains exploring what I could.  Photography and shooting footage was an incredible experience.  

I did not make any friends when I was out in Calgary as I was basically working all the time and travelling on weekends.  If I was at home, I'd be FaceTiming with my girlfriend.  I wasn't going to the gym then as I am right now.

I am planning on going to Calgary in late March 2019 or early April 2019.  Hopefully I will have a job in Calgary by then.  I hope the NDP is out of power by then so the economy will pick up and people can start working again.  My plans are to work, work out and get healthy and do more photography and shoot more footage.  That would make me really happy.

It's been busy

I haven't been out with the cameras in weeks.  I miss it.  I really do miss doing photography and shooting footage.  I think it's time to make a few changes in my personal life.  I have to clean house as they say.  I think a few life changes are in order again.  Work has been busy as I'm training two new guys.  We've been going to the gym 3-5 times a week.  I've got two hernias that I have to take care of.  Went to a clinic to get some ultrasounds done today and actually get some pictures taken of the hernias.

Thankfully it's the weekend in one more day and I get to relax.  Girlfriend has a lunch date with some girlfriends so I get some time alone finally.  So I'll just take the camera out and do some photography on Saturday since I haven't done it in ages.

2018 Apple iPad as a computer replacement

So I'm 100% sure I'll be replacing my early 2013 MacBook Pro and late 2015 Apple iMac with a 2018 Apple iPad Pro later next year.  Considering I only write this blog, visit a few websites, edit photos and videos on my laptop and PC, I'm pretty sure the 2018 Apple iPad can handle all of my needs.  I visit maybe 10 websites that I can use Safari on.  I'll need an FTP client upload my videos and photos to sites like Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.

I want to get the 12.9" with the 1TB HD and the 6GB of RAM model.  Go big or go home as they say.  I don't who "they" are but "they" are right.  From the benchmarks that I've been seeing on Youtube videos, the 12.9" iPad outperforms both of my computers by a huge margin.  The only thing I'm worried about is space because I do shoot a lot of photos and videos.  I'm sure I can find a work around to upload my raw files to an external hard drive.  Apple will have to give the iPad some support for external hard drives.  I can use the Apple Pencil 2 as a mouse.  iOS still has to be upgraded to access a better file system.

I will also be using an Apple iPhone for the foreseeable future.  As much as I like Android phones, the Apple ecosystem is much better.  I find the apps in the Apple ecosystem are much better built and provide much more enjoyment and entertainment.  Youtube, Netflix are my go to media consumption apps.  I use a few astronomy apps such as Star Walk 2, PolarAlign, Solar Walk to name a few.  There are a few apps I would like to get once I buy the iPad such as Affinity Photo for the iPad and Luma Fusio to edit my footage to upload to my micro stock sites.  

All in all I think I'll get the Apple iPad in March of 2019 once I get enough money saved up.

One more month to go

So we have just one month to go in 2018.  I am looking forward to 2019 and see what the year holds for myself and my girlfriend.  My current contract will probably end at the end of February.  I really don't want to be in Ottawa or Ontario in April.  So we are looking for jobs out west. 

On another note, going to the gym has its benefits.  I feel stronger and healthier.  I have more energy and I actually look forward to going to the gym.  I haven't weighed myself but I probably have gained weight due to increased muscle mass.

On the photography and footage side of things, November sucked.  I sold one video on Pond5, nothing on Storyblocks and barely made payout on Shutterstock.  I think 2019 should be better.  At least I hope it is.  This year has been a disappointment in the way of photography and footage sales.  I haven't sold $1000 worth of photographs or footage on Shutterstock yet.  I really need to start going back to Parc Omega more often to get more footage and photographs.  I really do enjoy it there.  I haven't taken a day off of work since I started this contract back in March of this year mainly because I've been the only tech here.

I've still been saving for the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  Instead of getting the DJI Mavic Pro 2 with my tax return money, I've decided to get the 2018 iPad Pro with the 1TB of hard drive space.  I am going to sell my 2015 Apple iMac and just keep the 2013 Apple MacBook Pro until I can make sure I can fully do my photography and footage business on the 2018 Apple iPad.  I think it might take me a month or two to get used to just working on the Apple iPad.  I do wish Apple will upgrade iOS so it's more of a competitive operating system.

I just want to use my Sony RX10 Mark II, Sony RX100 Mark VI, Canon Vixia HF G40 and the Apple iPad Pro for my photography business.

Finally getting some help at work. Maybe!

It's been a month and half since I came back to my employer.  I was supposed to get some help a month ago but that didn't pan out.  Then I was supposed to get some help two weeks ago.  That din't pan out either.  Then I was supposed to get some help this week.  I was supposed to get help this week but that is not happening.  Again.  I.T. is becoming a total crap show.  Working for government is a waste.  So much red tape, they have meetings about meetings about meetings.  People are so oblivious of what's happening inside the government, they're too blind to see it or wilfully ignorant of the facts.  It has gotten worse since the election of twinkle toes back in 2015.  

I want to start and run a streamlined and transparent photography business.  I haven't shot a wedding in years.  I try and stay away from weddings.  I'm thinking of running a travel photography type business.  Of course there are positive and negatives to that.  

I am getting really tired.  I haven't been on a vacation in months.  I haven't taken a day off in months because I'm the only guy here working.  I haven't gotten help in the last 6 weeks.  It's pretty much all on me here and I'm making mistakes because I'm being pulled in different directions.  I just need a few days off and recoup.  I want to do what I enjoy and do some photography.

Wow!!!! Just wow!!!!

So the day is pretty much over and I've finally sold three photos on Shutterstock.  Not a one footage sale yet for the month.  I'm hoping I sell at least one clip this week.  I need to sell $2.42 to make payout this month.  I have till Friday to do that.  I'm still saving money for a Sony RX100 Mark VI point and shoot camera.

I'm thinking more and more of just ditching my early 2013 MacBook Pro and my late 2015 Apple iMac desktop computer and just going with a 2018 Apple 12.9" iPad Pro with the 1TB hard drive.  It would seem to meet all my needs for photos and footage editing.  I want to try and do a video blog on YouTube.  I can use my Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder to shoot footage.  I can use my Sony RX10 Mark II for photos.  I want the Sony RX100 Mark VI to shoot incognito while in the city as it's a pocket sized camera.  I'm not really a people photographer but it would be good for editorial photography.  

