When my photography ship comes in

Maybe.  Just maybe, when my photography sugar momma comes in I will be able to purchase one of these one of these spectacular vehicles.  It's just millions and millions of photos that I have to sell. Actually at $0.33 a pop it's about a million photos or so.  Just for a basic model.  So who wants to help a photographer out?  

Tulip Festival - Ottawa 2016

The Tulip festival starts next weekend here in Ottawa.  Nearly half the bulbs planted have bloomed and I expect the rest to bloom over the next few days as we get warmer weather and some much needed rain in Ottawa.

I always love to go down to Dow's Lake to shoot these beautiful flowers.  A few of my shots are on sale at my website.

Ottawa tired!

I've lived in Ottawa since 1983 when I was just 8 years old.  I took up photography seriously in 2008 or so.  Started taking classes in 2010 and finished in 2012.  It is now 2016 and I'm tired of photographing Ottawa and the surrounding areas.  I fee like I've done it all in this quaint town of a million plus people.  You have your typical tourist sites like Parliament Hill, the museums, galleries and such.  I've been to Parc Omega more times than I can count.

Don't get me wrong, I like living here in Canada's capital.  It's quiet, relatively cheap and there are jobs here.  I'm just tired.  Tired of the same.  Mind you, I'm not the kind to just pick up and move to a new place.  I have to have things figured out.  Need a job.  Need money to eat and put a head over my head.  I need a place where I can edit my photos and videos.

I've felt the need to move somewhere for the past several years.  I've come to realize that I've spent too much time here.  I'm still finding it hard to be alone after my divorce.  I see no future girlfriend in the near future.  I don't know if I'll get married again.  I'm scared to move to a new place.  But I'm more scared if I don't and things stay in the same place and do the same things.  I don't know if I can keep doing the same job for the next 20+ years.  A job I hardly enjoy.  A job that is just the means to an end.  I'm not overly happy doing the same thing day in day out seeing the same people, doing the same job.  

I love photography.  It's the only hobby/job that keeps me happy.  I don't think about anything else when I'm out photographing the surrounding world.  I think the only other person who would understand is a photographer.  Photography is something that lives in you.  It's more than a feeling.  It's more than a passion.  It's in my DNA.  Honestly it's what I love to do.  Just put me in a national park with a camera or two and I'd be happy as a kid in a candy store.

The Wood Duck

Taken today at Mud Lake after a long day at work.  There must have been at least 5 pairs of Wood ducks at the entrance to the path today.  When I came at about 4pm they were all diving for food.  Weather was a bit chilly with a brisk, cold wind

I honestly love shooting with my f2.8 lenses.  I don't think I could go back to a slower lens.  I may be an f2.8 snob but f2.8 lenses help out a lot.  Especially the Canon ones.

The 70-200MM

I honestly love shooting with the Canon EOS 6D and the Canon EF f.28 70-200MM L IS series lens.  Since I got the Canon 70-200, my acceptance rate on Shutterstock, Fotolia and Bigstockphoto have increased exponentially.  I also think I was holding the lens all wrong and the focus was way off causing my images to be soft and completely not sharp.  But now that I hold the lens a bit differently, I'm able to focus much better and let the lens do its magic.  The Canon EF f.28 70-200MM L series lens is amazingly sharp.

I'm also glad I bought the lens when I did back in October of 2015 as the price has increased by about $700 because of the falling Canadian dollar.  The falling Canadian dollar is good for one thing for myself as Shutterstock, Fotolia, Bigstockphoto and istockphoto all pay in U.S. dollars.  This means now I get about 30% more in my payouts which is nice since I derive 100% of my photography income from micro stock agencies based in either the U.S or the U.K.

I was thinking today while at work how to increase my passive income from photography.  I have my own website of course.  I sell my photography on 500px and Redbubble.  I am not on Etsy yet since I've heard conflicting things about that site.  I have one book available on iTunes.  I have to create probably another 2-3 books and put them up on iTunes and lulu.com.  Mind you, I'm horrible at marketing myself and my photography.  I'm also a perfectionist when it comes to my photography.  It just has to be perfect for me to put it up on a site now.  So it takes a while for me to do anything.

Anyways, back to the Canon EF f2.8 70-200MM L IS series lens.  Just simply an amazing lens as far as sharpness and colour accuracy.  I previously had the Sigma f2.8 70-200MM non-OS lens which means no which was a great lens.  Just not as good as the Canon version.

What originally made me get the Sigma version of the f2.8 70-200 was the great grey owl blow out back in 2012.  At the time, it was the only 70-200 I could afford.  At the time I think the Sigma was selling for about $1000 and the Canon was about $2200 or so (rounding off in dollars).  So the Canon was out of my league.  Now due to circumstances in my life I could afford the Canon lens.  I also now have a few Canon EOS 6D bodies to put my L series lenses onto.  Yes.  I'm addicted to photography and a total Canon camera fan boy.  I wish I was getting Canon to sponsor me but that is not the case.  But, I am hoping to work with Canon soon.  I'm a Canon brand kinda photographer as I shoot video on a Canon Vixia HF R62 camcorder.

If you are interested in some of my photography and videography you can check the following links:

Shutterstock

Fotolia

Bigstock

Pond5

iStock

I also upload to alamy.com and videoblocks.com but my portfolios are small compared to the others.

Feel free to shop or contact me here via email.