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.

DJI finally got back to me

They will not admit the I lost transmission from my remote control to the DJI Spark.  They have offered me a 30% discount on a new Spark if I choose to do so.  I have not accepted this as I feel I bought a dud.  I flew it a total of 17 times losing connection 3 times.  The last time being the end of my flying career unit l I get a new drone.

Honestly I'm disappointed with DJI.  I thought they made a really good product.  In my view, they make a product that is overhyped and a bit pricey for what it is.

On a side note, I sold a video of a tulip that I profited $96US on today which is awesome.  That one video quadrupled the amount of money I've made so far this month on Shutterstock.  That's one reason why I got into doing video.  It's a fun hobby along with photography.

I also start a new contract on Monday so I'm trying to get caught up on some stuff.  The last two weeks have kind of sucked because of the lack of work.  Gladly that is now over and I can get back to making more money to support the photography/videography side business.

I might buy another DJI Spark tomorrow.  I'm addicted to flying the drone.

My most popular image

My most popular image so far has only been online for just over a year.  I shot it in Banff, Alberta while on a weekend.  I've been doing micro stock for about 4 years now and this image just keeps selling on average every 3 days.  At first I thought it would be a throw away image when I shot it and looked at it on the computer.  Then I had the bright idea of turning it into a black and white image.  It got accepted and I keep selling it.  You can find the image here.

It's been a while

Sometime, life gets in the way.  I've been doing a lot of photography but haven't been posting to the blog.  I wish I could post daily but I've been uploading my fall photos to Shutterstock, Bigstock etc.  Just trying to get more money.  I recently booked a vacation to Arizona.  I'm going to the Grand Canyon, the horse shoe bend near Bend and Monument Valley.  

The above picture is from Mud Lake located here in Ottawa.  I've been there a lot this fall doing video work.  I was able to get a juvenile egret up close which is awesome.  

Algonquin Radio Telescope

I had the privilege of staying the night at the Algonquin Radio Telescope in Algonquin Park, Ontario which is located just a 3 hour drive west of Ottawa, Ontario - Canada.  I've been to Algonquin Park on several occasions to camp and do some nature and landscape photography in the past.  I've heard of the Algonquin Radio Telescope a few years back.  But due to life getting in the way, I never had the chance to go up there to visit.

As it turns out, I finally had the chance on the Canada Day long weekend in 2016.  This was the first time visiting the site.  I got there at about 14:00 or so and checked into the house where the researchers stay.  I roamed the area around the house overlooking Traverse Lake.  It started out a beautiful, cool day with white, puffy clouds.  It was supposed to clear out for the night and no rain was expected.  

I asked one of the resident astro-physicists if I could access the telescope site to take some pictures and at 17:15 I was able to access the telescope site.  The 46 metre dish is something to behold on first sight.  It is a gigantic dish in the forest.

I first spent about 75 minutes walking and photographing the site from various angles.  What a sight to see.  I left the sight at about 18:30 to go get ready for a nicely prepared dinner of curried chicken and rice.  We were joined by Robbie who flew all the way from Ireland to see various Canadian sites.  After dinner, Robbie, a fellow photographer and I decided that we wanted to go photograph the dish at sunset.  Again an amazing sight to see.  Especially at dusk with no clouds and no moon.  It was just an awesome experience to see the site, meet new people and get some education in the process.

If you do decide to go, bring several small children to entertain the large amounts of mosquitos, horse flies and black flies.  I mean this in all seriousness.  The bugs took 2 pints of blood from me which were quickly refilled with some much needed Irish whiskey.