Label Your Batteries (Day 3703 - 1/14/20)

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Stephen says that he has been busy, so he's feeling tired. He even fell asleep on the couch which never happens. Stephen says that he has been working on things today, but they aren't interesting enough to include in the vlog. People have also asked questions over the years about how he handles things related to the vlog, so he will talk about one related aspect today.

Stephen says that he started labeling batteries many years ago and it has been very helpful for him. He's not sure if he was the one who came up with the idea or if that was the way SCAD handled renting out cameras. Stephen says that he has 4 batteries for the camera and holds up a battery labeled "4". He explains that battery "3" is in the camera, so that means that battery "4" is fully charged and ready to use. This means that batteries "1" and "2" are currently being charged. This system helps him keep track of which battery to use next as he cycles through these 4 batteries. Stephen has been using this system for every model camera that he's had except for the flip camera since it used double-A batteries.

Stephen has been doing it for so long that he never thought much of it, but one time when they had a meet-up at a PAX event his camera died so he had to swap batteries. A viewer saw that he had labeled the batteries and commented that this method was really clever. Stephen then talked about how he remembered when he didn't label batteries. It was hard to determine which one worked and which one didn't. By using the system, he is able to save a lot of time.

Previously, he only 3 batteries for the camera. He makes sure on a daily basis that the battery in the camera is at least half-charged and that he has 1 fully charged battery. If they are going to be away from home for a full day or if they're going on a trip, then he takes all the batteries with him. Sometimes he will even take the battery pack for his phone if he's worried since the camera batteries don't last that long. When all 4 batteries die, he will put 2 batteries on the charger and connect it by USB to the battery back-up.

Stephen says that not many people do daily vlogging, but if they do then they should consider labeling their batteries if they have more than 3. He mentions that some people have been wanting an updated editing video for the vlog and that he might do it since everything is caught up. Stephen says to let him know if you have any questions about the hardware, software, equipment he uses or the philosophy he has while shooting. He says that he might do short vlogs like this vlog to answer those questions if nothing interesting it happening on that day.