A few weeks ago, shot a self portrait that a lot of you were curious about. Some of you requested to see a setup and tutorial video for it, so here it is! This is a video showing a 2 light strobist setup for a self portrait. It is a basic off-camera flash photography arrangement that you can use to create similar photographs.

Equipment Used

• Canon EOS 5D Mark II DSLR
• Canon EF 24-105 f/4 IS L
• Yongnuo YN-560 Speedlight
• Yongnuo RF-602 Wireless Flash Triggers

Camera and Flash Settings

Original Photograph

This is the original photograph that I tried to replicate in the video. I took a lot more time shooting, and editing the original photograph.

Off-Camera Flash Self Portrait By Nico Mojica

Result

This is the result of the shoot. The who photo shoot idi not take nearly as long as the original shoot. I also edited the photo very quickly in Adobe Lightroom. I think that it turned out pretty good considering the amount of work put into it. What do you guys think?

I needed a new desktop wallpaper and couldn’t find one that I really liked, so I decided to make one instead. I wanted an image of a Leica, so I created this vector illustration of a Leica M9-P Rangefinder camera on Adobe Illustrator. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out, so I’m going to share it with you guys. I know that some of you are into Leica’s too, so I hope you enjoy this one. If you want more wallpapers, let me know!

My Experience With Yongnuo Products

I love Yongnuo products. I love Yongnuo products so much that I’m going to share with you the wonderful experience that I have had with their products, and the effect that they have had on my photography.

I started doing off-camera flash work shortly after reading David Hobby’s Strobist blog and, at that time, there were not too many brand new flashes in the market that you could get for a very low price. Like most people, I wanted to have  the best flashes and the best flash triggers. I had a Canon flash, and wanted more. I also dreamed of pairing up my flash with the PocketWizard Plus 2 Wireless trigger system, the latest and greatest at that time. Unfortunately, I simply could not afford any of it. I was still in high school and not making any money. Fortunately for me, there was a company that was building up its name by offering budget off-camera photography equipment.

Yongnuo was emerging as a producer of cheap flash triggers and, eventually, budget flashes. The first set of Yongnuo products that I bought were RF-602 flash triggers to use with my Canon 580ex II. The build and feel of the triggers did not impress me too much, but I was amazed at what I could do with such an affordable product. When I decided to expand my off-camera flash work by adding more flashes, I looked at Yongnuo’s budget options. I decided on the Yongnuo YN-560 Speedlight, and purchased two units to supplement my Canon flash. Just like my Yongnuo flash triggers, they worked perfectly. I was blown away. At that point, there was no looking back. Yongnuo products had won me over.

I highly recommend Yongnuo products to those of you that are starting off with off-camera flash work. I currently have 3 Yongnuo flashes, and I have wireless triggers to go along with each of them. I’ve been using Yongnuo products for about 3 years now and none of the pieces of equipment has given me any problems yet.

Photographs Taken With Yongnuo Products

Here are a couple of photos that I have taken with Yongnuo products. For more examples, check out my Flickr Page.

AKG Off-Camera Flash Portrait By Nico Mojica

Off-Camera Flash Self Portrait By Nico Mojica

RAW vs JPEG is an ongoing debate in the photography world. There are those that swear by RAW and others that will only shoot in JPEG. I’m going fill you in in some of the pros and cons of shooting with RAW and JPEG, and let you know which I personally prefer and why.RAW File Format

RAW files are lossless, which means they have the maximum amount of information you can possibly get out of an image. This leaves room for adjustments after the photo is taken without loosing much in quality.

There are a few downsides to shooting in RAW. The first downside is that you almost always have to edit you photos when you shoot in RAW. Without any post processing work, most straight-out-of-the-camera RAW files look bland. Another downside is that RAW files are significantly bigger than compressed files. To be able to shoot in RAW, you will need a computer that will be powerful enough to handle all of the editing, and you will need a lot of hard drive space to store tall of your RAW files.

