Time for a total change

The last 7-8 years, I’ve had a deep, constant feeling that I need a change.  A life change.  I’ve been doing the regular 9-5 job since finishing school.  It just doesn’t feel right anymore and has felt completely wrong for at least the last 7-8 years.  It just feels like a need to get out of the apartment.  Get out of the cubicle.  I don’t feel free at all.  Just living the daily grind.  Going through the motions.  When I started in the I.T. field I thought I would be in a better paying job doing something completely different.

I absolutely love photography.  I love shooting photos and video.  I love editing the photos and the videos.  I miss being in the mountains.  I miss seeing the stunning lakes in the Canadian Rockies.  I miss the fresh air of the mountains.  I miss seeing the snow capped Rockies.

What really impacted me the most was my trip in 2016 to Arizona and Utah and of course me working in Calgary back in 2017 for 4 months.  I feel like I just can’t do the office job anymore.  I’m 47, turning 48 in 7 months.  I don’t want to finish living my life this way.  I don’t want to work in an office for the next 20 years wasting my life away..

It’s time for a huge change

I’m staying with my current employer until March 31, 2023.  After that I’m done.  Moving to Calgary.  I just have to.  Everything in my being is telling me I have to move.  For my own sanity, I have to move.  I’ve been in Ottawa for 39 years.  That’s way too long.  I was in Calgary for 4 months back in 2017.  I fell in love with the nature, the ability to be outdoors, in the mountains within 45 minutes.  I just can’t be in the Ottawa valley anymore. There’s nothing more that I can photograph here in Ottawa.  I have the parliament, some of the museum buildings, some other architecture but that’s about it.  I just miss the mountains, the fresh mountain air, the silence, just being alone in the wilderness.  I really miss it.

What a vacation

So I got my Leica Q2 Monochrome last week and I’ve been playing around with it for the last couple of days.  It’s a completely different system than what I am used to.  The menu system is very simple and not overly complex.  The simplicity is actually making the camera a little harder to use because you don’t have as many options.  I’ve had a few photos accepted onto Shutterstock.  Yes, I’m back to uploading to Shutterstock for a little bit just to see how things go.

On a side note, I’ve been dealing with a somewhat crazy ex.  She sent her new boyfriend with a couple of his friends to my apartment and threatened to do me harm.  Emails were sent to leave me alone or the police will be called along with her employer.  Everything seems to have stopped for now.  Time will tell.  

Now it’s just time to focus on my photography and myself.  I’ve been single for 5 months to the day now.  I’m getting much better emotionally.  With what happened yesterday, I’m choosing to be very single and not chase the opposite sex.  I’m watching a lot of YouTube videos now and I’m seeing society pretty much crumble.  I wish I had the money to buy one of those class b camper vans and just go live in one of those in the woods so I don’t really have to deal with people.  I’d love to just drive around and do photography.  Post stuff online and stay away from people.  

My YouTube channel

So in the last few months, I've started a YouTube channel.  Haven't really done anything photography wise.  Just uploaded a few videos showing off some fireworks and a few shorts where I get the majority of my views.  You can view the channel here.

I want to get my Google AdSense back so I'm hoping more and more people visit my blog and subscribe to the blog and the YouTube channel.

Today's social distancing walk around Ottawa

Went out for my social distancing walk this afternoon in downtown Ottawa.  Ottawa is currently empty of government employees, locals and tourists.  Everything is being cancelled.  All the festivals and concerts are no more.  All the museums are closed.  Seems like the summer is cancelled in Ottawa.  The good thing is there are no people or cars in my shots.  If there are cars or people in my photos, I can remove them using Affinity Photo.  Today, I just had to remove some cars.  Some of these shots are available on http://josefpittner.photos/.  I know times are tough right now for everyone.  I was laid off from my job 3 weeks ago now because of this Covid19 virus.

More photography with the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max

I was still going into work last week when I got this photo of an ambulance picking up a patient in downtown Ottawa.  How things have changed in a week.  I’m off of work indefinitely.  Thankfully I have my Sony a7R II and my Sony f3.5-6.3 24-240MM lens.  I also have my Apple iPhone Pro Max.  My two favourite cameras to date.  I’m doing conference calls at certain points of the week and doing photography after.  One of my accounts at SSC is not set up properly so I cannot login via VPN.  Hopefully tomorrow it’ll be fixed.  I may actually go into work a few times next week just to check on emails and such.  I went today and there was actually one person working.