In April 2019, I want to end up in Calgary, Alberta.  I really enjoyed myself out there in the mountains.  I've been in Ottawa since 1983 and while I've had a good time and grew up here, I think it's time to just move on and explore another part of the country.  I've been doing this contract since April of this year and for more than half of it, I've been doing it myself.  I think I need a break from the I.T. field.  I do love and enjoy photography a lot more.  It's a lot more fun and interesting

This is a drought!!!!!!

I've sold one photo.  One photo in the last 4 days.  One photo on Canstockphoto.com.  Nothing on Shutterstock.  I realize it's Thanksgiving weekend in the States but I haven't sold anything in Europe or Asia or the rest of the world on Shutterstock.  Nothing.  Bupkiss.  Nadda.  I haven't had a rut like this in years.  I was hoping to buy the Sony RX100 Mark VI in March.  But if it keeps going like this, I may never get a chance to buy it with photography money.  It looks like I may not even make the payout threshold on Shutterstock.  I have to sell a whopping $3.50 by Friday to make payout.  I have not sold any footage at all this month on Shutterstock.  51 of my 55 sales on Shutterstock have been $0.36 sales which is just awful.  

I have been watching a lot of YouTube videos lately on the 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  It looks to be an amazing piece of hardware.  I don't think iOS is close to being a world class replacement operating system.  It needs a proper file system, external hard drive support and mouse support.  If it gets those things in iOS 13 thru iOS 15, then you will see a lot of people ditching their laptops for a tablet.  

I really, really have to do more photography.  With short days though and the location where I work at in the city, I don't have the time or place to go out and do some photography during the day or on my lunch hour.  I have to do it on the weekends.  Or do some night photography after work.  Looks like we're going to have some warmish type weather during the week.  So it might be a possibility.

The way I look at photography

Photography for me is not a job.  It's not a career.  It is not a hobby.  It is not for making money.  It is like heaven for me.  I am outdoors in nature photographing the beauty of the universe, the beauty of what was created for us to live in.  Photography tells a story that cannot be told again.  You cannot recreate a photograph exactly.  In nature shadows change, colours change and the light is different.  You can try and attempt to recreate a photography exactly but you will fail each and every single time.  

Today is Black Friday in the States.  The "holiday" migrated to Canada as well.  I have not sold anything since Wednesday.  Nothing yesterday on American Thanksgiving and nothing yet as of today.  I had eggs for lunch and I'm still hungry.  I might just go grab a snack at some point before my deployment at 1pm. I'm trying to write some more blog posts during the day.

It has been really cold here in Ottawa the last two days.  In the low minus teens and minus twenties celsius.  Needless to say I haven't touched the camera in a while which I am missing badly.  We've been going to the gym a lot over the past several weeks.  I'm also trying to save my photography money to upgrade some of my camera equipment.  I still want to purchase the Sony RX100 Mark VI before March 31, 2019 so I can use it on the way when we move to Calgary in April of next year. I think I can use the Sony RX10 Mark II with the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  They are both fantastic cameras.  When we move to Calgary next year, I want to do a lot more landscape photography.  I've done a lot of wildlife photography at Parc Omega since 2010.  In the Rocky Mountains I can actually get real wild life like black bears, mountain goats, some wild bobcats etc.

I am hoping photography sales pick up next week.  I want to get my Sony RX100 Mark VI soon.  

November has been a bad month

Typically I'd make payout by now on Shutterstock.  But I've only sold 55 photos this month and no footage clips.  I've sold one clip this month on Pond5 for a hair under $130.  But that's it.  I've only made $31.50 on Shutterstock so far this month.  If I miss payout, it'll be the second time this year I haven't made a payout of $35.  I haven't sold anything on Storyblocks in months.  Probably April of this year.  They've increased their prices and payouts and maybe that drove customers away.  Plus I've Googled Storyblocks online and there are some not so good reviews out there.

I've been asked to join OnePixel but they sell all their photos for $1.  So I would probably get maybe $0.25 to $0.30 a shot which is insulting.  At least on Shutterstock I have the chance to make $120 per shot and video.  On Pond5 I get to set my prices and I've been pretty consistent at $199 per clip and photo.  I've sold a few videos at that price and higher depending on the licensing deal.

I've been so busy these past few weeks that I haven't even had a chance to touch my camera or camcorder let alone open up my Affinity Photo book.  That has to change.  I have to set my priorities again.  I usually get home now between 7pm and 8pm.  Before I even sit down it's past 8:30pm and I'm just exhausted from the day.  I have to reprioritize my goals.  I have to go to the gym and I have to study.  

I was looking at some classes for the winter session at Algonquin College.  They have nothing computer related and if they do, they want an exorbitant amount of money for the course.  Plus I don't think I want anything to do with the I.T. industry after my contract is done here with CMHC.  

Like I've said before, I'll be making a few life changes over the next few months as far as relationships and careers go.  I have to make myself happy first.  I can't be making everybody be happy and me ending up being miserable.  I have to move out west to Calgary.  I can't stand living in Ottawa anymore.  When I woke up this morning and got ready to go to work it was minus twenty degrees celsius outside.  One of my goals is to end up being in the United States.  I want to start a Youtube photography channel and do that full time.  I've been stuck in a basement since April of this year imaging and deploying computers.  I don't get to see the sunshine.  I don't have any windows.  It's depressing.

Google doesn't pay that well with the blogger thing.  I've made less then ten dollars doing this.  I know my blog isn't the biggest or the best.  But I am trying.  I'm fighting for success.

Follow your dreams

I should have followed my dreams when I was a teenager.  I should have gone into photography when I finished high school and gone into college.  I hated accounting.  I hate I.T now.  I should have followed my dreams when I was younger.  I got my first camera when I was probably around 12 or so.  It was a Minolta film camera.  Back then there was no digital photography like it is now.  Now you carry around a phone that does basically everything for you.  It shoots photos and footage.  You can immediately upload those clips and pictures to Facebook, Instagram, Twitter or YouTube.  Back when I was a kid in the 80's or early 90's, we had no cell phones, or computers or the internet.  Today, I sell my photography all around the world.  My images have been used in books, on news websites and countless blogs.

