I am moving my blog

Hello all

Just a short note to say I have now sorted out some proper hosting where I can put a few extra items on a web site and have a full domain name.  I will be mixing my portfolio web site with my blog and lots of new features over the next few months as I slowly sort them out.

All blog entries from this blog have been moved and can be access on the new site, and I will not be removing this site yet, but not sure if I am going to effectively double blog – but wait and see.

My new blog can be found at

www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com

Come over and take a look,

thanks

Michael

domains values

While putting these domains up for sale I have done some online research to find out their value.  I tried around 8 different online valuation engines and they came up with values of 0 to around 28,000 US dollars – why the big difference your guess is as good as mine.  I know they will use various links, back links and how they actually come up with the figure is pure science.

If you take etisybot which a lot of people use, they came out with the lowest value – I even tried valuating  http://www.apple.com on that it came up with 25K Dollars – well below what it is worth, as its a trillion dollar company.

So what is the right value of a domain name, something that someone will pay for it like sex.com that sold for around 25 million USD .  I had hoped that the people looking at my domains look at the actual name in depth and how it could enhance their online present and does it actually add value to the company and not just an online search engine valuation with no real science to its background a bit like a 2nd hand car or house, it is really necessary to pay 250K for a house that actually cost around 100K to build? – a very big profit margin

So my domains for sale are as follows, and are my valuations with a little guidance from the online estimated valuing calculators and not taking into account the Zero valuations that some gave.

I have the following domain names for sale

http://www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com (8000 pounds Sterling)

http://www.printsbypost.com (1500 pounds Sterling) **

http://www.spiritoftheocean.com (1200 pounds Sterling)**

http://www.professionalapartmentphotography.com (150 pounds Sterling)

Note ** items when sold 10% will be given to a UK based Charity www.youthcancertrust.org

Domains for sale

I have the following domain names for sale

http://www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com (8000 pounds Sterling)

http://www.printsbypost.com (1500 pounds Sterling) **

http://www.spiritoftheocean.com (1200 pounds Sterling)**

http://www.professionalapartmentphotography.com (150 pounds Sterling)

Note ** items when sold 10% will be given to a UK based Charity www.youthcancertrust.org

Crunch time yet again

So I have finally decided I have to go back to work, after a longish absence around 16 plus months.

The trouble is how to keep afloat when you are not earning, as I have sold almost everything I own including a lot of camera gear, MAC laptop and other misc items I did not really need, but I have to eat and pay for my accommodation until I get a job in Singapore.

My last resort is my Nikon D90 and 18-200 VR lens I am holding onto this as long as I can, but if I have to sell it I will, as I roughly know what I may get paid in Singapore, and will be able to afford a new one within 1-2 month of being paid – So not really worried there, but I am wondering if I sell the camera, will I miss out on that photograph that could earn me a lot of money instantly and in the future – I do not know the answer to that question.  I may have to take that leap of faith and sell it if I have to.

So far I have applied for 8 job that are right for me, I have heard nothing back from any of them today mind you it has only been 10 days since started looking seriously for positions.

In the mean time I am trying to sort out a few behind the scene money making places like getting people to pay for unauthorized usage of my camera Strap on their web site with no payment for a year.  This is an on going dispute and I have the BBB (Better Business Bureau) in the USA involved this would certainly tie me over for 2-3 months if I am carefully on the expenses.

Also a friend will hopefully sell 3 printers and a laptop in France that I have there, this money is sort of coming but not for a few weeks, which is a shame – I could do with later this week.

Also I have the following domain names for sale

http://www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com (8000 pounds Sterling)

http://www.printsbypost.com (1500 pounds Sterling) **

http://www.spiritoftheocean.com (1200 pounds Sterling)**

http://www.professionalapartmentphotography.com (150 pounds Sterling)

Note ** items when sold 10% will be given to a UK based Charity www.youthcancertrust.org

If you are interested in buying any of the domains, please email me – but I can only answer once a day typically after 12.00 noon Malaysia time.  I do have a mobile, please email me if you want to chat about the domain names.

Also a funny thing happened to me with morning, I went for a Roti canai and a coffee at my local coffee shop and the only table available was a share with a guy called Vincent.  We got talking, he runs a small guest house, a project management business, a freelance writer and is chairman for the local Malacca SPCA similar to the RSPCA in the UK.

We chatted and in general terms he wanted to interview me as a person who comes to Malacca and stays longer than the average tourist and what I am doing here, and why I like the place.  He is a friendly person, so I agreed and a link will be added to this or another blog entry to his online article.  It may help me getting a job, who knows, but there was a reason I met him this morning, but not sure what yet. – Watch this space for more details soon.

