July 2, 2019

I spent this morning at Parc Omega.  I left the park at about 1:15pm.  It was so hot out today.  About 27 degrees Celsius.  I paid $35 to get into the park.  I remember paying $26 a day to get into the park just a few years ago.  It was a lot cheaper and a lot better back then.  They’ve increased the prices and pretty much made the park unphotographable with fences everywhere.  The other people coming into the park drive like they never took a driving lesson.  The park is located on the Quebec side so that’s one reason why it’s harder and harder for me to go there.  Summer is really not a good time to go to the park because it’s so damn hot out.

I have basically decided that for the remainder of this year I want to pay off my credit card debt so I can do some travel next year.  I want to actually move out west in April of next year.  I am so sick of Ottawa and Ontario.  There is nothing to do here and it’s so damn expensive to do anything.  I have also decided not to sell my Sony a7ii and my Canon Vixia HF G40.  Next year I want to upgrade my drone to something better than the DJI Spark.  It’s an ok drone but it only shoots at 1080p/30fps and photos are only shot in JPEG.  So no Raw photos and no 1080p/60fps or 4K on the drone just because the sensor on the drone is so small.  I think the drone I want is about $2030 before tax.

I have everything I want as far as vehicle goes.  I have the 2018 Hyundai Santa Fe Sport AWD which I can sleep in and have enough room for all my equipment.  I am saving some money as well.  I’m putting $50 a paycheque into my TFSA.  All my photography money is staying in my Paypal account.  With the new job I’m starting tomorrow, I’ll be making some good coinage to pay off my debt.  We just have to stop going out to restaurants every second day.  I want to also start eating healthy.  I want to lose at least 50 pounds by April 2020.  I also want to restart reading my Affinity Photo book and learn Affinity Photo.  For my Apple iPad Pro to say the least.

And another lousy $1.50 footage sale

Yesterday I sold another footage clip for a whopping $1.50US.  It's the second such sale and I find it pretty much insulting that I get a sale like that.  I'd rather not sell my footage if it's going to sell for a price I can't even buy a coffee for.  Thankfully I had a video sale for almost $94US earlier this month which makes up for this lousy sale.  I'm selling a lot of photography this month as well.  Weekends suck big time on every micro stock site.  Can't seem to sell anything anymore on Shutterstock on weekends.

I think today after work I'm gonna go do some photography.  Right now it's warm and sunny.  By warm, I mean +1 degree Celsius.  Which is warm for Ottawa in January.

I got extended at work till the end of February which is fantastic.  I'm hoping to get extended till the end of March so that my girlfriend and I can get the hell out of dodge and move to Calgary.  Neither of us can stand Ottawa anymore.  Neither of us are bilingual and I can't seem to get a full time job here in Ottawa.  It's always contract work.

When we do move out west I want to focus more on photography and being outdoors in the mountains.  That is my dream for now.

Windows 10 or any Microsoft operating system

Versus Linux, Mac OS, Unix, the Windows 10 operating system is a dysfunctional disaster.  It's a disappointment.  On my early 2013 MacBook Pro, the fans hardly ever ramp up.  Only when editing 4k footage, would the fans ramp up and run hot.  With Windows 10 running on my Asus laptop, just running Firefox the fans ramp up.  I can't wait to edit footage or photos on the laptop.  Windows basically is crap on a hard drive.  

I work with Windows 10 all day with my full time job.  It spies on you sending everything back to Microsoft.  It's the Google Android of the laptop/desktop computer market.  I've never had a problem with editing photos or 1080p footage on my MacBook Pro.  I cannot wait to get my Apple iPad Pro.  I think though with the bendgate problems with the iPads, I'll wait for the next itineration of the Apple iPad.  I can't justify a $2000+ product coming out bent out of shape from the factory.  No company is perfect but come on Apple.  The iPad comes out bent and it's a part of the manufacturing process.

I actually don't know if I even want the Apple iPad.  I have two decent laptops that can edit photos and footage pretty well.  Actually the MacBook Pro with Final Cut Pro X is pretty amazing.  I think this weekend I'll wipe the machine and do a clean install of Mojave on it.  Install all my regular programs and just use it to edit photos and footage.  Thankfully I got rid of the iMac.  That was an eyesore if I ever saw one.

I honestly don't know what 2019 will bring.  I know by April I do not want to be in Ottawa and Ontario.  I want to be in Calgary and be living close to the mountains.  I want to take two weeks and head down south thru Montana, Utah, Colorado to Arizona, up thru California and see the coast.  I would love to do photography and shoot some footage out there.  That is my goal for next year.

December 2018 = BME this year

December 2018 has so far been my best month this year.  The month and year are not over yet but I've sold more this month than most months combined.  Thanks to a few video sales this has been a pretty good month.

I am looking forward to 2019.  I think there will be a few massive changes.  I'm going to start looking for a job out west.  I cannot stand Ottawa and Ontario any more.  There is nothing to do here.  I loved being out west in the mountains.  I love nature and I love being out in the mountains.  The air is so fresh.  I love the mountain landscape.  I want to do some astrophotography in the mountains..  One of my goals is take a week or two off and just travel down to Arizona to do some road trip photography. I cannot wait to get out there.

That is all for now.

I am finally...

