I have just dropped a new video, and it was fully presented in my own national language, Bahasa Malaysia. I have been actively making YouTube videos for more than 3 years now, all the videos have been fully spoken in English. I decided to try something different and experiment with Malay because I feel that it can be a way to connect better with the local audience. Of course, this is just a trial, my English speaking content will continue to come and there is no change to the way I share my content on YouTube, but I thought it would be fun to do something completely different, and pushed myself out of my own comfort zone. You can find the video which is live now here (click). 

I have been experimenting with minimalist setup for video and photo gear lately. I had the idea of fitting everything into a small carry bag, with easy access, and the setup should be versatile enough for my normal street photography shooting and recording POV video of that session simultaneously. I finally did it, after purchasing a cheap crossbody messenger bag from Decathlon that costs RM49(USD15) and I went out and did a full POV video which I published on my main channel here (click). Here, I am sharing the breakdown of stripped down, bare minimalist setup which I adopted to produce that particular video. 

I also made another video on my vlog channel to share this minimalist setup in the small bag - you can view the video here (click). 

Since I was getting serious in making more videos for YouTube, I find myself having to compromise when it comes to shooting high quality street photography images. I had to prioritize making videos as the YouTube platform is generating a significant chunk of my income. Having to juggle multiple devices all at once - the video camera to shoot a video, a photo camera to do street photography, a microphone to record video separately, my smartphone to refer to my video script as I forget what I have to say way too often, and sometimes, a HDMI capture device, or another separate camera for a different view or B-Rolls, you get the idea, multitasking takes some toll on my attention when I was trying to get somewhat decent images. I know that is no excuse, as I can just put everything aside and give my 100% in shooting good street images, but hey, those don't make me money, and my photography jobs (shoots) aren't recovering fast enough post-covid. 

I guess only a content creator could relate to my struggles and challenges. It also eats me up inside knowing that my images could have been better, and I was not performing at my best ability. 

These are the OK shots, not great shots, but good enough to be included in my latest video. All images were shot with Olympus PEN E-P1 and M.Zuiko 17mm F2.8 pancake lens.