I have a photographic equipment conundrum

So I have a photography equipment conundrum.  I have 3 point and shoot cameras along with a full frame Leica Q2 Monochrom camera along with a Sony FDR AX700b camcorder.  I also have an 2023 iPads Pro and a Dell XPS 9700 laptop to edit my photos and videos on.  I also carry the new Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max with me whenever I’m outside.  So basically a had a severe case of GAS.  Gear acquasition syndorme.  

I am planning on moving to Calgary in March 2024 and live a nomad type life sleeping in my 2023 Jeep Wrangler 4 door.  I want to support myself by doing landscape photography while in the Rocky Mountains.  I know I’m going to have to get a full time job in the meantime while I do the YouTube and photography thing.  I’ve got pretty much everything figured out as far as living conditions and such.  I just don’t want to take so much equipment with me and have it in the Jeep while I’m away.  I want to carry just one camera and a tripod.

I would appreciate any suggestions as far as equipment goes.

The incoming storm

Black and white photography can be a great way to capture the dramatic essence of an incoming storm. By removing color distractions, it emphasizes the contrast, textures, and mood of the scene. When photographing a storm in black and white, look for strong shapes, striking cloud formations, and play with light and shadow to create a powerful composition. Experiment with different exposure settings and post-processing techniques to enhance the drama and convey the storm's intensity in your photographs. Stay safe while capturing those captivating moments!

Alberta here I come

 

I'm sitting here at the Tim Horton's on Lancaster Road in Ottawa.  I just finished keywording and naming pictures that I shot from last winter.  Yup, last winter.  The last 10 or so months have been an emotional hell for me.  I was basically physiologically screwed up by my ex.  It's not easy to admit and it's embarrassing to say and admit.  It basically took me six months to basically get back to being myself and being alright with myself again.  

I don't blame my ex as I should have seen the red flags and I should have bailed years ago but I wanted the relationship to work.  I basically didn't want to give up but I should have.  I actually never should have come back to Ottawa back in 2017 when I was in Calgary for 4 months for work.  But it is what it is.  I've learned from another mistake in my life.  

I think another mistake is staying in Ottawa.  April 1, 2023, I will be going to Calgary.  I am 100% sure of this move.  I just miss the mountains, the fresh air, the lakes in the mountains.  Doing photography in the mountains.  I've been single for 6 months and 1 day as of today.  Will I date again?  Possibly.  In Ottawa?  Probably not.  Right now, I just want to focus on me, my photography and my photography business.

Winter is coming up awfully quickly here in Ottawa.  You can smell and feel it in the air.  I'm going to have to find a part time job here in Ottawa for the winter months.  Just something part time in the evenings and weekends.  I'm going to have to squeeze in photography as well.  And look for a job out west.  I don't know how long I can last at DFO for.  Rumor is we're getting our crappy CS4 back.  He hates us and the team hates him.  

This weekend and/or week I want to actually upload pictures to my other website so I can actually start selling them at reasonable prices.  No more of this micro stock agency shit where you get literally 10 cents on the dollar for a high quality, high mega pixel stock photo.  The return on investment is ludicrious.  I could teach photography as well on a one on one basis but it's hard to get your name out there.  Especially now with people having a camera in their pocket 24/7.  

So this afternoon and evening, I will be learning how to setup a Squarespace website.  Hopefully, I'll learn enough to configure at least most of it.  Tomorrow, configure my website and this week look for a job out in Calgary and temp evening job here in Ottawa for the winter.

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.  

Vacation - September 2022

It’s been a while since I’ve been on vacation.  I’d say about a year ago at this time I was in Nova Scotia with my now ex-girlfriend.  I should really go.  I bought all the stuff I need to sleep in my car.  I am very independent.  I don’t need hotels to sleep in as I can sleep in my Santa Fe Sport SUV.  I have an air mattress.  I have a portable power supply which should last me a week to power my camera, camcorder and cell phone.  I really need to get away.  It’s been almost four months now and the pain is still there.  I’ve lost any and all trust in women.  I’m not looking to spend my future with a woman as I don’t trust women anymore since my ex girlfriend cheated on me.  I’ve been on three dates in the past 4 months.  I had to run away from the last date just because it was so weird and awkward. The women on the dating websites are a total shit show.  Completely unreliable and not worth it.  

I absolutely need the break from everything.  I just hope to get a photography job somewhere.  Just so done with the 9-5 office job.

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.

Just black and white from now on

 

I'm currently shooting with a Sony a7R Mark III and a Sony FE f1.8 35MM prime lens just in black and white.  When I get my next I.T. contract here in Ottawa, I'll be pumping some money into a savings account and save up for a Leica Q2 Monochrome.  In Canada, specifically Ottawa, you can buy that camera for $7,399.99 before tax.  After tax, it's roughly $8,400.  I want to get a grip, an extra battery and the RGB filters.  I'm looking at roughly $9,100 for a black and white camera with an f1.7, 28MM lens that only shoots in black and white.

If you haven't heard anything about Leica, than you're really not a photographer.  Leica is a German company that's been producing cameras for over 100 years.  All Leica cameras are handmade in factory.  Once you go Leica, apparently you never go back to using any other camera system.

I've had a fascination with shooting black and white for the past couple of months.  I am also limiting my shooting to just landscapes.  I've cut down the number of photos I've put up on my website from several hundred to just 8 of my best.  

In November, my fiancee and I are heading down to Arizona for 10 days.  It'll be another photography vacation for myself anyways.  The plan is to rent an RV for at least 6 or 7 days and go up to Monument Valley, the Grand Canyon and a few of the national parks.  If I could swing it by then, I could have the Leica Q2 monochrome and shoot everything in pure black and white.  Hopefully the weather will co-operate with us and provide us with nice blue skies and awesome colours.

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.