This is scary Shutterstock

Going on the 4th day with absolutely no sales on Shutterstock.  I've added a few new photos and vids but nothing.  No sales!!!  Nothing.  This is the longest dry spell I've had in a few years.  Sometimes I go one or two days, typically weekends without a sale.

I've taken my Sony RX100 Mark VII to work with me the last week or so.  There is absolutely nothing to photograph around the place I work at.  It's a pretty drab area of Ottawa I work at.  Nothing but buildings from the 1950's.  The area consists of buildings built in the 1950's that were used as a hospital.  Home dwellings were built in the 1950's as well so they are pretty old.  Maybe I can go for a walk tomorrow and do some black and white photography.

I am so looking forward to moving out of Ottawa and Ontario to Calgary in 2020.  I can't stand Ottawa anymore.

But, back to Shutterstock.  I a stuck at 8 sales for the month.  8 measly sales with a portfolio of 15,000+ photos and 1,500+ footage clips.  It is kinda sad.

Update:  I wrote this post and within half an hour, sold 4 photos to someone in San Diego, California.  Went to bed at about 10pm and sold another 4 photos overnight to someone.  Yup.  Thanks shutterstock.

Living large off of Google Ad Sense

Nope.  Not really.  Can't even buy a coffee for what I earn with Google Ad Sense.  I earn maybe $0.01 to $0.10 a day depending on if I get a click on one of the ads that are featured on my site.  I wish I was running a bigger site but it's been up only a few months.  I'm just a one man band that runs the site and I blog a few times a week.  I work full time and do this part time with my photography.  I wanted to run this focusing more on photography.  I think in the future when I move to Calgary later this year, I will focus this more on photography.  I'm not a gear reviewer or a travel photographer.  I just do this for fun as an amateur photographer.  I photograph landscapes and wildlife and sell my stuff on sites like Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.  I've shot about a half a dozen weddings in my lifetime but they are a pain in the back.  I don't have the space to do headshots so I stay away from them.

I enjoy being outside and being with animals.  They are way more relaxing than being stuck inside with a camera.  Anyways, Google Ad Words.  I'm glad I'm getting some money from it but it's not a get rich quick scheme.  Hopefully in a few months, while I work on the site and do more blog entries, my income will grow.  I don't know about doing YouTube with YouTube demonetizing people for using the "wrong" words and thoughts in their videos.

Another month. Another year.

December 2018 was my third best month of all time on Shutterstock.  A lot of video sales propelled me to having the best month of the year as well.  Although the end of the month was a real disappointment with no sales for three days, I was happy with the month over all.

I hope 2019 is a lot better for photo and footage sales.  Pond5 and Storyblocks were down in sales.  Especially Storyblocks.  I have not sold anything there in months and I've more than tripled my inventory there in 2018 by adding more footage and adding photos there.  Pond5 was OK.  Sold a few hundred dollars worth of footage.  No photo sales, but that is to be expected.

April 2019 is coming up fast which is kind of scary considering I'll be moving permanently to Calgary.  At least I hope.  I need to find a job there first.  I only have two weeks left on this contract but I'm being told I'll be extended again.  I don't know for how long.  We shall see.  I'm hoping to get a permanent job in Calgary.

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 have no patience. Not a photography related post.

I'm supposed to find out about a job tomorrow with Global Affairs Canada tomorrow.  I also have a meeting with a pimp tomorrow to talk about possible job opportunities with them.  These meetings I find are a complete waste of time as you meet with them and in my experience never hear from them again.  I'm 90% sure I have the job with Global Affairs Canada because I've worked with them a few times in the past.  I've pretty much given up going back to CMHC for phase two of the project.  They are going to lose all three of us that basically ran the project and did 90% of the work.  

I'm wanting to get another drone so bad.  I don't know what DJI will do for me with my last one that disconnected from my remote and I lost it in some deep brush.  I want to go buy another one.  But without a job, I'm unwilling to spend money on a drone I could get back for free.  I'm supposed to find out either tomorrow or Thursday.  If I get a new one from DJI, that would be so awesome.  I want to be flying again.  I think having a drone for my photography/footage business is an amazing opportunity which could make my business grow and give me some awesome opportunity.

I have a PayPal button on my blog and I'm not one to beg.  I've always worked for what I have.  I don't depend on the charity of others.  When I was fighting cancer (I won), I never wanted material things or money.  I wanted to work and no one gave me a chance.  Luckily I survived and I'm back in good health.  The only way people could support me is if they buy my photography or footage from one of the sites I upload to daily.  You can find it on my main blog on the right hand side.  Just sign up and buy.  If you're a photographer or videographer, you can sign up to Shutterstock here and become a contributor as well.  If you get others to be contributors as well, than you can make more money as well.  It's a win win for all.