I've been doing I.T. for 17 years now.  I'm not getting anywhere and I'm not satisfied.  My life feels empty.  The only thing that makes me happy is when I'm out in nature with my camera and camcorder.  And my girlfriend of course.  I hate being stuck in an office sitting behind a computer all day.  I feel really, really unproductive.  I enjoy shooting photos and footage and then editing them on the computer or an iPad.  I like when someone buys one of my photos or clips and uses it in their work.  I can't really be creative in the I.T. field.  Unless I'm a programmer which I'm not.

Back in my teen years and early twenties I was and still am good with numbers.  That's why I was pretty much forced to go into accounting.  I had one boss where I worked that totally turned me off of accounting.  She was a real bitch to put it nicely.  Then late 90's rolled around and computers were all the rage with the doomsday bug.   The world was supposed to end at midnight on December 31, 1999.  It didn't.  We're still here.

The only constant for me was a love for photography.  Only photography.  I started doing photography with a passion around 2006/2007.  I bought my first digital camera which had a two megapixel sensor on it.  Then I upgraded to a 5MP sensor.  Then an 8MP.  Now I shoot with 20.1MP sensors which is enough for what I do.  In 2015 I started shooting footage clips on a whim.  I uploaded a short clip of a coyote in a fall scene.  That sold within a few weeks of me uploading it for $120US.  That got me hooked.  Now I just do photos and footage.  I have a YouTube channel that I don't use.  I hate appearing on camera.  I think once I lose some weight, I'll be more comfortable being on camera.  Till then, not so much.

The next couple of months will be very important for me as I try to change my career path and life.  I want to get back to a minimalist type of photography.  Just travel around with a Sony RX10 Mark II, a Sony RX100 Mark VI, the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder and an iPad.  I think I can shoot all my footage on those cameras and edit everything with a 2018 Apple iPad Pro.  I just wish the Apple iPad Pro had a better file system and mouse support.  Although I think you can do pretty much everything with the Apple Pencil 2.

Going computerless

So I just watched an interesting video on YouTube.  It's a video by Unbox Therapy about ditching your computing hardware for an Apple iPad Pro.  Granted I don't do much on my 2015 Apple iMac or my 2013 MacBook Pro that I can't do on an iPad.  I just edit my photography and footage that I shoot for my photography business.  I can write and edit any document on an iPad with Apple Pages. I can do spreadsheets with Apple Numbers.  I use Apple Safari for my blog.  I can edit my photography with Affinity Photo.  I can edit my footage with iMovie.  I honestly don't need Final Cut Pro X on my laptop.  Right now all I shoot is 5-60 second clips and edit them for stability and shakiness and a bit of noise reduction.  

All I would really need is an SD card dongle to transfer in my footage and photos.  I would probably get the maxed out Apple iPad Pro with the 1TB storage option.  I'd get the Apple Pencil 2 and the keyboard to type and to protect the screen.  I think the Apple iPad Pro would just add to my minimalist life style that I am aiming for.  One of the failures of iOS is the lack of support for external hard drives.  I'd like to export my photos and footage to an external hard drive and use an FTP client to upload my files to Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.  But I think with the 1TB storage hard drive, it would take me a while to fill that up.  I'd eventually clean up the hard drive by getting rid of old and unnecessary footage.  I recently lost my 6TB hard drive storing my footage.  The hard drive just failed on me.  I pay about $1.50 a month for 50GB of storage with Apple so I can store unique footage and photos there.

I think the Apple iPad Pro is 90% of a laptop right now.  If I could just attach a USB-C hard drive to it and export my footage and photos to it, it would meet all of my needs.  Also, mouse support would be fantastic.  The Apple iPad Pro does have Bluetooth support so you should be able to pair if with the Apple mouse.  The file system in iOS should also be changed to support drop and drag functionality. 

The Apple iPad Pro can run Affinity Photo for my photo editing and iMovie for my footage editing.  With the recent Apple iPad, you can run Adobe Photoshop on the Apple iPad Pro.  So the software and hardware is getting there.  It's close.  It's not there yet though.

I am pretty sure...

...this will be my last contract in the I.T. field.  With the current contract, I am not getting any help whatsoever.  They want it done by December 20, 2018 but there is no way I am getting it done alone. I love doing photography and shooting footage.  I'm probably going to sign up for two evening classes at Algonquin College for the winter semester.  Both are dealing with how to shoot and edit movies in an NLE type program.  

I just checked the Algonquin College website and it looks like I have time to sign up for the courses I want.  It's a three course program and the Video Composition and Audio Production classes run on Saturdays and Tuesdays which is perfect.  I can take both classes at the same time.  I've already taken and successfully passed the Photography Techniques course at Algonquin College.  I've pretty much learnt Apple Final Cut Pro X on my own but I know I've barely scratched the surface of the program. I need to learn more.

I regret not keeping up my skills with Photoshop.  For 99.9% of my photography I just used to use Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.  In Photoshop I only used the Camera Raw portion of the program and then use some of the presets to sharpen the image and run the Denoise option.  I've forgotten how to do lets say a sky replacement.  Thankfully I can look up pretty much everything on YouTube and follow a tutorial there.  I know it's not the best way of doing things but it's better than nothing.  I don't want to do so much to my image in Photoshop or Affinity Photo so I try and get the image right in camera rather than Photoshop.  

I basically am a minimalist when it comes to photo editing.  I do landscape and wildlife photography and shoot landscape and wildlife footage.  I don't apply much to my image and footage.  Just some colour correcting, noise reduction.  Remove any glaring things that take away from the image.

On a side note, I haven't sold one video on Shutterstock yet this month.  It's uncommon for me not to sell at least one video on Shutterstock.  I sold one this month on Pond5.  Storyblocks has been quiet for months.  I've added and added footage and photos to all my sites but video sales are non-existent this month and have been for quite a while.  I am hoping it picks up pretty soon.  

I don't know why...