This Coronavirus thing just means I get to do more photography.  I distance myself from people when I see someone walking towards me.  I pretty much do my photography outside of the city.  I’ve over shot stuff in Ottawa so I’m looking to do new things.  If you have any ideas, let me know.

Mud Lake in winter

I went for a short walk at Mud Lake today located in the west of Ottawa.  Have not been there in quite a while.  I took my Sony RX100 Mark VII with me.  Spent about 45 minutes just walking the groomed trails there.

Yesterday I bought myself the Sony A7R II camera body with just one battery.  When I get paid next week, I will be buying the Sony f3.5-6.3 24-240MM lens along with the battery grip and two additional batteries.  

I want to enjoy my time with the Sony RX100 Mark VII.  I'm not going to sell it.   I believe it's a fantastic little camera.  My photography is evolving.  This summer I want to do a lot more camping on the weekends and I want to do a lot more exploring.  I figured a high megapixel, full frame camera is what I need to accomplish my goals.

This summer I will be travelling a lot more on weekends.  I want to discover the areas farther around Ottawa before we move out west.  

The above photos were actually edited on my Windows 10 laptop using Affinity Photo 1.8.  I actually love Affinity Photo.  I cannot stand Photoshop.  Photoshop is bloated software.  I refuse to pay a monthly subscription to Adobe.  Just no Adobe.  Affinity Photo is about $50 and you actually own the software.  And you get the updates too.

More photography of downtown Ottawa

Finished at work early and waiting for the fiancé to pick me up.  Decided to do some photography while waiting.  I didn’t want to pull out my Sony RX100 Mark VII which was sitting in one of my pockets.  Decided to take this shot with the Apple iPhone 11 Pro Max (64 GB) model.  This is using the 0.5x lens which is pretty cool considering I was pretty much standing under the first Canadian flag.  As far as videos go, I haven’t properly setup the iPhone on a tripod yet and shoot proper 4K/60 video.  I did shoot some handheld video when we were at Niagara Falls two weeks ago and even hand holding the iPhone, the footage came out fantastic.

Another reason I love the Sony RX100 Mark VII

I went to the Calgary Flames and Ottawa Senators hockey game this past weekend and I took the Sony RX100 Mark VII with me.  Everyone thinks just because the Sony RX100 Mark VII is a little compact point and shoot camera that it cannot get up close shots or descent images.  But I think it’s one of the best cameras around.  No one checks you when you go into an event thinking this is not a pro camera.

Another night with the Sony RX100 lines of cameras

The above shot was taken with the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  We were waiting for the finale of the fireworks show across the river on the Gatineau side.  We got there early at 5:30pm to stake out a spot since it was a Saturday in late August.  IT was a warm Saturday night.  We were sitting right on the river with no one in between us and the river but a protective fence.  This was shot at f9, 0.6 seconds at ISO 100.  The camera was on a tripod with an Intervalometerator hooked up to the camera.  I wanted to bring the Sony RX100 Mark VII but Apple hasn’t released the supporting software for the 2018 Apple iPad Pro yet.  So I was stuck with the Sony RX100 Mark VI.

I just a few settings in Pixelmator Pro.  A little colour correction and the name of the hotel on the left of the photo was erased because of copyright.  Can’t upload trademarked names or images. 

I am now much closer to Apple iPadOS coming out next month.  I’ll be so glad when we’ll have a decent file system, the ability to connect external hard drives and we’ll finally have mouse support.  I hope we’ll be able to select multiple files at once.

On a side note, the girlfriend and I are pretty much done with Ottawa as far s getting decent jobs.  Neither of us are bilingual so getting a good job in Ottawa is unrealistic.  We’ve decided to move out west.  I was out there for 4 months and I loved it.  I loved the mountains, the fresh air, the open fields that go on forever.

More lunch time photography

More lunch time photography from today.  Yup.  Yoga Wednesday on the hill.  Or Parliament Hill as the locals call it.  Weather was humid and cloudy.  Thankfully it rained about half an hour later after this photo was taken.  This was taken again with the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I am currently saving my photography money to buy the Sony RX100 Mark VII.  I’m going to give the Sony RX100 Mark VI to my girlfriend once I buy the Mark VII.  I’ve been watching a lot of YouTube videos about the Sony RX100 Mark VII and it looks like it’ll be THE perfect camera for me.  It’s the perfect camera for my travel needs.  It’s a pocket sized power camera.