RAW Files

• Lossless files – A lot of information is stored
• Flexible with editing
• Large files – Take up a lot of disk space
• Need processing
• Need special software to edit
• Need an above average computer to edit files comfortably

JPEG File Format

JPEG files are “lossy” file. When you shoot in JPEG, your camera records the image according to the settings that you have already programed into your camera. It adjusts contrast, saturation, sharpness and white balance in camera, and only outputs the final image. This means that you do not get the rest of the information that you would have gotten if you shot in RAW. Files are a lot of smaller because of this.

JPEG photos need less work if you have the the settings the way you want them on your camera. It is a lot less taxing on your computer as well. The problem with JPEGs is it give you less flexibility to work on an image after you have taken it because of the lack of information in the image. Every time you make a change to aJPEG file and save it, you lose more and more data, resulting in a lower quality image every time.

JPEG Files

• Lossy files – Less information
• Harder to make adjustments to
• Smaller in size – Takes up less disk space
• Need less editing – camera makes adjustments to the photo (color, contrast, sharpness etc.)
• Only basic software required

Conclusion

I personally think that if you are taking your photography seriously, you should shoot in RAW. Shooting in RAW gives you a lot more flexibility to work with your photo after the shot is taken. The whole process of creating an image goes beyond taking a photo with your camera, with post processing being a vital part of the equation. Being able to edit your photo the way RAW files let you will help bring out the best photo you can possibly create. If you have not tired shooting in RAW I suggest that you give it a go. When I started shooting in RAW, my photography moved up to a whole different level.

Knowing what RAW and JPEG have to offer, which file format do you choose to shoot with?

A lot of people that think that you need to spend big bucks to be able to do off-camera flash photography or strobist photography. I’m here to tell you that you do not actually need to spend that much money to be able to take part in the “strobist movement”. Off-camera flash equipment is very affordable, and it is continually getting cheaper.

Here is a list of recommendations as to what strobist photography equipment you can use to begin your venture into the world of off-camera flash. These are things that have worked for me, and should work just fine for you as well.

Yongnuo Manual Flash: $45.00 – $85.00

If you are looking for a budget flash, I highly recommend Yongnuo. No, they are not paying me for mentioning them. Like a lot of people out there, I do not have the money for the most expensive flashes, especially when I’m going to buy multiples of them. I did my research and determined that Yongnuo flashes are probably the best bang-for-your-buck flashes that you can get brand new. I personally use Yongnuo YN-560 Flashes (I own 3 of them), and they work wonderfully.

Light-stand: $10.00

There are many different light-stands out there, but I suggest that you start off with something cheap. Buy a generic light-stand that has decent reviews. Some of the cheaper light-stands aren’t as sturdy as the more expensive options, but as long as you are aware of its limitation and take measures to avoid any accidents, there is no reason why a cheap light-stand will not work for you. I have only ever bought generic light-stands and have never had any problems with them.

Umbrella Bracket: $10.00

The umbrella bracket is what holds your flash to your light-stand. I personally use umbrella brackets with a cold shoe on top of them to attach a flash, or a flash trigger. I recommend getting a generic umbrella bracket to start with. They do everything that the more expensive brackets do, but at a cheaper price. Sure, the cheaper brackets are not built as well as pricier options, but you have to make a compromise when you’re trying to save money. I have never used big brand named umbrella brackets, and have never had and issue with my cheap brackets. Make sure you read reviews on the particular on you’re thinking of getting before making the purchase.

Yongnuo Wireless Flash Triggers: $30.00

Wireless flash triggers are what allows your camera to tell you flash to fire when it has to, without physically being connected to it. Like with flashes, Yongnuo does an awesome job in creating flash triggers that are very affordable. They do not have as much functionality as PocketWizards, and there aren’t built as well, but they get the job done. I personally use the Yongnuo RF602 triggers, but they have now been replaced with the RF603 triggers. Either model should be just fine for you.

Umbrella: $10.00 – $20.00

It is a lot harder to recommend an umbrella because there are so many options out there. There are a lot of different sizes, and a lot of different types of umbrellas. If I were to choose just one, I would go for a shoot through umbrella.

I’ve had mixed experiences with the several umbrellas that I bought in the past. Some of the more expensive umbrellas I have bought were a little flimsy, and some of the cheaper umbrellas I have bought have turned out to be very secure. Again, read reviews on the specific on that you’re looking at. A 33 inch umbrella should cost you less than $15, and larger ones cost a little more than that. I would recommend getting a 36 inch or 43 inch umbrella if you are only planning to purchase one.

