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.

$50 off on my Pond5 portfolio

Yes, you read that correctly.  Since it's my 43rd birthday tomorrow, I'm taking $50 off on everything in my Pond5 portfolio.  All photos and footage clips are $199 until the end of the month when the go back up again.  Purchase today!!!  Do not wait.  Just click on the link here.

Apple products

Don't even bother buying an Apple computer.  Any Apple computer.  They are overpriced and outdated.  Their phones are ok.  Their phones are the only product they're physically updating with new hardware.

 

I have a 2013 MacBook Pro and a 2015 iMac.  Those are the last Apple computers I will ever buy.  My next computer will be a Linux based laptop.  I cannot stand Windows 10.  It's slow and clunky on any hardware. 

 

Linux is the only way to go as an operating system.  Apple hardware is outdated and overpriced.  I like the Apple O/S but from the YouTube videos I've been watching with the Intel i9 processors over heat in such a slim device as the MacBook Pro.

 

The new MacBook Pros lack any viable ports unless you want to live the dongle life.  A dongle for your hard drives, Ethernet or SD cards.  No thanks.  Just stay away from Apple computers.  Apple is now solely an IOS hardware maker.

Edit:  If people buy this, they have more money than brains.  $1999 for a damn phone.  A phone!!!!!!  Something that is outdated the day you buy it and if you drop it and break the screen, you're out $2000 before taxes. 

Never forget

9/11

One of my favourites

Shot back in 2013.  Hasn't sold once anywhere.

People either like owls or they don't.  They are one of my two favorite birds, the other being Bald Eagles.  It's been 5 years since the Great Gray owls were in Ottawa.  I hope they come back soon.

Astro images from last night

It was nice and cool last night with no humidity.  Images turned out ok.  There were clouds in the south west so I did not take any astrophotography from there.  I really need to go to a real dark sky site like Algonquin Park to get away from the city lights.  The above is a shot of the Big Dipper constellation 

Astrophotography

Tonight, we go do some astrophotography and flying the drone.  Hopefully we'll see some Northern Lights and some nice long meteors.

Going flying after work

The humidity finally broke and the temps are actually nice.  So after work, I'm going flying with the DJI Spark.  I don't know where I'll fly but I need to.  I need more Ariel footage.

Was going to go fly but...

...the humidity is way too humid today.  Between the bursts of severe rain when it rains sideways, it's just too muggy to be outside.  It's supposed to be nice and cool for the remainder of the week.  I'll be glad that this humidity is going away.

Become a Shutterstock customer

If you or your business need high quality photos, footage, music etc you can become a Shutterstock customer here and help a photographer out as well.  For every package you buy, you also help me get a cut of the sales.  It really helps a small business out.  Again you can become a Shutterstock customer here and support a small local business.

I love drone photography

I've wanted a shot like this for a few years.  With drone technology, shots like this are now possible for the every man photographer.  No more needing to rent a helicopter, permits, insurance etc.  Now you can buy a $500 drone, a remote control and the ubiquitous cell phone.  Most people now have a cell phone and a computer.  Some photographers and videographers have a drone.  You just have to be aware of your surroundings and be really careful not to hit anything or anyone.   I am glad to have a drone and enough skill to take some nice pictures and videos.

1982

11:41am and I have 1982 views from Israel.  I typically get 30-65 views a day.  Not bad for a new blog.  I'm still trying to grow my views and especially them clicks on the ads which support this blog and my photography and footage sales.  But geez.  1982 views from one country?  Has to be a mistake.  I'm glad to get the views.  Helps a lot. 

Non existant sales

This weekend has been a total disaster for photo and footage sales.  Not a one sale on the stock sites I upload to the most.  Not a single sale.  Nothing.  Nadda.  I am hoping it picks up tomorrow.  The past 3 weeks have been horrible.  Sales are down 50%+. 

Drone flight at dusk

Was out with the girlfriend last night at a friends place for dinner and a sit down by a fire.  I decided to test the DJI Spark out at dusk just to see how the camera would perform.  It's ok.  But it could be better.  A lot better.  Maybe in the spring I will upgrade to the DJI Mavic Pro 2.  The Hasselblad camera should help a bit.

I edited about 6 clips which I'm currently uploading to Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks.

Editing DJI Spark photos

Just as I thought, the photos from the DJI Spark at dusk are completely useless.  The Spark is just not steady enough for anything slower than 1/100th of a second in shutter speed.  They're shaky and blurry.  The footage is a bit noisy but you can get rid of that in FCP X.  I'm actually editing the footage from last evening right now.  

The girlfriend and I went to church this morning followed by sushi and a movie.  So I'm just sitting here writing the blog while FCP X edits each clip.  They'll be up on Shutterstock, Pond5 and Storyblocks at some point.  I just wish Storyblocks was quicker at looking at each submissions.  They take up to 3-4 weeks to review the footage.  Shutterstock and Pond5 are 24-48 hours right now.

Actually went flying tonight

Finally flew the DJI Spark at dusk today.  I'll have to view the video once I get them off the micro SD card but it will be interesting to see how well the footage turns out from the DJI Spark.  Took a few photos as well.  From the Apple iPhone 8 Plus, the footage and photos looked a bit noisy but I an fix that in post.

The rest of the weekends sounds like it's going to crap weather wise with 90% chance of rain for both Sunday and Monday.  So the girlfriend and I are planning on just going to church tomorrow in the morning and a movie in the afternoon.  Monday I want to pretty much read a few books and just relax.

I wish...

...Google Ad Sense was explained better as far as earnings go.  How you earn money?  How you earn more money?  Questions like that.