My blog is 4 years old!

5 and a bit years ago I left the comfort of a staff job of 17 years with Sky News to venture into the big scary world of being a freelancer. Scary as hell. Goodbye 6 weeks holiday pay, pension, health care, stability, a life!

I started my website, PhilipBloom.co.uk simply as a place to show my reel. I tried using the wayback machine to see if I could find any screengrabs, but no luck. The only ones I have are from around two years in, just before my site was professional redesigned. My site is due to be relaunched very soon, well it’s about 5 months late to be honest. I would like to launch it this year…hopefully.

Initially, it started as just me and iWeb. I am clueless when it comes to HTML. I am sure if I sat down and learnt it I would be fine, but I just have no time! The blog itself came about because I had just bought a Sony EX1 and a Letus 35mm adaptor and I wanted to try this blog thing and just share my experiences with it.

The first post on my new blog was very short and just talking a little bit about the ex1. I hosted video on the dotmac site which gives you limited bandwidth. More than enough I thought…nope. I posted Piccadilly Furs a couple of days later and my bandwidth was sucked up in about 2 days closing my site down for the rest of the month. Not a good start! I thankfully found someone willing to host the quicktime movies for me.

Piccadilly Furs HD from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

Short shot on Sony EX1 and Letus Extreme

www.philipbloom.net

Music by the Velvet underground. Venus in Furs

 

I joined Vimeo in Feb 2008. This was the start of a turning point. With the version of iWeb I used then no embed codes worked. Things improved with iWeb later and I was able to embed my work via exposure room and Vimeo. Vimeo has now been my site of a choice for quite some time and their embeds are very good. If you have the pro account you can even add logos to them.

The first professional design

 

 

My site’s aim was simply to help me get work. The blog, was about me giving back to the community. Today the blog has become the site really. Its aim is still to get me shooting jobs, as that is my first true love, but I couldn’t imagine not doing the sharing part. Of course it is a double edged sword. Since my site became very popular and was getting lots of visitors, it has naturally been a target for haters, trolls etc. Nothing you can do about them. They are part of existence. What I try and do, to various degrees of success, is to just delete the hate and attempt to ignore it. That is easier said than done. I am working hard on that, but all it takes is for you to be having a bad day and read something really nasty to upset you. It would be great to be more zen about it all…I can but try! Sometimes I get snappy and I’m sorry for that, but it can be very difficult not to take some things people say personally, especially when you are as passionate about my work as I am.

I added affiliates and ads to my site 2 years ago, thanks to Den Lennie for this – prior to this there were none. Would I prefer to have zero ads? Of course, but I have to earn money. The site has become a victim of its own success. It is not quite a full time job but pretty damn close. Prior to the ads I was doing all my bread and butter shooting to pay the bills, working on the site the rest of the time, evenings, nights, weekends… Now with the ads I am able to actually pace myself and not burn out. I still work crazy hard on it, but I don’t have to do as much bread and butter work anymore thankfully! This is beneficial to me and to my readers.  I always get perplexed when I read people who are angry at me for earning money from my site. Really quite silly that! Remember, the ads are ONLY for gear and companies I use and recommend. I was offered a nice financial deal to take all sorts of ads. Nice money, ethically all wrong. I had never used most of the stuff being advertised. I politely declined.

With the streamlining relaunch that is due soon, the site will be much easier to find stuff. I have no intention of scaling back what I do on it. Although I do now have Preston Kanak, who has helped me on shoots, on board to write the odd guest post and to help me approve comments that don’t require answers. It would be great to be able to let all comments go through without approval, but you can’t. People can be really nasty and not just to me, to other commenters, and I simply won’t tolerate that! No need for it! Politeness is so much easier than nastiness! For me, the most important thing is that it will always be me answering questions, writing most of the posts, being very easy to reach. If that changed, the whole point of my site would be lost.

Of course not everyone is going to like me or my work, or what I have to say. I do get confused when they keep coming back to watch more and read more. Odd!

Yes, there are times when I feel it’s all too much and I just want to shoot, but this is part of who I am, the sharing, the teaching…are as important to me as the shooting. I have no intention of changing that.