So I really need to raise some money, could any of you readers send this blog to other people, so I can get the domain names sold in order to live a bit more without having to try and sell my beloved Nikon Camera.  so please reblogg this and tweet this if you can.

Thanks and if anyone knows of some good jobs in Singapore with my Robotic and automation experience please email me with the details.

If anyone can help in other ways while I am in Malaysia please let me know – thanks Michael

My Digital Downloads – Reduced Prices

Hello All

New prices for digital downloads for ALL my photographs, the prices are now:-

640 x 480 pixels (up to 0,3 mb) = $ 3.49

Low Res to  1mb = $14.99

Med Resolution 4 mb $ 29.99

High Resolution $ 49.99

All prices are in US Dollars

Come over to www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com and see what I have to offer

They include, Sailing, Events Thaipusam, Loy Krathong, Jet skis, Waves, Abstracts, and many more

Enjoy

Michael

Money and how much do we really need?

I have been looking at a camera I could not afford at present e.g. H4D-50 by Hasselblad it’s a wonderful high-resolution camera, but at £20,000, and I need 3 lenses for it and new lap top this come to just a little under £ 30,000 (sterling) – I know it’s a lot, but think of it as a top of the range car that will earn you money, the car will be sitting on the drive way or road devaluing by the day and NOT earning you any money.  The camera can and will earn its value once I have it.

I have been thinking for a long time now, how will i ever be able to afford this camera?  It’s a lot and if I went to a bank they would probably say GO AWAY and do not be silly you do not need this camera, but I know once I have it the high paid work will follow and I would hopefully pay for it within 6-12 months.  So the bank or other financial institution have said no to the loan in any context, so how do you get it??

That is the $64,000 question how to raise £30,000 – in the past I have always been looking to raise and earn money in the region of £1000-2000 per month through earnings, this make an OK lifestyle, but what I really need is a lot more disposable income say an extra £5000 plus per month on top of my usual salary, hopefully more, so I can buy the camera outright in cash at the end of say 6-7 months.

So it is now time to think BIG, and take a risk or two on something to raise this cash, But how???    I do not know yet, but I know I want this to be done via my photography some how and get a run on some digital downloads on my photographs or get people to but large prints.  A crowd funding idea is a little too small for this kind of venture, I have to think big and get some exposure for my photography, please visit

http://www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com 

Buy some photographs to help me get this camera.

Also you could buy a print subscription from

http://www.printsbypost.com

Alternatively there may be an anonymous benefactor out there somewhere with too much money, or wants a tax right off as a gift, or who just likes my photograph and would not miss £ 30,000, I will happily take the gift and of course supply you with some large prints, personalize books of images you select etc as a thank you.  I know that is a long short, but it is worth a shot.

If you have any suggestions of ways of getting my photography selling in droves at low cost, then please drop me a line and suggest something.

If you can Re Tweet, or face book, tell people about my photography to your readers about my web site etc that would be appreciated. On my web site I have many types of photography something for everybody.  You could commission me to take some photographs for you, as I would be open to all types of legal offers in ways to get this camera within the next 6 months if at all possible.

So it’s over to you people of the internet and lets see what happens

Thanks for reading

Michael

Thaipusam Penang 2012

Hello all

Many thanks for all your visits to my blog and photographs from the event,

If you order any prints from me they can come like this – just ask me, I hope you like the design

Enjoy Michael

Also I am thinking of making a small desk top calendar with the images I have taken,  – any takers?, also they can be customized for business or personal use, let me know your requirements.

2 things I want to support

I have just found out that a friend of mine has been diagnosed with Breast Cancer, she is well on the way to recovery, with the operation done and its now the treatment to kill the remainder off sounds horrendous to me, and after a conversation with her, she has come to terms and her outlook on life is different now what it was just a few months ago.

I have been searching my personal database (my brain) for a while now and I have come up with 2 separate things that I want my life to reflect before anything else potentially dire happens to me and they are:

Cancer trusts etc

I am not going to plow money what ever I have into the actual company who are looking for a cure or preventive measure for 2 reasons, one there is already millions being spent on this and my few thousand I may raise will be a drop in the ocean so to speak, and then the CEO and their staff members are taking such big salaries from these organization, I feel that I would be paying just their salary and not actually fund the work to find a cure.

So where am I going to put my money and effort?, well its the smaller charities and hospices (all will be vetted) so that my contribution will be made to those who need it most the people with cancer, if my money allows them to go on a holiday or pay that bill then I am going to direct my money in their direction.  I want the people to have a better quality of life, what ever that is to them.

