Sales are picking up on Shutterstock

The last two years have been abysmal for photo and footage sales.  When Shutterstock allowed pretty much everybody to submit photos and videos 2 years ago, sales went down 40-60%.  Since anyone with an iPhone could submit photos, the photo and footage pool got swamped with crap photography and crap footage, all the good stuff sank to the bottom and the crappy stuff just poured in.  This week I even sold a 4k video for $1.80US which is a joke.  This month seems to be starting really well.  So far I've sold 3 videos and 13 photos just on Shutterstock.

I hope the U.S economy keeps going the way it is.  The Canadian economy sucks thanks to our Zoolander PM.  I sell a lot of my stuff in the States and Europe along with the far east.  All I have to say is #MAGA.

Tomorrow we go to Algonquin Park to see the leafs changing colors.  Hope there is no rain.

Canon Vixia HF G40 camcorder

I never liked the form factor of a DSLR or a bridge camera to shoot video.  I've always like a real camcorder feel to shoot video.  I bought the Canon Vixia HF G40 about 2 years ago because it's a prosumer camcorder for a really good price.  I bought it for $1249 Canadian.  3 years ago I never shot video for my stock business.  I was actually at Parc Omega one day and I had my Canon EOS 6D and a Sigma f5-6.3 150-500MM lens attached.  The light that day was simply amazing.  I decided to shoot a video of a coyote on a hill thinking "Hey that would make a cool video."  Shot a 30 second clip and a few days later it sold on Shutterstock for $120US.  That got me hooked on shooting footage.  Currently I have 1495 footage clips on my Shutterstock portfolio.  I've shot video with my DSLR cameras like the Canon EOS 6D, a Canon Vixia HF R82, my Sony RX100 Mark II, IV and V.  I've shot with my Sony RX10 Mark II.  I've shot with a Sony FDR ax33 (4K) and a Sony FDR ax100/b (4K) camcorder and my Apple iPhone 8 Plus.  I also have a drone that I've shot video with (DJI Spark).  Out of all those cameras, I've always enjoyed the Canon Vixia HF G40.  I think the Canon lines of cameras and camcorders reproduce colour the best.

Yesterday I sold a 4k video for $1.80US which is insulting.  Today I sold a video for $17.29 which is still pretty low.  I wish Shutterstock would let us price our videos the way we want like Pond5.

Shutterstock has sunk to a new low

When I say a new low, I mean a new low.  Today I sold a footage clip for a whopping $1.80.  You read that correctly.  A whole $1.80 for a video clip.  What resolution are you going to get.  Less than Standard definition?  A $1.80 for a video clip.  That's more than insulting.  It's amoral to sell a clip for less than $10.  Who in their right mind would buy a clip let alone sell one?  I did not agree to this.  Typically I sell my footage from $14 to $199.  My best sellers typically sell $96 and above.  And that's my profit.  I'm sure Shutterstock gets more than I do.  On Pond5 I sell my footage for $199 and I get $99.50 for each clip sold.  A $1.80 is insulting.  Does Shutterstock not realize they're ripping off the contributor and their client?  I mean really?  How insulting.  My camcorder cost me $1500 before tax.  My Apple iMac cost me $2000.  My editing software cost me $199.  All of course before tax.  So I spent a grand total of $3699 pre tax to sell a video for a $1.80.  It's insulting.  It's immoral.  It's a kick in the nuts.  Shutterstock beats you down and when you think they're done.  They come back and beat you some more.

I have 12,425 photos and 1487 clips currently being sold at Shutterstock as of October 3, 2018.  I've tripled my portfolio in that last 3 years.  Some day I sell absolutely nothing on Shutterstock.  I admit some of my stuff is uninteresting and should not really be up there.  Then again I have photos and footage that I though were crap and have been my best sellers.  But a $1.80 for a 1080p/60fps clip sells for $1.80?  This is the exact reason I've stopped uploading to iStock.  They sell my photography for 2 cents.  2 cents!!!!!  People are pissed with micro stock agencies like Adobe Stock, iStock and Shutterstock.  They are completely devaluing contributors.  They are devaluing photography and videography.  It's an insult to any hobbyist, amateur, semi pro and pro.

