Let’s be Serious for a Second

I’m trying to learn ways to cope and deflect the anxiety.

Most days its fine, you know, I know what I am doing is good work, I know what the work does for me mentally and that helps.

But then there’s the reality.

It’s tough…

It’s tough trying to make a living at this thing, it’s tough being against the wall with it.

The reality is, I need to make at LEAST 2k a month in order to survive if not thrive…

I’m not there yet.

I was hopeful that NFT’s would be the answer, and they may still be. The potential to make a living from selling NFT’s is there, the potential to make LIFECHANGING money is there…

But it’s kind of a carrot and stick

There are just enough people doing well selling their photographs as NFT’s to make the rest of us believe that it could be us next.

But man, the quality of the work that is selling, the exotic locals ( btw I believe Newfoundland is every bit as exotic as anywhere else on earth ), it makes it hard to believe you could break through you know

So we get to the drone idea.

I am buying one, soon. I had hoped to make a few more calendar sales, maybe a few prints. I have the money for it now, BUT, as I just finished saying, I need 2k a month to survive. If I spend 2k on the drone and the training, then that’s a month’s survival..

Personally, I think its’ worth it. I think there is money to be made BEYOND the fine art realm doing shoots for Real Estate Agents, Tourism Operators etc. It’s just a huge gamble to make, spending a months worth on money on this thing.

My wife, god love her, so supportive. She sees the benefit to the drone, she thinks it could be a huge boon to the business, but I see the worry in her eyes as well.

I don’t know, this winter is going to be rough.

I was talking to a representative from tourism culture industry and innovation for the province and I am cautiously optimistic something will come of that regarding next year and the photo tours, but there are no guarantees.

I have also applied for an ArtsNL grant, and again, there are no guarantees…

Anyone who has known me for a while, followed me, you know I have worked harder at making this work than if I had a full time job. I am at this 24/7, I eat, sleep and breath my art and the beauty of the province.

I just wish the hard work meant less worries instead of more,

And maybe I am kidding myself, maybe the hard work means nothing in the scheme of things and I would be better off going to work somewhere else and let someone else do the worrying…

Dunno…. I just dunno….

I try to remain optimistic…. but again…. truth… I am worried and I am scared….

Discovering Discovery-Day 114-Sept 22,2021

Bit of news, I am ALMOST ready to order my drone. I have enough right now to get it, but I don’t want to drain what I have either. So, a couple more small NFT sales, a few calendars, art cards or prints and boom, hopefully before the end of next week!

Very excited to be adding this option to my tool kit, opens up a HUGE opportunity for paying gigs, ie: real estaste, survey etc and man, the fine art options…. just shaking with anticipation.

Here’s the one I have decided on…

https://www.dji.com/ca/mavic-air-2

DJI Mavic Air 2 review | Digital Camera World

Also have my course line up, its a 40 hour online program that, when complete, will allow be to operate legally here in Newfoundland and if I’m not mistaken, across canada!

Pretty stoked…

Its nice when you can reinvest money you made doing what you love to allow you to do more of what you love…

Yay!

Discovering Discovery – The Collection to Date – Day 112

I thought it might be fun, and benificial, to share the 8 photos currently curated for my Discovering Discovery Collection

Some news, I am looking to secure a physical space to show this work once the NFT collection launches, it would be nice to see the work printed and mounted in a more traditional sense as well as the new art digital formats.

I love that NFT’s exist, and that it has opened a new avenue to show, sell and promote my work.

That being said, I LOVE seeing work framed and hung, there’s an intimacy to the work on the wall that is lost on a screen.

Ok, the work so far.

First, here is a collage of the 8 pieces…

And the individual works..

Into the Grey
The Sentinel
Turmoil
Dragon in the Mist
The Stack
Roil
Reflective
The Passage

Very happy with this so far.

To answer another question. Approx one month after the NFT collection launches, OR, when it sells out, whichever happens first, this collection WILL be made available in the print shop!

Till tomorrow folks!

Discovering Discovery – Day 111 – Sept 19, 2021

Today has been a good day…

I think I have another entry into the Discovering Discovery collection with this piece

Dragon in the Mist

Or maybe with this one….

Sentinel

And maybe neither of them lol…

They may end up in the precursor basket!

One thing you may have noticed, and again, here’s the six photos currently selected for inclusion…

Is that they are all portrait orientation.

The VAST majority of my work is in portrait orientation, its an aesthetic that works for me and suits my vision. I often wonder if the fact I am blind in one eye might not influence that, I see the world in a more narrow field than most.

I also purchased my first NFT today! Whooo hooooo!

I am, for a time, a member of the Dorkis family. I have priced my NFT from them for sale, with what I would like to get out of it, but wouldn’t be shattered if it didn’t sell right away.

Interesting to see where it goes.

It also feels GREAT to give back a little!

Till tomorrow folks!

Discovering Discovery – Day 110 – Sept 18, 2021

Another short and boring blog today folks!

Had a beautiful and enriching conversation today via zoom regarding my time in Twillingate.

I look so forward to getting back there, still work to do.