...I shoot in 4k.  I've only ever sold 3-4 4k files amongst the hundreds I have online.  My most popular clip is of a coyote that I shot at 1080p/30fps that I shot with a Canon EOS 6D and a Sigma 150-500MM lens back in 2015 at Parc Omega.  My late 2013 MacBook Pro is ok at editing the footage but it just takes forever.  I don't want to buy a 2018 MacBook Pro just because of the price.  I can't believe I'm saying it but I'm looking at getting a Windows 10 based machine.  The Macs I own are long in the tooth now and they need to be replaced.  When I do get a new machine, I am going to miss editing in Final Cut Pro X.  That is one fantastic piece of editing software.  It's so easy and intuitive.

But back to shooting footage.  I want to shoot all my stuff in 1080p/60fps.  So back to shooting with the Canon Vixia HF G40.  I love that camcorder.  It's so versatile and so easy to use.  I love the colour that comes from the camcorder.  It's sharp as well and focuses quickly.

New domain for my other site

So in keeping with the .photos domain name top level domain names, I purchased a new domain to go with my Fine Art America account.  You can visit http://josefpittner.photos to see the website where you can buy prints, wall art, clothing, posters etc.  I've sold a few items on there.  Enough to pay for the domain and the $30 fee it costs to get the premium features.  I don't upload as much on there as I do to Shutterstock.  But the photos I do sell, typically sell for $30 to $70 which is better than $0.36 for a small digital photo.  I have not sold a video this month on Shutterstock which is kind of out of the ordinary.  Typically I sell one to ten videos a month.  I sold one on Pond5 this month which I got paid for already.  Fine Art America has not sent me my $70US yet but I'm expecting that this afternoon at some point.  Once they do, I'm a quarter of the way there to getting my Sony RX100 Mark VI.  So if you need some stock footage, you can go to my Shutterstock footage portfolio and purchase some footage.

This past Saturday

It was snowing lightly.  The weather wasn't cold or warm.  It was just right.  The girlfriend and I went up to Parc Omega.  We usually go in the fall and winter as it's too hot in the summer and the animals aren't as active due to the heat.  But when it's snowing and the Canadian winter starts to set in, that's when the animals are active.  They get their majestic winter coats and are more playful.  It is a good time of the year for both animals and humans.

Photographers also enjoy this time as they get to spend more time with these majestic animals.  I uploaded my shots to my Shutterstock portfolio.  I am still editing the footage from the day.  They should be done by the end of the week and uploaded by the weekend.  Hopefully they'll get approved soon as well.  I hope to go back to Parc Omega soon as we're supposed to get 10cm worth of snow tomorrow and another 6cm worth of snow on Saturday.

It's mid month

I've sold 1 video for roughly $260.  I got about $130 for that.  Other than that, I've sold maybe 40 photos for roughly $0.36 each on Shutterstock.  Shutterstock is somewhat disappointing this month.  I think there's been one or two months where I haven't sold a video on Shutterstock and it really hinders sales and payouts.  I'm not losing hope yet as we're only half way through the month.  After Fine Art America and Pond5 pay out what they owe me, I'll be about a third of the way there to get the new Sony RX100 Mark VI.  If a the Sony RX100 Mark VII comes out in April or May, I'll wait to buy that camera if it's worth it.

I am still editing photos from the trip to Parc Omega this past weekend.  Took a lot of phots and videos so it takes time.  I'm using ON1 Capture Raw 2019 to edit the photos.  It's a new program for me so I'm learning the ins and outs of the program.  So far so god.

I am getting the Sony RX100 Mark V fixed tomorrow.  The latch that holds the battery in the camera broke on me a few months ago while I was doing some astrophotography with it.  It's about time I get it fixed.  I'm conflicted somewhat about getting the Sony RX100 Mark VI as I do have the Sony RX100 Mark V.  The only new feature would be the 24-200MM lens.  It would mean I'd carry around one less camera as the Mark VI would be good enough to shoot stills and footage.  I'd just have to carry around a light tripod with the RX100 Mark VI and that's pretty much it.  I don't shoot headshots for people.  I focus mainly on landscapes and wildlife.  I'd like to get the Sony RX10 Mark IV for wildlife as it does have a 24-600MM lens on it.  It would mean I could sit back at a good distance and not disturb the wildlife.  That I think will be my next purchase with my photography money.

What is happening????

So more work related news.  The guy who was supposed to start with me today appears to be a huge moron.  He requested he be paid upfront for work he hasn't done yet.  He was supposed to start with me a few weeks back but got "another" job.  I'm assuming he asked the same thing from his other employer who told him a flat out no as well.  We assume he contacted my employer and asked for the same thing.  Who asks for money up front for work that he hasn't completed?  I can see a as a photographer to ask for a deposit to make sure your client and your photographer are set for that date.  Typically I would charge 25% of my fee up front so my client knows that I will not take on another photography gig on said date.  It also pretty much guarantees that my client will not flake out on the date as well if they find a cheaper photographer or something goes wrong in the relationship and the wedding doesn't happen.

For a contract that is multiple months long with possibility of extension, you do not ask for your fees up front.  You get paid every two weeks just like everybody else.  

I'm currently editing photos and videos we shot this past weekend at Parc Omega.  It was pretty much the first snow fall of the year so we wanted to go see the animals in the new snow.  It was really nice out.  High of two degrees celsius and low of minus one degrees celsius.  So it wasn't cold and it wasn't warm.  It was just perfect.  The park was not busy at all with a few moronic drivers who don't obviously know how to drive.  I'd say most were Montreal drivers.

I'm using ON1 Photo Raw 2019.  It just came out today so I bought it and upgraded to the new system.  So far, so good.  It's very easy to use and export the photos.  I have to edit the 4k footage as well at some point.  Maybe do that on my 5k 2015 Apple iMac later in the week.

I really, really enjoy Parc Omega and all the animals.  I'm at peace there.  It's really awesome during the week when it feels like you're the only person there with the animals.  I am really going to miss the park when we move out west.  But out west you have the Rocky Mountains and real wild animals.  I really miss the mountains.  I used to go to the mountains every weekend when I was in Calgary on contract last year.  Hopefully I will get more contracts or permanent work out there when we move at the end of March next year.  I look forward to travelling the west and the Rocky Mountains.

