Video only

So there have been a few changes in the past two weeks.  I got my new 2021 Apple iPad Pro with the M1 based processor, 1TB of storage and 16GB of RAM.  I also got a Sony FDR AX700b camcorder which shoots amazing 4K HDR videos.  I am all setup to do great video work.  The weather has fantastic today and should remain so for the next 4-6 days.  No humidity and no heat.  No rain.  Just clear skies with a few big, puffy clouds.  Tonight after work, I will be going out and shoot a video for YouTube and get some stock for Pond5.  I am doing less and less photography and more video.  There is just more money in shooting video then there is in photography.  I’m still going to do photos for Adobe Stock but I’ll be focusing more on video production.

Now if you asked me 10 years ago, I’d laugh at you if you told me I’d be doing video as well as photography.  I actually look forward to getting outside with the camera and camcorder.  I hate being stuck inside behind a computer.  I’d rather be shooting.  Don’t get me wrong, I love to edit videos and photos but I just enjoy setting up a camera and camcorder.  I still hate being in front of a camcorder.  I just hate being on video as a I do not like how l look and sound.

I think this weekend, we’ll be going up to Algonquin Park.  Not the highway 60 route, but we’ll go up to the northern part of the park.  Who knows.  It’s always a last minute decision.

November has been a bad month

Typically I'd make payout by now on Shutterstock.  But I've only sold 55 photos this month and no footage clips.  I've sold one clip this month on Pond5 for a hair under $130.  But that's it.  I've only made $31.50 on Shutterstock so far this month.  If I miss payout, it'll be the second time this year I haven't made a payout of $35.  I haven't sold anything on Storyblocks in months.  Probably April of this year.  They've increased their prices and payouts and maybe that drove customers away.  Plus I've Googled Storyblocks online and there are some not so good reviews out there.

I've been asked to join OnePixel but they sell all their photos for $1.  So I would probably get maybe $0.25 to $0.30 a shot which is insulting.  At least on Shutterstock I have the chance to make $120 per shot and video.  On Pond5 I get to set my prices and I've been pretty consistent at $199 per clip and photo.  I've sold a few videos at that price and higher depending on the licensing deal.

I've been so busy these past few weeks that I haven't even had a chance to touch my camera or camcorder let alone open up my Affinity Photo book.  That has to change.  I have to set my priorities again.  I usually get home now between 7pm and 8pm.  Before I even sit down it's past 8:30pm and I'm just exhausted from the day.  I have to reprioritize my goals.  I have to go to the gym and I have to study.  

I was looking at some classes for the winter session at Algonquin College.  They have nothing computer related and if they do, they want an exorbitant amount of money for the course.  Plus I don't think I want anything to do with the I.T. industry after my contract is done here with CMHC.  

Like I've said before, I'll be making a few life changes over the next few months as far as relationships and careers go.  I have to make myself happy first.  I can't be making everybody be happy and me ending up being miserable.  I have to move out west to Calgary.  I can't stand living in Ottawa anymore.  When I woke up this morning and got ready to go to work it was minus twenty degrees celsius outside.  One of my goals is to end up being in the United States.  I want to start a Youtube photography channel and do that full time.  I've been stuck in a basement since April of this year imaging and deploying computers.  I don't get to see the sunshine.  I don't have any windows.  It's depressing.

Google doesn't pay that well with the blogger thing.  I've made less then ten dollars doing this.  I know my blog isn't the biggest or the best.  But I am trying.  I'm fighting for success.

Just an update on the DJI Spark

The update is that there is no update.  I have to wait 2-3 days for DJI to take a look at the log files to see what happened to the drone.  I hope to hear by Wednesday of this week.  I'm hoping DJI gives me a credit so I can go buy another drone.

On another note, I have a few jobs I'm being submitted for.  I should hear something by Wednesday for a few of them.  Hopefully Wednesday will be a good day.  If I do get a job on Wednesday, and DJI gives me bad news, I'll have to make a decision to see if I'll get the same drone.  I do have the remote controller for the DJI Spark and it's even on sale right now.  I'm hoping everything turns around and does a 180 this week and I can get back to work and I can start flying a drone again.  If I do get a drone again, I know where not to fly it.  LOL