If you add up the cost of everything, a whole kit can cost as low as $115.00! That is not bad at all considering how much use you can get out of it.

So thats it. Those are my recommendations and buying advice for those of you are are thinking about getting into off-camera flash work. Again, these are things that have worked for me. I will conclude by showing you some photos that I have taken with the equipment that I just talked about.

Off-Camera Flash/Strobist Photography

iPad Strobist Self Portrait By Nico Mojica

AKG Strobist Portrait By Nico Mojica

Jam By Nico Mojica

Somang By Nico Mojica

Strobist Self Portrait By Nico Mojica

Some of you might be wondering where I have been these past few weeks. Uploads have been infrequent lately, and it is mainly due to two things: School and wrok (kinda).

School

My workload has increased exponentially in the past few weeks. I have had to pull several all-nighters just to keep up with my work. It is tough, but it will all be rewarding in the long run. In my free time, I try to catch up on sleep and go to the gym. I try to stay as healthy as possible.

Technobuffalo

For those of you that don’t know, I’ve recently ben doing some work for Technobuffalo (It’s a non-paid internship). It’s nothing too serious at the moment, but I’m hoping it will lead to something. I work 3 times a week, before class. It’s not too much right now but, together with all my school work, it’s quite draining. My first camera review will be up on Technobuffalo.com really soon, so watch out for that! I’m really excited about it, and I’m thankful for all of you that have been supportive thus far.

So that’s it guys. I know that this is a very short update, but that’s really all that’s been going on with my life right now!

Believe it or not, I have never owned my own point and shoot camera. The ones I have used in the past were family cameras, and I was never really trusted to bring the camera around with me. You can imagine how happy I was when I received my Canon PowerShot ELPH 300 HS. I bought the camera to be my daily camera. I plan to bring this camera everywhere I go to take photos, as well as videos. It will also allow me to take videos in situations where I cannot use my 5D Mark II because it needs to be included in the shot.

I’m not going to dive into the features of this camera, but the main ones that you should note are:

• 12.1 megapixel sensor
• 24mm equivalent wide angle lens
• Digic 4 processor
• 1080p video recording with stereo sound
• Built in Image Stabilization

Unboxing

First Impressions

My first impressions are that the camera is very solidly built. For something so small, it has quite a bit of weight to it, something I like to feel with my electronics. It has a very rough texture, almost like a light sand paper. It might be prone to scratch mark, but I think that the texture will allow me to grip the camera better. It definitely doesn’t not feel like it will break easily.

I have not received my 16GB class 10 Transcend SD card yet so I cannot really say anything about image or video quality, but I’ll have samples up as soon as I can! Stay tuned for samples as well as a full review of this camera.

*NOTE  - This post is does not try to justify the price of the Canon 5D Mark III. You should know if you want or need a camera of this caliber. *

These are my top 5 reason to buy or upgrade to a Canon 5D Mark III over a Mark II. If you do not agree with something, or have additional comment, please leave a comment bellow!

1) 61 Point Autofocus

To me, the improved autofocus is the biggest reason to upgrade to the Canon 5D Mark III. The Mark II had a very lacking auto focus system. Though it was fine for a lot of people, there was much to be desired. The center focus point worked wonderfully, but the rest were rubbish. The new 61 point autofocus system puts it close to that of the Canon 1DX flagship camera, making it great for any type of photography that requires you to have snappy autofocus.

2) Improved High ISO Performance

The high ISO performance of the Canon 5D Mark III is greatly improved from that of the Mark II. This may not be too big of a reason to upgrade if you find that the Mark II high ISO performance is enough, but for those of you that want a little bit more, this might be enough reason for you to. ISO performance has increased across the board, with ISO 3200 in the Mark II being only slightly better than ISO 12600 on the Mark III.