The clip I sold for a $1.80 was a 4k clip as well.  The lowest price I see it being sold for is $65 for a standard definition edition.  That's an even bigger kick in the nuts.

Like I stated above, I spent $1500 for a camcorder, $2000 for an Apple iMac, $199 for Final Cut Pro X.  I spent $32 to get into the park to take photos and videos.  I spent roughly $45 for gas.  I probably spent roughly $25-$30 on food during the day.  Plus my time.  In the end, all of that is worth $1.80 for a clip.  

I just have a simple question.  Where and when will the spiral to the bottom end?  Contributors like myself work hard.  We enjoy doing what we do.  You cannot recreate a photo.  Or a clip.  We create memories.  We capture a moment that will never, ever occur again.  The race to the bottom will eventually hit rock bottom.  The question is.  Who will start digging to continue the longer race to a deeper bottom?

Back at Parc Omega

I went to Parc Omega over the weekend and got some good shots.  They are upgrading some areas of the park.  It's still not as good as it was when I first started going there.  The fences are higher making photography more difficult.  I don't like having fences in my photography.  It distracts from the animals and footage I am trying to photograph.

This upcoming weekend, the girlfriend and I are heading up to Algonquin Park to see the tree leaves turning colour.  It's going to be a gong show with all the tourists from the Toronto area.  I've been going there for the past three years and it's always a gong show.  This year I want to bring my DJI Spark to get some arial footage of the trees and the natural beauty of the park.

One of my better shots

A lone Arctic Wolf showing its fangs.  I absolutely love wolves.  My favourite type of wolf is the Timber Wolf.  Their fur in the winter is just amazing.  Absolutely love wolves.

Parc Omega

It's been a while since I've been to Parc Omega.  Last time the girlfriend and I went was probably in March of this year.  With the heat wave we've had this summer it's just not worth going.  The animals just hide in the forest to get away from the heat.  Today I did photography with maybe a dozen or so footage shots.  I did not take my camcorder with me.  Only shot 4k a few times today.  The next time I go, I will be going during the week and alone so I can concentrate more on composition of my nature shots.  We left the house around 10am and got back around 9pm after visiting the park and going for dinner after.  Let's just say it was a long and exhausting day.  But we had a lot of fun

I think this week I'll be going back to Parc Omega by myself with the Sony RX10 Mark II and the Canon Vixia G40 to do some more photography and more footage shots.  I shouldn't have taken any 4k footage yesterday.  It's just takes too much space and too much time to edit and upload.  That's why I like shooting with my Canon Vixia G40 camcorder.  It's great 1080p/60fps footage.  I also like the colours of all the Canon products.  Much better colour reproduction.  

Looks like...

...Shutterstock is picking up.  Although sales are still down 25%-50% they could be worse.  What's saving me is video sales.

Two video sales, one late last night and one really early this morning actually put me over the $5,000.00 earnings mark.  I'm averaging about $1,250 a year in sales right now.  I started in May 2014 where I earned only $5 to $20 a month for the first year.  So that average is probably higher.  I'd say around $2,000 a year.  I am starting this month to actually save my photography earnings to buy a new camera.  I want to buy the new Sony RX200 Mark IV point and shoot.  I want to buy the Sony RX100 Mark IV just because of its size and the fact that it now boasts a f2.8-4.5 24-200MM lens.  It's a perfect little travel camera that shoots awesome 1080p and 4k video.  Plus the picture quality is outstanding.  Next year I want to get into doing some astrophotography so I also want to purchase an entry level DSLR like a Canon Rebel T7i or if they bring out a new T8i, I'd buy that.  I already have a telescope and a tracking mount so I just need the body.

And no more Tim Horton's for this photog

Need an early morning coffee?  Late night snack?  You're Canadian and enjoy Timmies.  I suggest you have a little read here.  Also affects Kraft Dinner.  Who knew you needed an early morning dose of herbicide which, if consumed in large quantities causes cancer.  