I am finally...

...getting some help at work. I've been back to my current employer for a month now and they've provided me with no help so far.  I was supposed to get help a few weeks back but the guys that they hired bailed on them.  I'm supposed to have a team of five but it's been just me.  I'm finding that working for the feds or quasi feds like the department I work for are getting worse and worse as tech and people go.  They're getting worse people with worse technical skills.  It's this multi-cultural, politically correct crap that is killing western society.  Companies now are hiring, not based on knowledge or merit but race, ethnicity or the sex of a person.  I know I don't know everything.  That's why I keep learning.  

I am totally sick of working in the I.T field now.  Companies are not helping you achieve success.  Everyone is after the Almighty dollar in the short term.  People and companies are looking just six months ahead or to the next fiscal quarter end.  I'm studying Affinity Photo more and more.  I'm saving up for the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I also want to get the Sony RX10 Mark IV along with the DJI Mavic Pro 2.  

Having the Sony RX100 Mark VI, the Sony RX10 Mark IV and the DJI Mavic Pro 2 would be potent tools for me to get out on my own and actually push my photography business.  That is why I'm saving up my money.  That is why I'm studying Affinity Photo.  That is why I'm going to the gym to work on my health.  I want to concentrate on Affinity Photo and my health in the next five months so by March 31, 2019, I can move out west with my girlfriend and start a new life.

Affinity Photo

If you know how to use Adobe Photoshop, you'll know how to use Affinity Photo.  I think I paid $60 for Affinity Photo several years ago so I don't have to pay a subscription fee every month to a company to rent their software.  Companies like Adobe and Microsoft charge subscription fees for their software which I find unfair to the user.  It's a complete ripoff.  If and when Seriff, the maker of Affinity Photo release a digital asset management software it'll take a lot of people away from Adobe.  At least photographers.  For video, I use Final Cut Pro so again, I don't have to pay a monthly subscription fee to Adobe.  It's a one time cost and Apple provides new features and makes the software more stable and faster with every release.

On a side note, my leg feels great.  No more pain.  Next Thursday, I have to go to Canadian Camera located in downtown Ottawa to get my Sony RX100 Mark V fixed.  The EVF won't pop up and the spring holding the SD card in its slot busted on me a few months back while I was doing night photography.  I hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get fixed.  I don't think it should cost that much to get fixed.  We shall see.  

It's a long weekend here for some of us with Sunday being Remembrance Day (Veterans Day) so I have to go get my car fixed on Monday.  The rear breaks are apparently metal on metal which is not good for the breaks.  I don't know how long they've been like that.  I don't think it's been long since the car breaks fine.

I haven't been able to do any photography in the past several weeks with us moving and now the car getting in the way.  We're supposed to get 2cm worth of snow tomorrow.  I'm hoping to get out this weekend with the girlfriend and the Jeep.

So today I forgot...

...my wallet at home.  All my ID's are in my wallet along with my bank cards, credit cards etc.  I'm all in a panic that I don't have any money today.  Or anything.  Than I look at my phone beside me.  And I think to myself.  I do have access to cash.  My Apple iPhone 8 Plus is going to be my valet today.  Who needs cards when you have your phone?????  Today I am also seriously starting to study Affinity Photo.  I know photography has to be my go to career now.  I have to pave my own way.  I cannot do the I.T. thing anymore.  I can't work only contracts.  Hire a photographer!!!!  Today!!!!!

Wow!!! What a...

...workout.  I found muscles I didn't know I had.  Just got home and relaxing a bit before I watch a few Affinity photo tutorials.  I stopped at Costco and picked up a salad for lunch tomorrow.  I really need to lose about 50 pounds before March.  That's my goal physically.  Intellectually I want to keep learning Affinity Photo.  If you have any good tutorials for Affinity Photo, please post it in the comments.  Thanks.

Today at work so far...

I've deployed one computer.  Imaged three computers.  Brought up some Surface Pros to the third floor for the DSS team and I cleaned up my work area which consisted of packing laptop bags into one big pile.  I have one more deployment at two today and I get to image that one computer after I deployed the new one to the client.

I brought my personal MacBook Pro to work so that I can actually, maybe, possibly work on my own stuff.  I'm being interrupted by my boss and a couple of the on site technicians but it's all good.  I enjoy the company.  Us on site/deployment guys are pretty much the same.  We share the same mentality.  I was supposed to get a new coworker today but he bailed out last night.

I am taking a bit of break from photography.  I'm busy with life I guess.  Work and exercise always seem to get in the way of what I want to do.  Like I've previously stated, the next couple of months are going to be life changing.  I really, really do not want to live in Ottawa anymore.

My precious hard drive

My Seagate hard drive.  The 6TB Seagate hard drive.  The one storing all my footage for the past several years.  Is dead.  At least 99.9% dead.  It will not wake up.  I can feel it spinning.  It turns on.  I just cannot access the hard drive.  It will not come up.  It got damaged in the move.  I set up my big Apple iMac last night.  Everything is setup again but this particular hard drive will just not come up.  I hope I can get it working as I don't want to lose all the footage.  Thankfully I got the majority of the footage online on the various micro stock agencies.  But it's a pain in the rear end if I cannot get it up and running again.  5 years of footage on the drive and it's pretty much done for.  I have to stop buying Seagate hard drives.  That's the third hard drive that's died on me in the last two years.  I don't have warranty on it anymore I don't think.  I'm hoping there's a way I can retrieve the footage from the drive.  I have all my stuff from Parc Omega, Arizona/Utah, Calgary, Vancouver, BC, Washington and all the other places I've visited in the last decade or so.

I absolutely hate...

...moving.  We just spend the last week moving.  Boxing up our stuff.  Getting a storage unit.  Moving into a storage unit and moving the rest of our stuff that we actually need and use to our new place.  And we'll have to do this again in March.  To boot, I think we'll be moving cross country in March to Calgary, Alberta.  I moved myself to Calgary last year for a 4 month contract.  It wasn't that bad but I did get stuck in North Dakota for two days because of a 2cm snow storm with 95kh/h winds.  Visibility was non existent.