3) ImprovedVideo Features

I put this all into one, even though there are a tone of features and improvements that have been added to the 5D Mark III over the Mark II. This was to be expected as the Mark II was the first camera from Canon that featured the video feature. I am not to big on the whole vidoe thing, and am happy with what I have in the mark 2, but I know that a lot of people use the 5D primarily as a video camera. Some of the biggest improvements for video are:

• 60FPS in 720p
• On Screen monitoring of levels. 
• Headphone jack to monitor audio
• Bigger 3.2 LCD Screen

4) New Digic 5+ Processor 

The new Digic 5+ processor allows the camera to shoot at 6FPS. Not everyone will benefit from this, but there wil be a lot of people that will. This makes the camera an option for sports photography, or anything that requires you to shoot very fast action, without breaking the bank. A lot of people will prefer to spend $3,500 on a 5D Mark III than $6,500 of a 1DX. Again, this might not be a big enough reason for some people, but a lot of people will.

5) Dual Card Slots 

The Canon 5D Mark III now features a CF card slot and an SD card slot. I know that a lot of you are not going to agree with me on this, but I had to add this feature to the list. Sure, it’s a feature that had to be done, but it’s still something that has to be noted because of its importance. Have you ever lost files due to a memory card failure? This feature will make sure that the chances of that happening are very slim. You can have all of your files saved to both CF and SD cards to make sure you do not lose anything. You can also use the overflow feature when you are in situations when you will not have time to change out memory cards. This feature in itself can make the Mark III worth it to both professionals and enthusiasts.

Anyways, back to the announcement. The new Canon 5D Mark III is a beast of a camera, putting it on top of the Nikon D800 on my list. It has does not have as big of a resolution as the D800 (22mp vs 36mp) so hopefully that will give it better low light performance. It has a higher frame rate made possible my the new Digic 5+ processor. It can now also shoot up to 60 FPS (I’m not quite sure if this cane be done in 1080p), also made posible by the new processor. The most awesome part about the whole announcement is that it has the 61 point autofocus system that you find in the Canon 1DX Flagship camera! Overall, this looks to be a great camera.

“Camera of the Year”, anybody?

CanonRumos.com has just posted what is believe to be the final specifications list and photos of the new Canon 5D Mark III! The camera is rumored to be announced today as indicated by invitations to a press event. All we have to wait for now is the official announcement, and official pricing!

The Specifications are:

Unsurpassed Image Quality
22.3 Megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor
DiG!C 5+ Image Processor
ISO 100-25600 (expandable to L:50 H1:51200, H2: 102400
Full HD Movie (ISO 100-12800 (H:25600)

High Performance Operation
61-point high-density reticular AF (up to 41 crosstype points)
6.0 fps for high continuous shooting
Intelligent viewfinder with approx. 100% coverage
3.2-type, approx.1.04m dot (3:2 wide) Clear View LCD II
iFCL metering with 63-zone dual-layer sensor
Shutter durability of 150,000 cycles

High end features
Silent & low vibration modes
Dual card slots (CF & SD)
High Dynamic Range (HDR) Mode
Multiple Exposures
Comparative Playback function
Improved durability & water and dust resistance

SPECIFICATIONS
Available Colours – Black
Megapixels – 22MP
Sensor Size – 36 x 24mm
ISO/Sensitivity – 100 – 25600
Autofocus Points – 61 points
Lens Mount – Canon
LCD Size – 3.2″
Liveview – Yes
Viewfinder – Optical TTL
Min Shutter Speed – 30 sec
Max Shutter Speed – 1/8000 sec
Continuous Shooting Speed – 6 fps
Self Timer – 10 sec, 2 sec
Metering – Centre-weighted, Spot, Evaluative, Partial
Video Resolution – Full HD 1080
Memory Type – Compact Flash
Connectivity – USB 2, HDMI, Mic Input, Wireless (optional)
Battery – LP-E6
Battery Type – Lithium-ion
Charger – Includes Li-Ion Charger
File Formats – AVI, RAW, H.264, MOV, MPEG-4
Dimensions – 152 x 116 x 76mm
Box Contents – Battery Pack LP-E6 .. Battery Charger LC-E6 .. AV Cable AVC-DC400ST .. Interface Cable IFC-200U .. Eyecup Eg .. Wide Strap EWEOS5DMKIII .. CR1616 Lithium Battery+