Like many photographers, I was frustrated by Canon’s release of the 5D Mark IV.

Being a full time professional photographer and shooting with the amazing 5D Mark III since 2012 (the year it was released), I was hoping for a solid 4K option for video in the Canon 5D Mark IV especially with a release that came over 4 years after the Canon 5D Mark III. But it seems Canon cannot keep up with the competition when it comes to 4K technology or maybe they can but they just want to save it for their Cinema line. However, several months after the release, I have accepted the fact that the 5D Mark IV is more for photographers and 1080P HD video shooters than those looking for a solid 4K DSLR from Canon that is in line with the competition.

Before I move on, YES, the Canon 5D Mark IV shoots 4K, but in a file format that is many times the size of competitor files and there is a crop factor when shooting 4K. If Sony can have a 4K camera with much smaller files and without a crop factor, why can’t Canon do the same?

I finally ordered a 5D Mark IV. Although I’m frustrated by the 4K option and the Mark IV not having a CF Fast card option, I have decided that it is a step up from the Canon 5D Mark III. I looked at some comparisons online of the Mark IV vs. Mark III and read a review by someone who went from the III to the IV and loves it. I also took to heart something Jared Polin (Fro Knows Photo) mentions in the video at the end of this post which is something like this: “If you are a full time professional, making your living with photography, doing it day in and day out, the Mark IV is a worthy upgrade from the Mark III.” Since I am a full time pro that has put hundreds of thousands of shutter clicks on my Mark III’s, I’ve decided that what the Mark IV offers in upgrades vs. the Mark III that it was finally time to take the leap.

Mark IV vs. Mark III
30.4MP vs. 22.3MP
Better Dynamic Range
Better Weather Sealing
New Processor DIGIC 6+ vs. 5+
Slightly More Focus Coverage
Touch Screen
1080P at 60FPS vs. 30FPS
1080P HDR Video Shooting
Autofocus Video
Faster Autofocus In Low Light
WiFi And More!

In addition to being heavily invested into Canon glass like many full time professionals, the other key reason that I stick with Canon is that Canon’s service is absolutely AMAZING. I love the Canon Professional Services Program. If their service was terrible, I would definitely be looking at competitor cameras more.

As of this post, I have not received the 5D Mark IV yet, so there will be a future post based on real world experience.

The post Getting The Canon 5D Mark IV – Several Months After The Release first appeared on .

It’s true that as a commercial photographer that people skills are important, but unlike consumer photography of weddings, families, babies, high school seniors, etc, I find that commercial photography doesn’t have the emotional ties that consumer photography typically includes. Commercial photography is often very business focused: “This is what I need, when I need it, how soon can I have it, etc.” That is much different than all the personal emotions flowing on a beautiful wedding day.

With the above mentioned, have you ever thought about what your personality is a better fit for? Commercial Photography or Consumer Photography or Both? Don’t just randomly say, “I’m going to be a wedding photographer because there is good money to be made and people will always be getting married.” There is more to photography than randomly picking a genre especially if money is the motivator.

I’ve heard that there is a lot of money to be made in Fashion Photography. I have zero (almost zero) desire to do fashion photography. Again, don’t just randomly choose an area of photography without thinking through whether you like it and whether you can actually make a living doing it if you plan to be full time.

Images like the one below could be created for consumer photography use; however, consumers are not typically looking for an image like this one. This image was shot for a University to be used in print. It’s images like this one that motivate me as a commercial photographer. However, all commercial photography does not include creative style images. For example, a headshot of the company President to be published in a magazine article or on the company website can be considered commercial photography.

There are numerous areas of commercial photography that a photographer can focus on like product photography, architectural photography, advertising photography, portrait photography for commercial use and much more. Commercial photography is not always lots of bells and whistles. Sometimes commercial use images are very similar to consumer images. The key difference in commercial and consumer photography is the way the images will be used.

There are a lot of photographers who still argue PRINT, PRINT, PRINT. Well, in the commercial photography world, clients are usually looking for a digital image to be used in print and/or on the web. Commercial clients are typically not looking for an 8 x 10 print to frame and put on the mantle. Although some commercial photographers may argue that PRINTS are still the way to go, I think there is a much stronger argument for this on the consumer side of photography which is one key reason that I am glad that I don’t cater to the consumer world. I had enough of 8 x 10’s, 5 x 7’s and Wallets in the 1980’s to last me a lifetime.

iPhone Image Behind The Scenes

I love the variety of things that commercial photography offers like getting suited up to do photography in a lab which is not the first time our team has suited up like this. Just like consumer photographers, commercial photographers get to meet new people, do new things and don’t always have to be in a studio environment.

For the commercial photoshoot pictured to the left, we were wireless with my two assistants serving as human light stands. I did use a tripod, but other than that, nothing touched the lab floor except our covered shoes.

Finding inspiration through the work of others is a key part of being a commercial photographer. One of my favorite photographers is Gregory Heisler shown in the YouTube video below. My guess is that you may have never heard of him. However, you have likely seen more of his work (especially if you are 40+) than you realize.