July 2, 2019

I spent this morning at Parc Omega.  I left the park at about 1:15pm.  It was so hot out today.  About 27 degrees Celsius.  I paid $35 to get into the park.  I remember paying $26 a day to get into the park just a few years ago.  It was a lot cheaper and a lot better back then.  They’ve increased the prices and pretty much made the park unphotographable with fences everywhere.  The other people coming into the park drive like they never took a driving lesson.  The park is located on the Quebec side so that’s one reason why it’s harder and harder for me to go there.  Summer is really not a good time to go to the park because it’s so damn hot out.

I have basically decided that for the remainder of this year I want to pay off my credit card debt so I can do some travel next year.  I want to actually move out west in April of next year.  I am so sick of Ottawa and Ontario.  There is nothing to do here and it’s so damn expensive to do anything.  I have also decided not to sell my Sony a7ii and my Canon Vixia HF G40.  Next year I want to upgrade my drone to something better than the DJI Spark.  It’s an ok drone but it only shoots at 1080p/30fps and photos are only shot in JPEG.  So no Raw photos and no 1080p/60fps or 4K on the drone just because the sensor on the drone is so small.  I think the drone I want is about $2030 before tax.

I have everything I want as far as vehicle goes.  I have the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD which I can sleep in and have enough room for all my equipment.  I am saving some money as well.  I’m putting $50 a paycheque into my TFSA.  All my photography money is staying in my Paypal account.  With the new job I’m starting tomorrow, I’ll be making some good coinage to pay off my debt.  We just have to stop going out to restaurants every second day.  I want to also start eating healthy.  I want to lose at least 50 pounds by April 2020.  I also want to restart reading my Affinity Photo book and learn Affinity Photo.  For my Apple iPad Pro to say the least.

I need to get out

I miss Calgary.  I miss Calgary a lot.  I miss going to the mountains.  I cannot stand Ottawa any more.  The people, the weather, the ineptness of the local government.  There is absolutely nothing to do here in Ottawa.  I was supposed to start a job with Export Development Canada but I never got a start date.  I got the job back in April of 2019.  It’s the end of June as I write this and still no start date.  Luckily they don’t know I’m working right now so I’m not hurting for cash.  Well I am but I have pay coming in.  

I love photography and shooting footage.  I’ve done it all here in Ottawa.  I’ve been here for 36 years and I’m bored.  The girlfriend and I signed a lease for an apartment back in March 2019 for a year.  That’s basically the only thing that’s keeping me here.  I miss the mountains.  I miss actually doing stuff outside.  Parc Omega near Ottawa blows monkey penis’.  It’s no longer photogenic.  Too many obstructions.  Too many idiots.  And they keep raising prices.  I need to move back to Calgary.

Are stock agencies worth it?

For me?  The only one that sells daily is Shutterstock.  Of course in small amounts unless I sell a video.  Unless that video sells for a whopping $1.50.  Video sales are rare.  Higher prices photos are rare as well.  I think it's time I start printing again and start selling my prints at art shows located here in Ottawa.  But we'll be moving soon to Calgary so we'll see what the photography scene is like in Calgary.  I know once I get out there, I'll be in the mountains pretty much every weekend.

Weather here in Ottawa sucks this week and will continue to suck for the rest of the month.  Time to take out the camera and go for a winter drive on the weekend.

On the topic of other agencies such as Bigstock, Canstock, Dreamstime etc.  I never really did well there to justify uploading more content.  It takes forever to upload, keyword and submit content for a sale here and there.  I do make the odd sale but not enough to justify the constant uploading.  That's why I just upload to Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.  At least with the sales I do make there, I make payout.  Other sites, I wait and wait for payouts.  So not worth it.

Although they lost.

It was still a fun game to watch.  Ottawa has not been doing well at all in the NHL the last few years.  But we still support the team.  I wanted to test the Sony RX100 Mark VI inside.  It is quite noisy shooting at ISO 1600 and above.  It is a small one inch sensor.  Not quite full frame.  I can't sell these pictures anyways on Shutterstock, Pond5 or Storyblocks because apparently when you buy tickets to an event, you cannot sell any of the photography.  Which is fine.  I can sell them on my own website though.  So you can check out my website here.  These pictures were taken at the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators game at the Canadian Tire Center on January 5, 2019.

 

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.

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.

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.

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.