Cloudhead 2.0

This newsletter is a new beginning for CloudHead. I started this newsletter as a way of sharing things I found interesting and to connect with those interested in what I do. It served as a tool to circumvent the unpredictable algorithms of Instagram and other social media platforms. My Instagram account was going through a rough patch and my work didn’t get any visibility. I’m not sure what it was, but it felt like a shadow ban. Now, the almighty algorithm is kind to me again, but I still like to share things and the unpredictability of the algorithm remains a problem.

Reflecting on the past year of monthly newsletters, a couple of things became clear:

1. People didn’t subscribe.

2. I poorly promoted it.

3. I treated it as an afterthought.

4. The idea of making it a monthly newsletter is both unnecessary and stressing.

5. There was no real value for you, the reader.

I have been thinking on how I can change these things. So here’s what I’ll do from now on:

- Firstly I will no longer follow the monthly schedule. I will only write when I have something meaningful to say. Maybe there will be months where I’ll send out two newsletters, maybe sometimes it will be one newsletter every two months.

- Secondly it will not be treated as an afterthought anymore and I will hopefully be a bit more proud about what it is I’m doing here and feel confident to properly promote it across my socials. After all, I have a decent following on Instagram and finally I have the eyes on my work again. Since my last YouTube videos have been taking off it seems to be the right time to also promote it in upcoming YouTube videos.

- Finally, I aim to add value to this newsletter to encourage more subscriptions. I added a ‘in this newsletter’ section in which you get a clear summary of what to expect and how long it will take you. I also added a couple of sections, one of which you find in this newsletter: the ‘deep dive’. I kept the recommendations, but when I find something really interesting I will do a deep dive and elaborate on that topic. I also dialed down the self promotion because not all of it is of value. It now serves primarily as the visual component of this newsletter.

As with everything this is a work in progress. So feel free to give me your feedback.

1000 Subs

After a year of consistent uploading and a more dedicated approach to YouTube, I've finally achieved my initial goal of reaching 1000 subscribers. While it may not seem like a significant number, I did get to test out different video formats and learn what is working and what is not. Looking ahead to 2024, with a better understanding of what to film, how to film it, and a clearer vision of the end product, I'm planning to take my channel even more seriously.

Here’s what I learned from the first 1000:

- Nike got it right with ‘Just Do It’... I have been thinking about doing video for a while. I uploaded some mediocre GoPro videos in 2021-2022 and some ‘How I edit’ videos. But I was always afraid of showing my face or talking on camera. I finally somewhat overcame that problem and all of a sudden things started to move.

- So basically the beginning is awkward and difficult.

- Keep doing it. If I had given up after the first few underperforming GoPro videos, I would never have reached this first goal. And if I can upload one video a month in 2024 I am confident in getting another 1000 subscribers.

- Surprisingly, my first two behind-the-scenes videos featuring air-to-air flights, pieced together with random footage and voiceovers, got significantly more views. 15000 and 6000 views respectively. Thousands more than my cinematic air to air videos. This highlights the importance of a personal touch and the value of behind-the-scenes content over cinematic videos.

✈️ Aviation

- Our (the Aviation PhotoCrew) very own Peng killing it with the Flying Bulls!

- One of my favorite aviation videographers at the moment.

- Dune.

- An interesting read about flying backseat in the Eagle. Backseat in a jet is one of the few things on my aviation bucket list. Besides photographing on a carrier.

- LA County Fire doing its thing.

- The Italian Eurofighters like you haven’t seen them before.

- A gorgeous shot of the Concorde.

- Patrick Witty basically did a deep dive for me about this Hinderburg photo.

📽️ Videography

- I don’t get how you can make a YouTube video this good…

📷 Photography

- The beauty of analogue photography.

- Weirdly interesting video about photography and why sunsets are orange.

🖥️ Technology

- The Apple Vision Pro is wild!

- How Dieter Rams influenced Apple products forever.

Operating a C-130 on a carrier

So, I came across this video of a C-130 taking off from an aircraft carrier and barely making it. I had no idea what to make of it so I did a little Google search and the story is wild. Back in October of 1963, the US Navy tested if the C-130 could be used for ‘carrier onboard delivery’ (COD). They let a modified Marine Corps C-130 do 29 touch and go’s, 21 landings (unarrested!) and 21 take-offs (unassisted!) on the USS Forrestal. The modifications included changing the nose landing gear and an adjusted breaking system.

Unfortunately the Super COD never came to be. The Navy eventually replaced the C-1 Traders with the C-2 Greyhounds as they deemed operating a C-130 on a regular basis would be too dangerous.

The C-130 used in the trails later saw action in Vietnam, Desert Storm and Afghanistan. It is now in the National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola; Florida.

You can read the full story here.

Or you can watch the footage here.

Recovering from an injury and training smarter

Given my passion for running, I've decided to delve into this topic as well. Following an injury in October that sidelined me until December, I took the time off to read about running, training blocks and preventing injury. Now, I'm back on track and eager to set some personal records this year. Let me share what I've learned and how I'm implementing it:

- I realized I had been training without clear direction before. Despite having a goal, I lacked a structured approach. During my recovery period, I read "Daniel’s Running Formula" by Jack Daniels, which offers insights into effective training methods and provides various training schedules. Currently, I'm following the 1km training schedule with the aim of breaking the sub 3-minute kilometer.

- I've come to understand the importance of pacing. The book emphasizes a balanced approach between easy runs and high-intensity training, roughly adhering to the 80/20 principle. About 80% of weekly mileage should be at an easy pace, while the remaining 20% should be dedicated to intensive workouts spread across multiple sessions. Previously, I had a more even split, possibly around 50/50 or 60/40.

- To improve my overall fitness and control my pace better, I've started doing heart rate training. During the 80% easy runs, I aim to keep my heart rate below 150bpm. Right after injury, this was challenging, with even a 6:30 pace pushing my heart rate beyond the limit. However, after nearly three months of training, I've managed to maintain a pace of around 5:45 to 5:30 at the same heart rate. My target is to further lower this pace to around 5:00. I use a Garmin SQ watch paired with a Polar chest monitor for accurate tracking.

- In terms of injury prevention, I've started doing active stretches and running exercises before every run. I also continue with my post-run static stretching. While I previously focused on strength exercises three days a week, I've now integrated leg work into all three sessions.

The goal is to run a sub 3min km and a sub 5min mile in this training block. I remain realistic about the fact that I might not achieve these goals, but this training block will lay the foundation for a PR on the 5 and 10km later on without doing too much km’s a week.

Just as I'm getting back on track, Casey Neistat's recent video served as the perfect source of motivation.