Photography is not simply about picking up a nice camera over the weekend, getting business cards printed and calling yourself a photographer. Some may get by with that for the $99 burn it to a CD consumer market, but try doing that in the Fortune 500 world and see what happens. That’s not to say that the Fortune 500 market is impossible, it’s just that commercial photography is typically not as easy to get into as consumer photography.

I like that fact that when I’m quoting a project that I’m likely quoting against another established commercial photographer.

The point to my last 3 paragraphs is that this can all keep you on your game and help you get to the next level. Don’t be complacent with your photography. Always keep striving to be the best photographer you can be.

Before I move on, I want to mention Gregory Heisler’s book: “50 Portraits.” The book cover is pictured to the right and if you click on it, you’ll end up on Amazon where you can order it. It’s a good read for anyone seriously interested in photography, but it’s not a sexy read by any means. Yes, I did read it and plan to reference it from time to time as well as let the image style inspire me. One of my key takeaways is TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE, TECHNIQUE.

It’s important that any photographer who wants to get to the next level take time to shoot personal projects, read books, watch videos, spend time with others in the field and the many other things that can help.

Commercial photography is an area of photography that I am truly passionate about. It’s a blessing to be able to work full time not only in photography but in the market segment of photography that I really enjoy working in.

Taking a turn to direct some additional thoughts to you (the reader):

If you are new to photography, working part-time in photography, struggling as a photographer or even working full time in photography, you should do yourself and your clients and/or the photographer you work for a favor by not only being passionate about your work but striving to be the best you can be. If you truly want something bad enough, you’ll have to work hard to make it happen.

My definition of working hard is 6 days a week 10 to 12 hours a day ( 60 to 70+ hours per week ) until you achieve what you want to achieve. Even if you work for someone else and you are happy doing that, you should spend time outside of your regular employment to get to the next level.

You may be thinking that you just don’t have the time in the day. You have a spouse, you have children, you have other personal priorities and I’m not saying you should sacrifice any of that to get where you want to be, but I will say that I got up a 3:18 a.m. yesterday morning and I woke up at 2:24 a.m. this morning (got up before 3 a.m.). In both instances my wife was in bed for several more hours sleeping. Yes, it’s nice to wake up beside my wife, but if she is sleeping and I can get 3, 4, 5+ hours of work in, then what’s the harm? Actually, I have written this blog post while she went shopping. It’s over 1,300 words. Again, what’s the harm?

Do you want to be a commercial photographer? Go For It!

Do you want to be a consumer photographer? Go For It!

You don’t have to work for yourself to be happy as a photographer. Self-employment is NOT the right fit for everyone. So make up your mind what you want to do in photography and just GO FOR IT!

If you enjoyed this post, please use the social icons below to share it. In addition, please feel free to chime in with your comments.

The post Commercial Photography: “I Love Being A Commercial Photographer” first appeared on .

Linda Craft 30th Anniversary Mailer

There are lots of photographers that don’t understand what commercial photography is all about. I know because I recently explained this to a fellow photographer friend who was asking about commercial photography to better understand it.

This post will not be just about me seeing my personal images in print, but it will also provide some insight into the basics of commercial photography.

Commercial Images In Print

One of the core things that I like about commercial photography is seeing my images used for advertising purposes like the example above.

For Linda Craft’s images, I shot the one of her with the sold sign to be updated on many of her vehicles as well as signs to go in front of houses. The flyer above was used as a mailing and I have also seen the image in the Triangle Business Journal. As a commercial photographer, it’s nice to see my commercial photography images being used in print media and not just on the web.

There are numerous other ways that my commercial photography is used in print media like billboards and publications with many of my images being used for international advertising. As a commercial photographer vs. being a consumer photographer, I like going beyond the 8 x 10 print of the consumer photography world. It’s one of the benefits of being a commercial photographer.

Some Basic Differences: Commercial Photography

Describing how commercial photography is different could likely take up a book, but I’ll use a few sentences below to give some of the basic differences.

Typically commercial photography is used for some kind of commercial use as mentioned above like print media. However, commercial images may only be used on the web and never used for print. Therefore, commercial photography is not just about print media but really comes down to the intended use of the image(s).

A commercial image is generally an image shot for a company or agency for some kind of commercial use whereas a family in the park will likely be used by the family for personal use. However, this is an area that commercial and consumer photography share another unique difference. A family could be photographed in the park for commercial use like an ad campaign for an insurance company just to name one example. It really comes down to the intended use of the image(s).

In closing, commercial photography can involve long contracts and may require the photographer have proof of liability insurance. In addition, commercial photography is also typically based on a certain number of images to be licensed for a certain length of time. Some commercial photographers may license the image(s) for 1 year and require a renewal fee while others may provide lifetime usage rights.

If you enjoyed this post, please use the social icons below to SHARE IT.

The post Commercial Photography: Seeing Your Images In Print Advertising first appeared on .

Be sure to scroll though some of Karl’s work above. Depending on the type of commercial photographer you are looking for locally in the Raleigh area, I would love the opportunity to speak with you about your commercial photography needs.

The post Commercial Photography By UK Photographer Karl Taylor first appeared on .