Remember, my reviews, my advice…everything is just my opinion. Not always the correct one and very subjective. Always read and listen to other people. Never take my word as gospel!

Thank you SO much to all the great people who come here. It’s been a crazy fun four years! If you want to say thanks then a donation to my prostate cancer awareness Movember fundraiser is always welcome…PLUS you get entered into a draw for great gear!!

The site will carry on as it is, same format, same style, same me. Hopefully just with more content, more education, more advice. My site is not a news blog – there are many that do that. I occasionally talk about announcements but very rarely. A forum is coming as well with the relaunch, and I hope to build a great community with this, as I found the buddypress system quite lacking. I will be looking for moderators to help me with this. Not only do I want it to become a great place to get advice, but I also want it to be a directory for people to find talented individuals to work with. If there is anything that YOU would like to see me do with the site, then please comment below. I’m always keen to hear suggestions. Without you, there would be no site so really this is a big thank you to everyone, even the haters – it makes me appreciate the rest of you so much more 🙂

Below are some of my favourite bits of work I have done over the past four years! Enjoy… there is A LOT of stuff there, I found it hard to be selective 🙂

 

Dungeness HD from Philip

South Bank HD from Philip Bloom on Vimeo.

29 comments

  1. Piccadilly Furs is my favorite film you made Philip.

    Philip small web tip I know a few people that have had their website hacked with dirty spyware. Do a Google search for philipbloom once a week or so and click on your website if Google finds spyware on your site they will warn people.

    So far I’ve had two friends that had their websites hacked and they did not even know about it until I told them.

    WordPress has a lot of security holes.

    Google scans websites everyday now.

  2. Happy Birthday, blog!

    You’ve inspired me, informed me, taught me and entertained me – and countless others. Tonight, we raise a glass (full of gin and cucumber?) to our friend the bloomblog.

    And you’re still the poster child for how to embrace social media and successfully harness it. 🙂

  3. I’ve been a big fan of this website for a while now and it’s what got me into DSLR filming. Don’t know anyone else in the film making/DSLR community so I find this website invaluable.

    Unfortunately, the more well known you become, the more you will be targeted by trolls. It’s part of the territory.

    Looking forward to the forum as well.

    Keep up the great work.

  4. Brilliant post Philip.

    I think I speak for many of us when I say that you are such a big source of inspiration. Without your passion of sharing your knowledge, your secrets and your opinion, the whole HDSLR Revolution thing would not be where it is nowadays. I just want to say thank you for everything you have done. Keep up the good work, forget about the haters and please think about doing a workshop in Switzerland 🙂

    Cheers!
    Pascal

  5. Wow what a fantastic journey its been and the best is still to come. Its been a privilege being able to see the great work you have produced along with getting the behind the scenes look at how its been done. Personally I have found it an education, so thank you.

  6. Hey Philip, I’ve been on this journey to learn videography as a way to tell better stories for the past year and you, through your blog have time and time again lead me along the right path and have acted as inspiration.

    I’ve said to you before that your generosity is the hallmark of who you are as a person and your willingness to share your knowledge is what I think sets you apart. While some people may simply showcase what they can do you obviously see the value in showing others how to do what you do if they want to do it as well. (that’s a bit of a tongue twister)

    This blog is perhaps the only one in the blogosphere that I have even bothered to remember the url to and I have visited often. So happy birthday to your site and if maintaining it become too much of a burden and you chose to discontinue a lot of people would be disappointed but would understand …. I don’t even know where you find the time but i am very grateful.

    PS – would love to have you in Trinidad to do some workshops … i’ve said that before but hey doesn’t hurt saying it again.

    Ryan

  7. Love the information that you share with everyone Philip. Keep up the great work.

    It’s also great to hear other positive comments that others have and the passion they have to share there experience on your site.

    Cheers!

    1. Hi Phillip,

      Technical ability aside, what I really like about your work, and find inspiring, is your obvious ability to get the best out of the people you film and what comes across is your fascination in what makes people tick.

      I have learnt an enormous amount from your blog over the years.

      I bookmarked your site shortly before you bought your 5D and have you to blame for getting me into DSLR filming and as a result rejuvenating my interest in capturing moving images.