My back ground with cancer is that I have lost 4 friends to this already in my life and I hope I do not want to lose this friend as no 5.  They were all friends, 2 at work and 2 socially, I particularly miss Janet as she introduced me to a who new level of photography, and for a period of around 4 years before I left the area I was living (London UK), I grew as a person, had lots of creative ideas for photography, and I know my photography did improve during that time.  But in short we worked together for this photography group free of charge, but enjoyed every minute of it, and if I was still in London I would be a very active member, but alas I am out of the UK and currently living in ASIA.

I have worked with a small charity in the UK who provides holidays for kids with cancer aged 13 to mid 20′s, they provide the fun and laughter in an otherwise dark and horrible world.  I did have the privilege of working with them taking photographs for them, and helping out at a few events a few years ago and I am still in touch with them.  Their web site is http://www.youthcancertrust.org/

The 2nd thing I want to support is

THE OCEAN

Sound like an impossible project, well if you take it as a whole then yes it is a big project, but I love taking photographs of the sea, ocean and waves see www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com

I came across a small project out of Chile via the twitter network it’s http://ocean-of-trash.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-information-save-sea-adventures-of.html

Please make a small donation to them, even if it’s only $1 it all helps.

It’s a small program to educate children about not polluting the sea with the plastics and other crap we dump in it, by accident or purpose, I do not know, only you who do it knows the answer to that question.

There are a number of causes that I follow on twitter , and it all about clean up of our shores, as I have been in Asia for 14 months now, and more recently I have seen tons of this discarded rubbish being washed up on the shore, and it’s all non biodegradable stuff plastics, bottle (all kinds), polystyrene etc photographs will be posted in a new blog, later today, once I have sorted them all out.

So in conclusion please help me to raise awareness and funds for these causes how I hear you ask?

1. A Direct donation to them via credit card, bank, PayPal etc

2. Buy a print subscription from me www.printsbypost.com and mention this blog and I will take 10% of this and split it 5% to YCT and 5% to Save the Seas causes.  You just need to send me an email once you have made the purchase of the print subscription.

3. Please re blog, tweet this story and publish it on any medium you can, if you could send me a link to it’s on line or printed version of this publicity that would be great – so I know what is happening to the story.

4. I have the domain name www.spiritoftheocean.com for sale, please email me an offer and a donation will be made to the above causes.

5. Watch out in a few months time I will produce a calendar of ocean images for next year – I have done these in the past and they are great desk top versions.

Thanks for reading cotact details are below for all the above mentioned people

Follow me Michael Crawford-Hick on twitter @mchphoto

Web site www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com and www.printsbypost.com

Youth Cancer Trust @YouthCancerYCT

http://www.youthcancertrust.org/

Save the seas Alejandra Planet  @RecyclesSave

http://ocean-of-trash.blogspot.com/2012/01/book-information-save-sea-adventures-of.html

What are you doing for the New Year 2012

I do not mean the actual celebrations, what new thing will you do, or attempt to do in the new year of 2012?

For me it is

• To do a lot more travel and Travel photography
• Earn a lot of money from my photography www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com
• Get commissions for my photography
• Get my print subscription web site selling www.printsbypost.com
• To do a photo / video project with a friend in the USA and China
• Make a new life in another country e.g. Malaysia
• Get a soul Mate – I think I know who she is, but will have to wait and see next year.
• Take better photographs
• Get Published online, and printed and GET PAID for the submissions.
• Not to work for a horrible boss ever again
• Live and work in San Francisco area for 6 months
• Sell the domain name www.spiritoftheocean.com

I have set out these goals for me, I will make a more comprehensive list nearer the New Year, but this list is what I really want to do and on 2012 it is all feasible, I just have to trust the universe to help me out and achieve these goals

So what are yours?

A Big thank you (Chinese Cultural Festival)

Well I have to thank all of you that visited by blog, Facebook pages via Visit Penang / George town, and You tube videos yesterday, I had some fantastic numbers my best ever day.

Over 400 blog views, 150 You tube views an that was all within around 12 hours of me posting them to the web.

Thanks and watch out for more photos soon

Michael

for those of who may need the links here they are again all in once place, the photos are the high resolution versions from the blog

Photos Saturday

http://www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com/Travel/Chinese-Cultral-Festival/19682960_cKrXSM#1544148562_LV8CssT

Photos Sunday

http://www.imagesfromaroundtheworld.com/Travel/Chinese-Cultural-Festival/19703641_x7x6cV#1546243418_gZ2Wqn5

Video (Only Sunday)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Akt1D9-j00Q