I will never, ever...

...wait in line for a stupid phone.  I just don't get the people who do wait in line.  Especially if you're paying $1999 pre tax for a maxed out Apple iPhone.  I will never pay that for a phone.  Regardless if it's, as Tim Cook says $30/monthly tab.  

I am always a generation or two behind on my phones.  iPhones are disposable products.  You get rid of them within 2 years once your contract is done.  I am currently sporting an Apple iPhone 8 Plus in a protective case.  My contract is up in May 2020.  Will I be getting another phone in May 2020.  Nope.  Why?  My contract will go down to $50 a month plus tax for 10GB of data.  I am not a zombie meaning I'm not stuck to my phone 24/7/365.  

My current phone does exactly what it's supposed to.  Make phone calls and take pictures.  I have the 64GB model which is enough storage for me to shoot 4k/60fps video and photos for the day or week if need be.  I also have iCloud storage of 50GB which I pay $1.49 a month for.

I honestly don't get why people wait for a freaking phone.  There is absolutely no reason.  A new phone is not relevant.  It does not make you look cool because a cell phone is so ubiquitous now.  Your grandmother has a phone.  Your friends have a phone. Everybody has a cell phone.  Need versus want is what I am saying.  You don't need a new phone.  You have more computing power in your current phone than what NASA had to put man on the moon.

Flew the drone again

Bit cloudy here in Ottawa but hardly any wind.  Supposed to rain the next two days so I doubt I'll fly after work.  I've always wanted this type of shot of the Parliament buildings.  I was very careful when flying here.  Stayed away from people, buildings and other obstacles.   Hope you enjoy.

Out west

I really, really want to move out west.  Not to Bring Cash British Columbia but somewhere near Calgary, Alberta.  I was there for four month last year on a contract and I fell in love with the ruggedness of the province.  From Calgary, you are about 45 minutes from the mountains.  I absolutely love the Rockies and the lakes within the mountains.  Calgary is also much closer to the American southwest where I was in 2016.  I totally love the wilderness of the western U.S and Canada.  Being in Ottawa is crap.  I've been here for 35 years.  I am so bored here.  There is absolutely nothing to do here.

 

The girlfriend and I will be looking for a place to live and of course jobs out there.  I would love to get a full time photography gig out there.

iOS 12

iOS 12 was released yesterday (Sept. 17, 2018) by Apple.  When I got home I immediately installed it on my Apple iPhone 8 Plus.  I've had a day to play with my phone and I find iOS 12 really fast.  Faster than any previous iOS operating system.  Apps seem to open up way faster.  The phone seems more responsive.  iOS and Android are both really good operating systems.  I find Apple iOS just a bit better for photography and video apps.  I live in an Apple ecosystem so having an iPhone makes sense to me.  But I think after my 2015 iMac dies along with my 2013 MacBook Pro, I'll build my own computer and install Linux on it.  I will probably stick with the iPhone just because the apps work really well.  They are feature rich and they don't crash.  Footage and photos are much easier to import onto a computer from an Apple iPhone.  Android is a pain in the ass in that sense.

4 hours

4 hours to download the latest iOS operating system.  Wait.  Just wait a few days before you update any device.  The first 24 hours are going to nuts on the Apple servers with everyone wanting it.

This heat wave!!!

This heat wave we've had for the past month has to break at some point.  29 degrees Celsius not including the damn humidity.  Haven't slept well for the past 3 days.  I want to get out and do some more photography.  I've been only using my Apple iPhone 8 Plus for some random shots in the past couple of weeks.  Luckily it looks like sales are picking up on Shutterstock.  Pond5 and Videoblocks have been totally dead the last few months.  Hope they both pick up soon.

 

On another note, fall is coming and I'll be heading out to Algonquin Park and Parc Omega more often in the coming weeks.  I love those two places.

I wish fall was here

This summer has been too damn hot.  I can't wait for the fall cooler days and nights.  The trees changing colors.  The smell of cool winds.  And I'm gonna be going back to Parc Omega practically every weekend to get my animal footage and photography.