Personal Blog

A new strategy, a new tool?

I think it’s time.

I was talking with a few friends at work a few days ago, when my lead suggested I do some YouTube videos for my blogs, discussing some of the things I would normally just write about.

He pointed out that people learn differently.

I’ve actually been thinking about this for awhile, but I replied honestly, I’ve never been much of a speaker. He said “you’re doing it right now.”

So no excuses.  I should probably do it, and have fun doing it! I’d like to do at least some of them in the nature that surrounds us here in Alaska, maybe even during some still-photo shoots.

I have to figure out what to do for good audio, and then learn the software end of it. So I expect this will happen, hopefully sooner than later. I definitely have the bug.

Had the ‘Christian’ music industry not been so tight on copyright restrictions even for worship music, I would have sung and played with guitar, long ago, some songs to put on YouTube. I understand that many do it anyway, but this is why I haven’t.

I would appreciate your prayers to take on and do well in this new-for-me format.

Jeff : )

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5 Comments

  1. Im too ugly for video:)

  2. Rich

    I like the overall idea, but my concern for you Jeff is that you don’t lose focus on your photography. You have sooooo much time invested in learning the software for that. Now you want to learn new software? I personally would like to see more of the photography related stuff. Well thats my 2 cents….. whatever that is worth 😉

    • Jeff Fenske

      Rich,

      I appreciate your advice very much. Here’s the deal.

      No doubt, the software learning curve has slowed me down, but so has the lack of interaction that has happened on this blog, you being the one main exception. Thank you so much! I was hoping that people would challenge me, and we could help each other move forward more rapidly together. But it just hasn’t happened.

      And I think one of the reasons is that many people would rather not read print. And who is this Jeff Fenske, anyway? Why should people trust anything I say? Watching and listening to a person on camera is not only convenient, but I think it’s easier for people to tell if a person is genuine or not when more of there senses are involved, when I’m putting out more of myself to read.

      Who knows how much longer we’ll have the free internet, the way this country is going. I feel I have to take advantage of this opportunity. I’ve put so much care and time into what I’ve written, especially at ONEcanhappen, but it’s still largely ignored. Unless we have real spiritual revival, it appears there is coming a time when cities will not be safe. And we’ve chosen to live in this city. I must share my perspective with my voice, not just with pen.

      Hardly anyone is really happy in America right now. But we can be filled with joy all of the time. “Don’t be drunk with wine, but be filled with the Holy Spirit.”

      People may think I’m out to lunch, because I think that most evangelicals (including pastors) don’t really believe what the Bible fully says. And hardly any are quiet enough in their hearts to hear God’s voice too. But I believe someday, after ONE happens, they’ll all know that the Bible was right, and that I was right in believing it and what God has been saying.

      Now, getting my photos online would also help my message, but getting YouTubes online could also help my photography, especially if I’m shooting a video at the same place I’m shooting a fine-art photo of Alaska.

      And I’m going to keep these videos technically simple. I found an amp (10 ounces, battery powered) that will synch to the camera’s audio, so the audio can be recorded with the video in the camera, which greatly simplifies the process. And I’m not about to learn Final Cut Pro in order to post-process videos in the computer. I’ll have to set white balance, saturation, contrast, etc. in the camera, unlike what I do with still photos, shooting in RAW.

      Once it’s shot, it will be a wrap. I’ll probably use iMovie to do some minor edits, and then convert it to the format for YouTube….

      I don’t think this will be technically hard. I used to be an audio nut, so I already know what type of mic(s) to use, etc..

      I already have the 5D Mark II, with which Hollywood productions are recorded with, and with which the amp can easily be synched to. I may even try videoing during a full-moon shoot. It’s possible that it would be bright enough if I crank the ISO, shooting with f/1.4 at 1/25 of a second, especially if there is snow. Picture quality would be fuzzy at 12,800 ISO, but people aren’t going to hang these on their walls like they would my prints.

      And it’s possible that if the northern lights were really bright (which is predicted) that I could even capture them. But then I’d probably be busy shooting stills and trying to stay warm. And maybe a f/1.4 lens isn’t fast enough even at super high ISO.