      So thanks for all you have done in both defining and educating this new and diverse filmmaking community.

      Mark

  8. Nice entry Philip looking forward to the new site. Your work has been a helpful resource more times than I can count… sometimes I don’t agree with your take but it’s impossible to dismiss your passion or work!

    -Remsy

  9. Hey Philip, I can’t imagine what bad things anyone could say about you!!
    Thanks for the tips, the inspiration and the passion that you’ve brought to DSLR shooting. I started out as a filmmaker only 6 years ago with a sony FX1 and I’m using a 7D these days for most projects and you’ve been my unofficial mentor all the way.
    Keep up the good work (please!!)
    Cheers
    Steve

  10. Well done Philip, 4 years and happy birthday to the blog.
    I don’t care what detractors say about you; you have done a helluva lot of groundwork for the hdslr market and your tireless commitment and enthusiasm has been unsurpassed. You deserve all the rewards and accolades you get.

    Here’s to the future, cheers!

  11. Keep up the great work Philip! I remember watching Piccadilly Furs for the first time in high school as well as your other small TV packages. Its amazing to see how far its come and I look forward to seeing where you take it in the future.

    Cheers!
    -Josh

  12. Thanks for all that you do Phil! I have enjoyed reading your site since 2008 and I have learned a lot from the information you post. It’s sad that some people have to voice their negativity on here and elsewhere, but I guess that just comes with success. I can’t wait to see the website update, I’m sure it will be great! Take care Phil and I hope to catch up with you soon.

  13. Thank you Mr. Bloom I think I speak for the many of us when I say personally you have been a hero and an inspiration to all of us. Not only in these difficult times but as artist as a collective. You and a handfull of others have plowed the road for the revolution. I consider you the God father of the DSLR Revolution. It truly has been a wild ride. While I got in to the game a bit late for DSLR mainly cause I had NO idea of the power or existence of DSLRs you sure showed us the true potential of these magnificent tools. And your teaching series has really helped me get over the tech hump that DSLRs have. I remember buying the canon XHA1 after DV died and that was not long ago. At that time some one started mentioning DSLRs and I was not sure what to think but it was you and some others that really helped me see the potential of these cameras and for that I thank you. The Digital cinema world still has a ways to go before it catches up to the true practically and simplicity film has But I hope I can die knowing Filmmakers one day never have to feel the pressures of big budget filmmaking and we all one day can wake up one day and say I have a dream lets go make it happen with out any business or financial restrictions. The other thing I am thankful for is how DSLRs have finally forced filmmakers to go back to the grass roots of filmmaking with out auto every thing. and I think you Mr. bloom helped us all see the beauty in that.

    So thank you Mr. Bloom 🙂

  14. Philip, Thank you for the heaps of time and effort you put into sharing and teaching. I entered the DSLR video world in June of this year and have learned so much from your site, your f-stop 7D videos, your tweets, and so on. Just know that for any one “hater” there are thousands of us who truly appreciate your abilities as a kind, affable, insightful teacher, even if most of the time we learn quietly from the sidelines where you don’t hear much from us. We are here and thankful.

    All the best,
    Dave

  15. I have been visiting your site almost daily since the beginning (even made a few comments in your old forum back in the day) I started out then with an fx1 and no knowledge at all I then changed to a Z1 but not long after you inspired me to get an EX3 and a Letus ultimate plus nikon lenses etc etc. Thing is I loved the shorts you produced and it made me want to imitate your type of work, now 4 years on I have a great knowledge of videography ( I know that because I often critic the TV programmes I watch, some useless camera operators/editors out there) much coming from you and your fellow professionals who have been so willing to share your wealth of knowledge. I am still only an amateur and produce stuff for the web but I can honestly say if it was not for you I would not be enjoying the pleasure I get from filming and learning about it and the new equipment etc etc. As for the haters I think one of them might be my wife as I am about £20,000+ light in our bank account since coming to know you (Haha) I think I have more stuff than some production houses and now want a C300 (must get one of those) I will check with her to see if she’s been sending you any hate mail! But seriously I for one really do appreciate what you give to us all so freely so a big thank you and may you continue sharing your pleasure with us for many many years to come.

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