Why a vlog?

For some time, I have been wanting to start a vlog. You know, a YouTube video where the ‘host’ talks, and one million people listen, right? Well, only a few can reach such lofty numbers, and a vlog should be not become a lecture or a montage. So, lets back up ...

I have been blogging for a long time, and posting a daily blog for over a year. (You have not seen my daily photo blog? You can find it here). I use my daily blog to share my passion for photography. I am a nature photographer. I love to take photos of wildlife, and landscapes. I enjoy sharing those photos with the world, and I do this by blogging.

So why a vlog? For some time, I have been trying to figure out a way it incorporate video into my blog. I wanted to share a lot more photos, in do it in a format that would allow me to share more volume of photos, but provide some entertainment. A vlog would allow this. I can put in a lot of photos in a 5 minute video, and add some cinematic video and music to make it more entertaining.

I had never posted a video to YouTube, so I was a little intimidated by this. I have shot lots of video, but making something for YouTube seemed overwhelming.

So, how did I start?

I guess most people think they need a fancy camera to capture video. That is not true. If you have a smartphone, you can vlog. I captured most of my video using my iPhone, and then add to that some footage from my drone, my ‘big boy camera’, or my GoPro. That is all it really takes for me. The drone is not required, but I love the video I capture with it.

A comment about the camera and gear ...

Look at the camera, and talk to it. You are talking to the people that are watching your video, so have a conversation with them. It’s really as simple as having a conversation. It helps if you plan i out, but talk. I have had some problems with eye contact, but I am getting better (I think).

For my blog, I inject lots of photos. I hike daily, and capture photos while hiking. I use these photos in the vlog.

What about editing?

You can make this really complicated, but I do it all on my iPad. I use LumaFusion to do the editing. Perhaps a day will come when my editing gets so complex that I have to use Final Cut on my Mac, but so far, I can do what I need to on my iPad Pro.

Posting ... the mechanics

The last step is to post your video, and then tell the world about it. The secret here is too watch some videos on YouTube .. lots of people out there will tell you everything you need to know about creating a channel, and posting your video.

How often should I post?

I started by posting weekly. After a couple post, it begin to feel like that was not enough. I’m not one to be reasonable, so I started posting daily. I’m not sure that is where I will end up, but for now, it’s allowing me to iterate the process and improve, while sharing more photos. Over time, I will iterate the frequency of post too, as I feel my way.

Are you getting rich?

No, I am really not focused on money here. This is about sharing my passion for photography and nature. I have taken steps to monetize if it becomes possible, but it’s not the goal. I am having fun, and I am photographing and videoing a lot. I am happy.

So, that’s it. Watch my channel, and give me some feedback. You can leave comments, or DM me on twitter (@RickCartwright). Be sure to subscribe, and if you like a video, be sure to ‘like’ it. Thanks!

~Rick

Check out the daily vlog on YouTube at tales.photos. Remember to subscribe!

Confessions of a new vlogger