      Anyway, I really think this is a win, win. I’m not going to try to make a perfect product, like I endeavor to do with my still photos. My only hesitancy is that I have very little public speaking experience because I’ve been labeled by the powers that be a renegade. They’ve tried to put me down instead of raise me up.

      I just need to forgive and roll on, loving even my enemies, actually doing real Christianity. So this is a real personal challenge, and could be a break though in my life. I’d like to be like the Can-Do Man, one of these days. But what I’d like even better if there were many Can-Do men and women, totally overcoming 24/7 together! That would really bless my heart!

      And I think that stepping out, taking this somewhat scary step for me could be a big factor in this happening.

      There’s an Alan Parsons’ song that inspires me:

      Turn It Up

      It’s no good believing in somebody else
      If you can’t believe in yourself
      You give them the reason to take all the power and wealth
      It’s no good you trying to sit on the fence
      And hope that the trouble will pass

      ‘Cause sitting on fences can make you a pain in the a–

      If there’s something you find to believe in
      Then the message must get through
      So don’t just sit in silence
      When you know what to do

      Turn it up. Turn it up, make it louder
      Turn it up. Turn it up, make it louder

      There’s no conversation if nobody speaks
      And nothing gets done in the end
      There’s no confrontation when fantasy makes you its friend
      So much injustice, too many lies
      We don’t have to look very far
      But nothing will change if we leave things the way that they are

      Turn it up. Turn it up, make it louder

      : )

      [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WplvDCe8_hw]

  3. Rich

    OK OK, I give. 😉 Actually, what I’m really waiting for is some pictures for the walls of my clinic!! hahaha. I’m telling you that we are still waiting patiently for your prints. Unlike the others in ANC, I’ve been fortunate enough to see your work, albeit on the back screen of the camera, I want to see them HUGE!! Yeah, I think the learning curve with Final Cut pro would be huge not to mention expensive.

    I completely understand where your coming from. So is your intent to shoot the videos out in the “wilderness” of Anchorage? Now that could be interesting. Just don’t give away too much where you are shooting 😉

    Well I have work to do. I will think some more about this.

    • Jeff Fenske

      Rich,

      Exactly: “the wilderness of Anchorage,” but also beyond. And I’m not going to give away many of my spots. Thanks for the confirmation. I share everything freely on my other sites, and even my Cargo’s Last Stand photos, here, but when it comes to business, at least until I become established, I’m going to be uncharacteristically tight-lipped.

      Well, as you now know, if you’ve read my email (I’m stating this for the benefit of others), I have signed up for a 40 hour, fine art printing workshop in California, taught by one of the greatest. I’ve already taken a shorter workshop, but this is going to really help me to get the digital darkroom to printer workflow dialed in.

      Yes, I’m absolutely not going to delve into Final Cut Pro. And I don’t even plan to do that much with iMovie: just simple edits and maybe an occasional title page. I imagine this wouldn’t be too hard. My goal is to get it right in the camera. And if it doesn’t turn out perfect, so be it.

      I played with some exposure figures yesterday, and it looks like I may just barely be able to shoot video only lit by a full moon, when there is snow — if shot at ISO 25,600* and f/1.4. The picture quality would be really noisy, but it would still be really fun, and the audio could be good. I could show people around.

      * One problem is that I’m losing almost a whole f/stop through marketing deception. The 5D2’s 25,600 ISO is actually only 15,110, according to DxOMark http://dxomark.com/index.php/en/Camera-Sensor/All-tested-sensors/Canon/EOS-5D-Mark-II, because Canon cooks the books, as do others.

      Cat Stevens warned us in 1970:

      Wild World

      Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
      It’s hard to get by just upon a smile
      Oh, baby, baby, it’s a wild world
      and I’ll always remember you like a child, girl

      You know I’ve seen a lot of what the world can do
      And it’s breakin’ my heart in two
      Because I never wanna see you sad, girl
      Don’t be a bad girl
      But if you wanna leave, take good care
      Hope you make a lot of nice friends out there
      But just remember there’s a lot of bad and beware

      Cheers!

      Power to the peaceful!

      Jeff : )

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