Monday is becoming exciting.  I get a new coworker tomorrow.  That means I can offload some work on a newbie finally in months.  I haven't had a chance at all to do any photography or shoot any footage.

It's Monday morning and I've done one deployment so far.  I'm trying to update the TPM settings on these Toshiba Portege Z30-B machines and it's nothing but a frustrating pain in the rear end.  From now until March 31, 2019, I am studying Affinity Photo after work.  I really, really need to switch career paths.  I am frustrated with the I.T industry.  Nothing ever works right and I feel like I'm way behind in everything.  One person tells me to do one thing and the next one tells me to do another.

I have to do what I want to do with my life.  Do whatever it takes to get my life to where I want it to be.  I have to make myself happy and not someone else.  This is probably going to be my last I.T. contract as far as I'm concerned.  

No social media except...

...my blog, my online media portfolios and maybe a Youtube Channel.  I use Google' Blogger platform only because Wordpress is a nightmare to configure, use and secure.  Wordpress gets attacked hourly because it stores your credit card numbers on its platform for payment and such.  I will not use it just for that.  With Google, they spy on you and use sell your data.  I no longer use the Google search engine personally.  Duckduckgo all the way.

Twitter was completely worthless.  A lot of photo and footage theft.  You can only put low quality stuff on there so you couldn't get any sales on there.  90% of my followers were other photographers who would steal your stuff and call it their own.  Instagram was full of spammers.  I'd say 99% of the users are spam accounts.  Everybody was asking for iTunes gift cards which is a total joke.  I hardly use a Google product.  I just permanently closed my Facebook account which should be done in 30 Facebook days.  

So all I have now is my blog.  I can control the content on the blog.  The size of the photos and footage is limited but better than Twitter or Instagram.  Facebook is crap as well.  Looks like the whole media companies are banning conservatives or anyone with an opposing or different view point.  Media companies are not good for western democracies anymore.  Most are socialist or commie type establishments.

People should support small entrepreneurs and artists like myself.  I saw a quote on the web years which in effect stated that you shouldn't support a CEO of a company to buy his/her new jet but instead support a small business so the owners can support their families.  It may be more expensive than Walmart but you're helping a family business.

And a new month begins again

The month has started off somewhat descent.  3 early morning photo sales from the Far East and Europe.  No video sales yet.  Thankfully no $1.80 footage sales.  The one footage sale for $1.80 was insulting enough.  I don't care how big your client is, you don't ripoff your contributors like that!!!  Shutterstock should know better.

On a side note, we're pretty much packed up and ready to move.  Maybe spend an hour tomorrow cleaning up and packing the tv and other big items.  We'll be moved quickly.  Have I mentioned I hate moving?  

Last month I sold about $150 worth of photography and footage.  $150 closer to getting the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  Next pay I get the Sony RX100 Mark V fixed.  Shouldn't be too expensive I hope.  This fall I am focusing on studying Affinity Photo, more photography and footage and going to the gym to get rid of 50 pounds before we move out west.  In February, we'll start looking for jobs out west.  Ottawa and Ontario just isn't for us anymore.  The weather sucks.  The economy for English speakers here is awful.

Luckily I have a good place to work now with a good boss.  As long as I get my work done, he doesn't care what I do which is fantastic.  And now I gotta go image a laptop.

Just as I thought

The month of October came in like a lion on Shutterstock.  It has left like a bloodied sheep.  A lot of high quality sales in the first week of October on Shutterstock.  Now it's whimpering out like a half dead lamb with a few subscription sales here and there.  I honestly don't know what else I can do except for keep shooting.  I haven't heard my camera in my hands for a week or two since we're getting ready to move on Friday.  But I think starting this Saturday I'll be doing more photography.  We've started going to the gym so my focus for the next six months will be weight loss, photography and studying Seriff' Affinity Photo.

Honestly, I'm sick of doing the IT thing.  I've been doing it since 2001 and I think I've been been doing it for too long now.  I've lost my focus and I've lost any joy I've had doing it.  My interests and joy have shifted over to photography and film making.  I am saving up any and all photography money for a new point and shoot camera that I want to buy.  I want to get the Sony RX100 Mark IV in the new year or whenever I save up money for it.  I need to get my Sony RX100 Mark V fixed.  The EVF is broken and the latch holding in the battery is dislodged.  So I need to get that fixed.  There's a local store here in Ottawa that fixes cameras.  I've dealt with them in the past whenever I needed a camera fixed.  They're quick and inexpensive to fix camera equipment.  I'll get the camera fixed in mid November.  Shouldn't be more than $200-$300 to get it fixed.  At least I hope.

I also want to keep writing more on the blog here.  Hopefully it will catch on and get a following.  I know I will also have to get a Youtube channel going soon.  I have to get over the hate of being on camera.  I hope to look better by March 2019.  I need to lose about 50 pounds or so.  I need to exercise and eat better.  I can't be putting it off anymore.

Next April when I move to Calgary, Alberta, I want to trade in my 2015 Hyundai Elantra for a 2018/2019 Jeep Wrangler or a Rubicon.  Some sort of a four wheel drive Jeep that I can modify for weekend trips and holidays out west or down south so I don't have to sleep in hotel rooms.  I am expecting a real life change.  I am sick of doing the IT thing.  I cannot get ahead in this field.  Not in Ottawa anyways as I'm not bilingual.

Slowly but surely I'm gonna make some life changes soon.  We shall see where I end up.

I am trying to convince myself

I have been watching a lot of these Youtube videos where people live in their Jeep or another vehicle and just drive around North America and discover Canada and the continental United States even going up to Alaska and the Yukon.

I've had the itch for the past three years to do this.  I'd probably say the last 7 years.  Lets just say that when I had cancer back in 2010/2011, I've been wanting to go out on the road and just travel.  I don't get to do much since I work 5 days a week and just pay bills to keep my head just above water.  I don't want that kind of life where I just go to work and pay bills.  There is a lot more to see than just a cubicle and the 4 walls of your home living room or bed room.  Life is more than that.

