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Nowadays I expect my speedlights to have a whole bunch of awesome features. They enable me to shoot all kinds of situations without running short on flashlight. I need a zoom reflector, high speed sync, a battery level indicator and I actually also don't want to miss a build in radio transceiver. The awesome speedlight of my choice is the

Phottix Mitros+: http://goo.gl/b1Yteu

It gives me more options than the high-end Canon speedlite while being much more affordable.

However, for most of my photos I don't need TTL. In these cases I can as well use my manual speedlight:

Cactus RF60: http://goo.gl/kFB0bV

It got all the bells and whistles that I need for manual mode, radio transceiver, HSS and all, it's working beautifully and reliably and I get it from Amazon for less than $150 - a bargain!

Photo: Bridal Boudoir with Maria Ki
One light setup with the Cactus RF60

Affordable, awesome speedlights

I learned one more time that the quality of gear really matters.
For many years I owned a low-quality boom stand and I hardly ever used it.
Now I got myself a high quality boom arm and I find myself using it a lot, exploring new options in lighting. Awesome.

My new boom arm: Phottix Light Stand Boom Arm 160cm (63”) http://goo.gl/6Kmih5 

It’s around $140 and it’s worth every penny.

What cousin Olpanse saw me using the Magazine video (http://goo.gl/pyLn1G) was actually a Manfrotto Magic arm: http://goo.gl/dLuBAp

It’s not a boom arm, but it’s handy every now and then for bringing a light or a camera into a strange position.

Photo: Cousin Coco lit with a an umbrella on a boom right above her.


A Good Boom Improves Lighting

Is it important to choose Canon for your still photography? Or for videography? Or anything else? Today I’m answering the question whether or not you can achieve similar results with Nikon cameras. I'd like to explain why I personally shoot with Canon and how I am choosing my camera in general. 

My Canon 5D MK III: http://goo.gl/uxNOVv
My Fujifilm X-E2: http://goo.gl/FJWeVb

Are Canon Cameras superior?

Everybody knows that White Balance is setting the right color temperature in Kelvin. Well, not quite. You should also care about the tint of your image in order to get to the white point that you want. And that's not necessarily "the correct point", but actually a point at which your photo is looking awesome.

Here's the video regarding using WB creatively: http://SmokingStrobes.com/postcard-blue

Photo: Yumiko as princess Kikyou from Inu Yasha, watching the Jewel of Four Souls exploding in the sky... in the light of a speedlight with a CTO gel :-)

White Balance = Color Temperature?

There are a number of magazines that accept photo submissions from photographers, who would like to see their work published. But how to drive it up to the next level and start getting paid for magazine work?

Free Magazine Photography Pricing Guide: http://goo.gl/mUvTWl
Good Light! Magazine Submissions: http://www.goodlightmag.com/submit 

Tweet me your question. Just add #ItMadeClick to your tweet!

Earning money shooting for magazines

I'm now into photography for about 6 years. My go-to lens is still the first lens that I ever bought. A superzoom. I use it for round about 65% of my photos. At the same time, my most important lens is actually not my zoom but my prime. It's used for 35% of my photos, but if I could have only one lens, then I would ditch my zoom and go for the prime. Don't get me wrong, I am not one of the people saying that you can zoom with your feet. That's just an empty catch phrase and it has nothing to do with reality basic optics. Nevertheless the open aperture that my prime gives me is one of the most important style elements in my personal photography. 

My go to lens: 
Canon EF 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS: http://goo.gl/sXgzoq

My most important lens:
Canon EF 50mm f/1.2 L: http://goo.gl/ZZiMva

My favorite prime for my Fuji:
XF 35mm f/1.4: http://goo.gl/OmFOuv

My go-to lens - and why I would ditch it for a prime

Tweet me your photo question. 
Just add #ItMadeClick to your tweet!

Every 2nd Tuesday of the month I am answering your questions about photography. 

Ask me anything on my facebook page, twitter or youtube channel and I might pick it up in this podcast.

A Good Boom Improves Lighting

It Made Click