...getting some help at work. I've been back to my current employer for a month now and they've provided me with no help so far.  I was supposed to get help a few weeks back but the guys that they hired bailed on them.  I'm supposed to have a team of five but it's been just me.  I'm finding that working for the feds or quasi feds like the department I work for are getting worse and worse as tech and people go.  They're getting worse people with worse technical skills.  It's this multi-cultural, politically correct crap that is killing western society.  Companies now are hiring, not based on knowledge or merit but race, ethnicity or the sex of a person.  I know I don't know everything.  That's why I keep learning.  

I am totally sick of working in the I.T field now.  Companies are not helping you achieve success.  Everyone is after the Almighty dollar in the short term.  People and companies are looking just six months ahead or to the next fiscal quarter end.  I'm studying Affinity Photo more and more.  I'm saving up for the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  I also want to get the Sony RX10 Mark IV along with the DJI Mavic Pro 2.  

Having the Sony RX100 Mark VI, the Sony RX10 Mark IV and the DJI Mavic Pro 2 would be potent tools for me to get out on my own and actually push my photography business.  That is why I'm saving up my money.  That is why I'm studying Affinity Photo.  That is why I'm going to the gym to work on my health.  I want to concentrate on Affinity Photo and my health in the next five months so by March 31, 2019, I can move out west with my girlfriend and start a new life.

So today I forgot...

...my wallet at home.  All my ID's are in my wallet along with my bank cards, credit cards etc.  I'm all in a panic that I don't have any money today.  Or anything.  Than I look at my phone beside me.  And I think to myself.  I do have access to cash.  My Apple iPhone 8 Plus is going to be my valet today.  Who needs cards when you have your phone?????  Today I am also seriously starting to study Affinity Photo.  I know photography has to be my go to career now.  I have to pave my own way.  I cannot do the I.T. thing anymore.  I can't work only contracts.  Hire a photographer!!!!  Today!!!!!

And a new month begins again

The month has started off somewhat descent.  3 early morning photo sales from the Far East and Europe.  No video sales yet.  Thankfully no $1.80 footage sales.  The one footage sale for $1.80 was insulting enough.  I don't care how big your client is, you don't ripoff your contributors like that!!!  Shutterstock should know better.

On a side note, we're pretty much packed up and ready to move.  Maybe spend an hour tomorrow cleaning up and packing the tv and other big items.  We'll be moved quickly.  Have I mentioned I hate moving?  

Last month I sold about $150 worth of photography and footage.  $150 closer to getting the Sony RX100 Mark VI.  Next pay I get the Sony RX100 Mark V fixed.  Shouldn't be too expensive I hope.  This fall I am focusing on studying Affinity Photo, more photography and footage and going to the gym to get rid of 50 pounds before we move out west.  In February, we'll start looking for jobs out west.  Ottawa and Ontario just isn't for us anymore.  The weather sucks.  The economy for English speakers here is awful.

Luckily I have a good place to work now with a good boss.  As long as I get my work done, he doesn't care what I do which is fantastic.  And now I gotta go image a laptop.

This has been...

...the worst year for photo and footage sales yet.  It's down 40-60% month over month.  Even though I've increased my portfolios by as much as 100%, sales have fallen dramatically.  I've been marketing my portfolios over the past year, shooting even more, sales have dropped dramatically.  I've tried to stay positive and add customers and contributors to Shutterstock, Depositiphotos, Pond5 and Storybolocks, that has not helped an iota.  Zilch, zero, nadda, nothing.  I don't know if I can market on Youtube.  I hate being on camera.  I don't like self promotion as far as filming myself. 

I don't know if anyone is actually reading this blog or if it's just bots that are hitting this place.  Traffic is not increasing.  I'm not getting any responses to my blog entries.  I know not to quit and post regularly.  I know I have a small blog.  I'm hoping to grow it and make some decent money of off it but the ROI doesn't seem to be good right now.  I think it might take 2-4 years of me doing this for basically free with no return on investment.  I only pay for my domain name which is about $4 Canadian a year.  Blogger is free.  But my time is not.  That is the real pisser right there.

Back in 2010, I was diagnosed with cancer.  I went through one operation in 2010 and another one in 2011.  In 2015 I went through a divorce so I value my time very much.  I know you don't get any of it back which is why I have a lot of self doubt about doing this.  If it's worth my time.  I finally have a job I enjoy but again, it's a contract.  So it will come to an end at one point.  My girlfriend and I are moving at the end of the month to a cheaper place to save up some money so we can move out west to Calgary.  I was in Calgary for 4 months last year and I fell in love with the west.  I fell in love with the life style, the mountains, nature.  Alberta is so much closer to the American west as well.  I'm hoping that if we do move out there to take a few weeks and do some travelling and photography out there.  I love being out in the mountains and in nature.  I love doing photography and videography out there.  It's so peaceful and nice.  I'm hoping to get contract work or a full time job out there so I can support my girlfriend and I.  We both want to travel and we both love being out in nature.  I'm hoping it works out for both of us.

Been a busy few weeks!

So several weeks ago (three to be exact) I went on a solitary vacation to the state of Arizona.  I have never been alone anywhere.  I was always with either a friend, family member, ex-wife etc.  I was never alone with a camera anywhere.  I needed this trip to clear a few things up.  I wanted to be alone to think, clear my head and do some photography.   I think this particular image says it all for me.  Life's a journey, not a destination as the song says.

It was an awesome vacation with just a few hiccups.  But what vacation and life in particular don't have a few hiccups.  I got what I needed.  It was an awesome time to regroup and collect my thoughts.  I now know what I want out of my life and it's time I go and grab it.

Oh by the way, I missed Forrest by 5 minutes!  ;)