I get asked that a lot from friends and workmates who are still doing the nine to five grind. In fact in my line of work it was often .. start travelling to work at 7am and home for 6pm .. if I was lucky.
I don't have a set answer to what I do all day as every day is different. Seasons also affect what I do. Summer is boating season .. winter is hill walking season.
I cant say I spent too much of my time blogging .. although I have returned to doing it. I do spend a fair amount of time in the evenings on the internet. I enjoy researching places to visit and things I may want to purchase.
I enjoy DIY and am quite handy with saws .. plumbing gear .. brick work etc. I also don't mind spending time gardening when its in season.
I also enjoy a whole host of hobbies .. from painting pictures to photography. However since I retired two years ago ..my interest in photography has taken a bit of a back seat to my recent interest in video making
I bought myself a Gopro last spring ..which was my introduction to that hobby.
For me .. it helps tell the story of my boat trips and walks in a way that photos and words cant.
I quickly realised that my Gopro footage was a bit shaky for showing others .. so I bought the Gopro Karma Gimbal. It smoothes out the bumps and jumps. I also have a small tripod that fits in a pocket ..so I can rest the Gopro on the ground as I walk past it. I'm sure you will have seen those clips. Its not because I particular want to plaster myself over the internet.. but it adds interest to the videos ..and helps with the story lines.
This is my Gopro set up .. the Karma gimbal holding the Gopro Hero 5 and its on the pocket sized tripod.
Now.. call me a big wummin if you wish .. but I also have another hobby I enjoy. I like using my late mother,s sewing machine. I have made tents.. boat covers .. bow dodgers etc. with it.
I also made a nifty carry bag for my Gopro equipment. The Camera and gimbal fit in one side of the bag .. the tripod in the other side. It makes it very easy to carry while walking ..and the camera is always at hand for the clips I take as I go about my adventures.
I enjoy make the videos and I'm delighted that some of you enjoy watching them. I feel that I have almost mastered the Gopro camera and the software that I use to compile the videos. However I am very aware that the Gopro has its limitations. Its a great setup for my boat adventures as its waterproof.
I have been struggling trying to capture the views from the hilltops the way I wanted .. with the camera. Distant hills are dots on the horizon. It needs a zoom lens. But I realise its not that kind of camera. Its fish eye lens captures big horizons but in doing so it shrinks and compresses the details.
I decided I wanted to expand my video making hobby by having the facility to zoom. An example is the Alva Glen waterfall. This is the closest I can get to the waterfall and the largest "zoom" the Gopro will give of the falls.
Yesterday I decided..enough is enough.. I want to get closer ..so bought myself a dedicated Camcorder. It has a x20 optical zoom .. so now I can see that very small waterfall in the gully ..above the main waterfall. Here is the still photo.
I'm delighted with the new camcorder and now have a lot of new tricks to learn.. which all takes up my time too.
In fact..I often wonder how I managed to do a days work when I was a working man .. as well as everything else I love doing.
The Camcorder I bought was the Sony AX53. I have been using it in Alva Glen today..so there will be another video story soon. I have also been busy making it a decent carry bag.
Its all part the reason why I have been absent from blogging this past week.. life is very busy when retired :-D
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