The curation if the Discovering Discovery collection continues, and one of the pieces that didn’t make the cut went up on the NFT site as a precursor…

https://opensea.io/assets/0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e/9401445363475959616826929925346071850130199423047290682338619228821928280065/

This was a very close call, I was really leaning towards this one making the cut, that being said, that group of buildings in Red Cliff are almost guaranteed to get in there before its all said and done.

Hoping to get out for some fresh shots tomorrow, might be raining, but it really doesn’t matter, I need to get out and relax, and rain fits the overall mood of the work in this series.

Until tomorrow!

Discovering Discovery – Day 109 – Sept 17, 2021

Today I was pleased to take part in a consultation regarding a new tourism based community building endeavour in Glovertown, my old home town.

Its an exciting project that they are considering out there, I truly hope it comes to fruition, would be a HUGE benefit to not only that town but the entire region.

I also met a couple of Provincial government workers and was pleased to learn that they might be able to offer some direction regarding my photo tour business.

This has the potential to be game changing.

Between this and NFT sales, man, I am feeling pretty optimistic.

BUT it’s important to remember, BOTH of these items are birds in the bush, not in the hand…

Hopeful though…

So, I also selected the 6th photos for the Discovering Discovery collection.

Turmoil

Shot in Maberly, this photo really shows the power, and the beauty of the sea. The movement of the sea is such a shaper of our coasts and defines where we live. It was important to me that a photo of JUST the sea be included in this collection.

In addition, I joined the Eastern Edge Gallery today as a member.

Its nice to be affiliated but I also did it with an eye towards having a show there in the future.

Who knows, skies the limit!

I’ll close with this, the 6 images curated for the collection so far. I am really liking where this is going.

Discovering Discovery – Day 108 – Sept 16, 2021

Hey all!

Some of you may know this, some may not but without getting into a HUGE explanation about NFT’s and cryptocurrencies, I just wanted to let you know about a very special project I am currently working on.

When Dee had her seizure in August our world was turned on its ear, she’s fine now, though we are still in the dark as to what caused it in the first place. However, one of the biggest and most influential outcomes has been the loss of her license for at least 6 months.This meant that I became the solitary source of transportation for the family, which is fine, but it created a little divergence from my original plan for the fall.

I had extended stays booked in St. Brendan’s, the Southern Shore, the West Coast throughout August and into the fall to continue my work on Saltwater Cathedrals. The plan was to collect more material for shows, sales and an upcoming book project.

All that is now paused.

So, what to do?

Well, first, I entered in the wonderful world of NFT’s and through that have met a TON of talented world class photographers from around the globe. I have learned more in the past month than I had the past two years about the craft.

Second was the create a project a little closer to home.So, I am working on a collection of fine art photos collected through the Discovery Global Geopark.

This collection will be available to view and the purchase as NFT’s as of Oct 29th, 2022. There will be a secondary print market and possible show after as well.

Once the collection sells through ( fingers crossed ) I will be donating 10% of the total sales to the Geopark as a way of saying thanks.T

hanks for what you might ask?

Well, when battling with chronic pain and mental illness I “discovered” a refuge there. First along its many trails, and then, when my spinal injury prevented me from hiking, through the lens of my camera.

It literally saved my life and helped me find purpose.

Here are the first five photos from that collection.

I felt it was very important that every photo be different, yet, unmistakably part of the same collection.

Also, here is the link to the OpenSea Collection Page

Discovering Discovery

Nothing much to see there yet, but the place has been set!

Exciting!

Oh, here’s another possible, if not for the main collection, a precursor…

The Gathering

Discovering Discovery – Day 106 – Sept 14, 2021

BIG day today folks, BIG day…

Not because there were any large number of sales, there weren’t, though the Christmas Cards continue to be very popular..

BUT because I did a thing and get a Business membership for the Discovery Geopark…

This wasn’t a reward, I didn’t do anything special to get it, I simply went to the site and signed up!

BUT it was a personal reward to ME…

I like feeling like I am a part of something BIG, something important and something that aligns closely to my own personal way of thinking, of moving through the world…

“the grassroots organization supports a collaborative and inclusive approach to encouraging responsible management and empowering communities on the Bonavista Peninsula.”

Discovery Geopark Website

This is ME in a sentence, in a phrase…

I am SO excited about the future, I am SO optimistic…. I hope I’m not setting myself up for a fall…lol.. I don’t think so however, I think its close… I think I’m close to getting there.

VERY excited about the way the Discovering Discovery collection is coming out as well.

OH, one thing, I want to be very clear on. The Geopark has NOTHING to do with the collection, this isn’t sponsored by, endorsed by or otherwise associated with the Geopark as an organization.

I am doing this on my own and they have expressed great pleasure in seeing the project come to fruition and are of course happy to hear that if successful there will be a donation made to the Geopark from the sales.

Lets hope it sells through folks..

Here’s the first three photos selected…

I wanted something moody, atmospheric and not the usual shots you see of the region..

I believe I am achieving it… these aren’t for everyone, I know that, but I hope the aesthetic is pleasing to some, like, 25 some’s lol… selling through this collection would be affirming, being able to help a non-profit would be rewarding, the success would be life altering for me and my family.

So excited to see what my lens finds next!

Hope you are as well!