On Thursday August 25th Canon released the 5D Mark IV with a 30 Mega Pixel count, 4K video and a shooting speed of 7 Frames per second, should you buy it?. While all these aren’t new to the camera industry there is one featured I’d like to highlight 1st.

Dual Pixel Raw

Dual-Pixel RAW gives you the ability to choose focus in post, because as you may or may not know RAW files,  keep all the information that the camera processes at the initial time of capture. With Dual-Pixel RAW, you can take an image, and even though you had one object in focus, you can change the object of focus to something else. I believe this is a feature that’s going to used by a lot of people.

Dual Pixel Raw can produce a bit of laziness on the part of photographer, because now you’re not dependent on your skill, but you’re dependent on fixing everything in post. I’m sure there’s going to be some limitations, so we have to definitely test this thoroughly in the field.

4K DCI

The addition of 4k to the Mark IV was to me necessary with just about all cameras today sporting 4k video capture (including the iPhone 6s). 4K videos been around for at least the last four years and Canon has finally put this into their pro-consumer cameras like the 5D series or even the 1DS. This is a feature that was out in their professional video series for awhile, but now it’s the first time they’ve introduced them to a digital SLR body.

It’s quite clear that the 5D series is definitely a flagship for Canon, because it was the first to do video — back in 2008 when the Mark II was released — and now it’s the first in its class to do 4K video. It isn’t just pro-consumer 4K, which is 3840 by 2160, but it also supports cinema 4K, which is 4096 by 2160. That’s going to be a bonus for a lot of people. Hopefully the Canon, the camera can record a higher resolution, or higher data-rate through an external recorder, and we’re not just going to be dependent on recording to the memory card.

This video below covers the video features of the 5D Mark IV

30 Megapixel of Raw data

At the time of creating this post (Monday August 29th) the latest Adobe Lightroom, Photoshop and Affinity Photo could not edit the Raw files from the 5D Mark IV. This isn’t because the 30 Mega pixels size but because the camera is so new these companies need to update their software. However I will do a follow up on this and post the RAW image editing abilities. (see video below for the error)

The video below covers details on the still features of the 5D Mark IV watch it to get even more in depth information on this flagship camera.

The Verdict

Should you buy the Mark IV? The Short answer: if you are even consider it and can afford it yes. However if you have just started in photography and are looking for more resolution and a better camera there are countless others at lower prices that will do just fine. The 5D Mark III is a good camera to buy if you want to keep your budget under $3000, Fuji Xt2 is another great camera, also the 7D Mark II is great if you want speed but not a full frame sensor. However if you want something to replace your aging 5D Mark II, and you want 4k video and can afford the $3809 (with tax) price tag by all means pre-order the 5D Mark IV because on paper it’s worth it.

Wedding pricing factors

Ever so often I’m asked: what should I charge for a wedding? It’s a question many photographers ask — experienced or not — Believe me I get it, I remember when I was asking the same question. knowing what to charge can be a difficult question. As you think about your work and time that will go into a said project. you wonder if what your charging is really what your worth. A few factors need to be considered before pricing your wedding packages.

Your Time (production and post)

– How many hours of shooting are you doing?
– How many hours of editing?
– Are there are special techniques that you bring to the table?
– Does each project help cover your expenses (monthly or weekly)?
– If you booked only one project for the month would the income last?

Equipment

– Are you renting equipment is that included in your price?
– Just made a major purchase can your pricing cover that expense?
– What quality are you looking & does your pricing match that?

Value

– Is your style easily replicated?
– What makes your work different from others?
– What are you providing the client?
– Does what you provide add value to them?

Finding the right balance

If you charge $250 for a 1 hour photoshoot that includes prints,
what should a wedding cost that takes up a full day and a few weeks of editing cost?

In 2016 Average price is for a wedding is $2500 but this depends on where you live. For example in California the average cost is – $3931 and in Salt lake City Utah it’s – $2215. These are of course average prices and can serve as a guide the real pricing is determined by you and the value you bring to the table.

As far as my business pricing goes I use an hourly rate as my base so I know that no project should be below that price. My hourly rate is $80hr and my photo sessions start at $375 this includes editing. My wedding packages start at $2999 and include a Signature Album, prints and an online gallery. Overall I look at what I offer my clients — years of dedication, expertise, quality, story telling, a creative eye — and I price my services accordingly. It’s always good to evaluate your work you can even ask your clients, they’ll give you insights to things you wouldn’t normally see.

As you evaluate you will begin to see where you can improve, this should also give you an idea of the quality of work you deliver and help you come up with your pricing. If you know you struggle with shot ideas then work on concepts in between projects. The fact that you are improving adds value to your work and drives up your cost. Your ultimately in charge of your pricing, since only you know your process and the story behind how you got to where you are today. So don’t be afraid to charge, because those who don’t know your worth will go away and those who do will stay.

When you pick up a camera each image you capture is a story. The key in knowing how to capture those stories begins with lighting & composition. Composition is one of the first steps to better photography. It is understanding how to properly arrange the subject(s) in the frame, so the viewers can clearly understand what it is your trying to convey. It is one of the most essential parts of photography.

"Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."

For the past 10 years of shooting weddings I’ve been the lead photographer with Andre as the second shooter. Being the main photography at an event is a great responsibility. Most of the time, you find yourself setting up the bridal party and on call for the bride or groom whenever they need a photo. It’s a position where you spend a lot of time directing both the Second shooter & wedding guests. However a few years ago I shot 2 weddings as the second shooter and it was an experience that showed me how important it is to follow.

Shooting with Shakai Coumarbatch

The first wedding I helped a photographer by the name of Shakai who was actually someone I had never worked with before, yet I was determined to listen and get the shots he wanted. See I knew from my own weddings how vital it is to communicate and make sure the other person is capturing the parts of the wedding you aren’t. As a result I spent most of my day capturing the groom & groomsmen  and Shakai spent his time capturing the bride and the bridesmaids.

To Lead, First You Must Follow.

Shooting with Semeka

My Photographer friend Michael Olisemeka over at Semeka Pro asked if I could assist him with an upcoming wedding, I agreed after I considered how well we work together. What I discovered from this experience was how to follow and learn  new things about photography even after many years of experience.

The interesting thing about being the second shooter is the fact that your free to roam and be a bit more expressive with your work. The focus of the second shooter is to pick up where the main photographer leaves off. The freedom to just walk around and create shots is something most photographers don’t have time for at weddings. This is simply because their attention is on the actual bridal party & family. I truly enjoy the freedom I had to grab more of the fine details at the wedding.

Taking Risks at the Reception

This shot was taken with the Canon 85mm 1.2 II at F2.0 and ISO 2500 using only available light

This shot above is was one of the sharpest, cleanest, captures of the day and it was captured during the reception. Normally I would insist on using flash at any reception but I pushed the 85mm to give me the results I wanted and it did very well.

Overall I’d would say that being the second shooter at a wedding made me a better listener. I had to ask Michael at different moments what he wanted, which gave me the opportunity to appreciate a different perspective & style other than my own. It also allowed me to capture more of the moments I would have missed as well as to approach the photo session as a candid shooter vs. the traditional style.

Semeka with Bride & Groom

Mike O with the bride and groom at the reception.

The act of helping someone else takes time and patience. It helps you understand some of the areas where communication can be very ambiguous, such as when describing the type of shot you want. Instead of only verbalizing it you should show it, you can either use your own camera or display a shot from another photographers work (such as on pintrest or 500px). The key to growing is to recognize your not done developing, as an artist or even as a person. With that mindset you allow yourself to see things with a different set of eyes. That happened to me during those two opportunities where I became the second shooter.