I've been thinking that early next year, I trade in my 2015 Hyundai Elantra for a Jeep 4 door and just live and travel in that.  I'm very afraid of not being able to buy food or pay for my bills.  I've always worked and I hate living off of donations.  That's why I don't use services like Patreon or GoFundMe.  Those are great for raising funds for like AIDS or cancer research.  But to live off of the donations of others I find troubling.  I don't make a lot of money with my photography.  A few hundred bucks here or there.  I probably need roughly $3500 a month live after tax.  I probably make $200 a month with my photography.  The photography money is not steady either.  Some months I make more and some months I make less.  I make a few bucks a month with the blog, but again, nowhere near where I need to be.  I have a Youtube channel but I hate being on camera.

I would love to travel the United States.  Go from state to state.  But I can't legally work there and I would need to support myself.  You really can't travel in Canada in winter.  Last year when I left for Calgary in early March, I got stuck in North Dakota for 2 days because of a snow storm in a 95km/h wind storm. At one point it felt like my hotel room was going to fly away and end up in Kansas or somewhere.

I don't mind the snow.  I actually love the snow but I do like the weather in Arizona in the fall.  2 years ago I was on vacation in Arizona and fell in love with the state.

Right now, I'm trying to lose 50 pounds before the end of March 2019.  I feel like the next six months will be life changing.  I know the old saying of: the only thing to fear is fear itself.  And that's my biggest fear right now.  Not fear.  But the unknown of how I'm going to support my travel financially. If you have any thoughts or advice, just post it in the comments.

I am saving up

We are currently moving this week and moving is a pain in the ass.  I hate it.  I hate it so much we'll be moving in the end of March again.  But I think that time it'll be much easier as most of our stuff will be in storage and already packed.  In the meantime, we'll be able to save for rent and other stuff while we look for another place to live.  The girlfriend wants to move to Kingston, Ontario and I want to move to Calgary, Alberta.  So we shall see what happens at the end of March.

I'm currently saving up all my photography income for a new Sony RX100 Mark VI and a DJI Mavic Pro 2 drone.  I currently use a Sony RX10 Mark II along with a Sony RX100 Mark V.  I honestly want to go down to just one camera and I feel like the Sony RX100 Mark VI would be the perfect camera for me as I want to travel more next year.  Back in 2016 I was in Arizona for a a week and I fell in love with the state because of the scenery and the landscape.

I am trying to minimize the amount of equipment I try to bring on my photography expeditions.  I'm down to the Sony RX10 Mark II, the Sony RX100 Mark V and a Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder.  I want to get rid of at least the Sony RX10 Mark II.  I still find the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder extremely useful.  I like the camcorder form factor for shooting video.  I can hook up an external mic to the Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder.  I don't have to have a separate mic for the Sony RX100 Mark V as I shoot mainly stills with it.  I do some time-lapse with it as well.  With the Sony RX100 Mark VI you cannot install any apps from the Sony play store anymore like you can with the Sony RX100 Mark V.  I will be keeping the Sony RX100 Mark V when I buy the Sony RX100 Mark VI in March or April or whenever I make enough money for it from my photography sales.

If you would like to help reach my goal of buying a Sony RX100 Mark VI, please purchase some of my photography or videos at Shutterstock, Pond5 or Storyblocks.  There is also a donate button on my site.  You can also go to my other site here.

October came in like a lion

October came in like a lion and came out like a kitty cat.   A few video sales at the beginning of the month raised my hopes for a good month of October.  But its been just subs (subscriptions) for the rest of the month.  Nothing but $0.36 sales.  Seems like anything of quality sales is hard to come by now on any stock site.  I haven't sold a video on Pond5 or Storyblocks in months even adding a few hundred to each site this month.

We are moving at the end of the month so for the next couple of days, we'll be packing up all our stuff and we both get to work during the move so it's going to be long days and no opportunity for photography or to shoot footage.  We got our first snow last night so winter is pretty much here in Ottawa.  I still have my all seasonal tires on until November 5th.

I think it's time to go for breakfast.

The lake

This past weekend my girlfriend along with her sister and I decided to go out for a drive to the country.  I haven't been here in about a year or so.  It's about an hour west of where I live.  It's really peaceful and quiet.  Gives us time to think and relax.

This has been...

...the worst year for photo and footage sales yet.  It's down 40-60% month over month.  Even though I've increased my portfolios by as much as 100%, sales have fallen dramatically.  I've been marketing my portfolios over the past year, shooting even more, sales have dropped dramatically.  I've tried to stay positive and add customers and contributors to Shutterstock, Depositiphotos, Pond5 and Storybolocks, that has not helped an iota.  Zilch, zero, nadda, nothing.  I don't know if I can market on Youtube.  I hate being on camera.  I don't like self promotion as far as filming myself. 

I don't know if anyone is actually reading this blog or if it's just bots that are hitting this place.  Traffic is not increasing.  I'm not getting any responses to my blog entries.  I know not to quit and post regularly.  I know I have a small blog.  I'm hoping to grow it and make some decent money of off it but the ROI doesn't seem to be good right now.  I think it might take 2-4 years of me doing this for basically free with no return on investment.  I only pay for my domain name which is about $4 Canadian a year.  Blogger is free.  But my time is not.  That is the real pisser right there.

Back in 2010, I was diagnosed with cancer.  I went through one operation in 2010 and another one in 2011.  In 2015 I went through a divorce so I value my time very much.  I know you don't get any of it back which is why I have a lot of self doubt about doing this.  If it's worth my time.  I finally have a job I enjoy but again, it's a contract.  So it will come to an end at one point.  My girlfriend and I are moving at the end of the month to a cheaper place to save up some money so we can move out west to Calgary.  I was in Calgary for 4 months last year and I fell in love with the west.  I fell in love with the life style, the mountains, nature.  Alberta is so much closer to the American west as well.  I'm hoping that if we do move out there to take a few weeks and do some travelling and photography out there.  I love being out in the mountains and in nature.  I love doing photography and videography out there.  It's so peaceful and nice.  I'm hoping to get contract work or a full time job out there so I can support my girlfriend and I.  We both want to travel and we both love being out in nature.  I'm hoping it works out for both of us.

It's very weird

I've noticed that I sell every day on Shutterstock except for Saturdays.  I've been adding various shots to my portfolio trying to diversify it.  It's weird that my old stuff from 2-5 years ago sells but new stuff barely sells.  One of my 2017 shots from my time in Calgary is my number one seller.  This shot from 2014 is my second most popular shot.  This shot from 2015 is my third most popular photo as far as dollar value goes.  This shot is my fourth most popular downloaded shot.

But it's been a long time since I sold anything on a Saturday at Shutterstock.  It's like the whole world just shuts off.  I honestly do not know why.  Pond5 and Storyblocks are not selling either.  It's been months since I've sold a video on either site, let alone a picture.  I've been adding photos and footage to all my sites but sales are stagnating.  I've recently sold a picture on Fine Art America (FAA) for $70US which is awesome but that's my third sale on that site.  I have to renew my domain name for my http://www.josefpittnerphotography.com or I'll just let that one go and set up just a http://www.josefpittner.photo site.  I'll probably do that in the next couple of weeks.  I am really busy with work this week and we are moving next week so I've been kinda busy.  I think this weekend I'm gonna head to Parc Omega by myself so I can take more photos and shoot more video.

Also, my own site isn't earning as much as far as clicks are going.  Mind you I haven't been posting as much as I should.  I will try and keep up with my photography and footage.  I will try to be with my cameras more.

I don't really...

...upload photos or videos shot with my Apple iPhone 8 Plus to the various photo agencies.  I've only sold maybe 5 or 6 cell phone shots.  Cell phone camera are just not there yet.  The sensors are so small, the image quality isn't there yet.  Not when compared to real cameras like the Sony A7R III which shoots at 42.4MP.  But the cell phone is so convenient.  You take it with you everywhere.  It's just very convenient.

Another precarious day with the DJI Spark

Decided to go fly the drone after work today.  I went to Almonte, Ontario today as I wanted arial pictures and footage of the falls.  I setup and started the drone, connected with my Remote controller and started a flight.  Within a second of me taking off, the battery popped off the drone.  I had thought again that that I lost the drone or at least severely damaged it as it fell at least 15 feet onto some rocks.  The battery was easy to get.  Just climbed over the wall and got the battery within 30 seconds. The drone wasn't easy to get.  Had to climb down rocks to the base of the waterfalls.  The rocks were slippery from the spray from the falls.  There was a lot of moss which did not help.  Luckily I was able to retrieve the drone.  It took about half an hour to retrieve the drone.

Luckily the only damage to the drone was to one of the propellors which were easily replaced.  I decided to fly again and the drone started to act weird.  When I tried to land it, it literally took off on my climbing up at least 30 metres.  I luckily got control of the drone and brought it back down.  It would not land at all.  I literally had to grab it by the underside of the drone and remove the battery from the drone to get it to stop. 

After this debacle I wanted to just go home and not fly the drone again as I feared losing a second drone within a month.  But I gave the drone a second chance and flew it out maybe 25 metres and just started taking shots and video.  Luckily the DJI Spark did not act up.  I got what I wanted and I just left.  Luckily the only damage to the drone was the rear left propellors had to be replaced which was easily done.  

Playing around with the DJI Spark

Shot a few clips with the DJI Spark on Tuesday.  The DJI GO 4 app processed and stitched my clips into a short video and added music.  Seems to be a cool little app.  Hope you enjoy the short video.  Most of the photos and videos have been accepted on the stock agencies I deal with.  Just waiting for a few to be approved on them.  They should be up there in a few days or so.

I do love drone photography

I only have the DJI Spark.  I'm planning on upgrading my drone to a DJI Mavic Pro 2 in the spring.  The Spark only shoots in JPEG which limits my editing in Serif' Affinity Photo.  The problems with the DJI Spark is the flight time.  I have 3 batteries and I can only get about 12 minutes per battery in flight time.  So I'm limited to about 36 minutes per location.  There is no RAW file format for photography as well.  I like to shoot video at 1080p/60fps.  The DJI Spark is limited to 1080p/30fps.  The distance also sucks.  Since I lost my first DJI Spark due to connection issues, I won't fly it more than 300 meters away from me.  With the above shot I was over the Ottawa River which really isn't a bright idea since I'd lose the drone in water if it were to lose power or if I lost connection.  I've had my second drone for about 6 weeks now and I haven't lost connection to it which is good.  I am still hesitant to fly it great distance or in an obstructed area where I lose sight of it or where I have a chance of losing connection.  I do want a drone with a bigger battery and longer flight time.  Also I want to shoot in RAW mode and I want to have an option of shooting in 4k.  Next year I want to go to Prague with my girlfriend.  I already have good cameras and a good camcorder.  I want to have a better drone for those arial shots.  I am currently saving all my photography money for a Sony RX100 Mark IV.  I am planning on getting the DJI Mavic Pro 2 with my tax return.  We shall see, the shall see.

And I thought October would be a good month

And I thought October would be a good month on Shutterstock.  3 videos sold in a span of 2 days and now we're back to one or two photos a day at just thirty six cents a day.  Luckily the month isn't over yet and isn't even a third of the way done.  I hope that I sell a few more clips on Shutterstock and a few more on Pond5 and Videoblocks.

After work I took my drone out to fly for about half an hour.  Got the footage and shots I wanted.  It was actually a pretty good day today to take photos and videos.  It was very foggy this morning and I got a few shots I wanted including the parliament buildings in the fog.  I just have to edit and upload them to my three favourite micro stock sites tonight so they'll be available for sale in the next few days.  

On a side note, I'll be going back to my previous employer starting next week to finish off a contract. I honestly do not like working where I am right now.  The red tape is just amazing there.  You can't fart without having a meeting about it.  

The girlfriend and I will be moving at the end of the month and saving up money.  April 2019 our plan is to move out of Ottawa.  Neither of us speak French so getting a descent job is out of the question.  Last year, I was in Calgary on a contract and I fell in love with the Rocky Mountains.  I think our plan is to either move to Calgary or Kingston, Ontario.  I prefer Calgary as there is hardly any French out there and the mountains are 45 minutes from the city.

So if anyone needs a full time photographer and you pay well, let me know.  ;)