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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

5 of the Best 20mm Lenses You Can Buy

When you get into wide and ultra-wide angle lenses, two of the most common focal lengths are 16mm and 24mm. There is a significant difference between those focal lengths, though, and something in between can be just the ticket, which is where the 20mm focal length comes in. With many options, you might wonder which is right for you. This fantastic video review features an experienced lens tester detailing five of the sharpest 20mm options you can purchase.

The Strange Relationship Between Hobbyist Photographers, Professionals, and Influencers

Influencers have invaded just about every space in which there are products for sale. If there is money to be made, there is probably an influencer for it, whether you realize it or not. Photography has not been immune to this, and it has left hobbyist and professional photographers in a strange place. This insightful video essay features a long-time pro discussing the issue and offering his thoughts.

A Beginner's Guide to ISO

Along with shutter speed and aperture, ISO is one of the three fundamental exposure parameters, and as such, mastering it is crucial to taking full control of your images. If you are new to photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of how ISO works and how to use it.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR Lens

50mm lenses with wide apertures are some of the most useful and versatile options a photographer can own, suitable for a wide range of genres and applications, including portraits, low-light events, and much more. For Fujifilm shooters, there is the XF 33mm f/1.4 R LM WR, this excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.

A Review of the Google Pixel 7A Smartphone for Photography

The Google Pixel 7A smartphone offers a lot of features and capabilities at a reasonable price, making it a nice choice for a wide range of users. This great video review takes a look at the phone's photo and video capabilities and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Using a Prime Lens for Landscape Photography

The standard lens of choice landscape photography is an ultrawide zoom, something like a 16-35mm f/4. When working in a genre in which you have no control over the placement of elements in the scene and there is often significant physical effort to get to a location, a zoom can be a major convenience. Nevertheless, a prime lens still has its place. This great video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer sharing the benefits of using a prime lens for landscape work.

The Importance of Aspect Ratios in Landscape Photography

The digital age and the ability to crop our photos however we want instantly has reduced the attention placed on aspect ratios. Nonetheless, aspect ratio has an important impact on many factors of your image, ranging from composition to printing. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing the effect aspect ratio has on images and how to leverage it to improve the quality of your photos.

Save $1,700 on a Top-level MacBook Pro Today Only

The MacBook Pro is the most popular laptop of choice for creatives, able to tackle just about any task you can throw at it with ease, while also offering a beautiful display and all-day battery life. Today only, you can get the top-level model of the 16-inch MacBook Pro for $1,700 off.

A Review of the Portable Sigma 50mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary Lens

Sigma's Contemporary line of lenses offers a nice balance of portability, affordability, and image quality, with one of the most intriguing options being the 50mm f/2 DG DN, which offers a popular focal length in tandem with a fairly wide maximum aperture. Can it back that up with good performance and image quality? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect.

A Review of the Impressive Acer Swift X 14 Laptop

The Acer Swift X 14 Laptop offers a wide range of modern features, but perhaps the most exciting is its OLED screen, which promises stunning contrast and vibrant colors, making it an intriguing option for many creatives. Is it the right option for you? This excellent video review takes a look at the laptop and the sort of performance and experience you can expect from it.

How Good Is the New Panasonic Lumix S5 IIX Mirrorless Camera?

Panasonic makes some of the best hybrid cameras out there, and their latest, the Lumix S5 IIX, brings with it some of the company latest and greatest features. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR Lens

The Fujifilm XF 90mm f/2 R LM WR offers photographers a longer telephoto focal length in tandem with a wide aperture, making it an intriguing option for portrait and wedding photographers among others. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

7 Ways AI Can Help You Become a Better Photographer

Perhaps no trend has a tighter grip on the photo industry (and arguably, tech as a whole) right now than AI. While it has caused a lot of uncertainty and worry over how it will affect the careers of creatives going forward, it has also brought with it a lot of highly valuable tools that can make your job easier and more efficient. This fantastic video tutorial discusses seven such tools and how you can use them to improve your work.

Another Ridiculous Canon Lens Is on the Way

Canon has produced some incredible lenses in the last few years, with options like the RF 28-70mm f/2L USM and the RF 100-300mm f/2.8 L IS USM pushing the boundaries of lens design and offering photographers some tremendously exciting optics. It looks like they have no intention of slowing down, with yet another major release coming fairly soon.

How Good Is This Unique Camera?

35mm and medium format photography, though different, generally require the same fundamental techniques, knowledge, and approach, save for a few somewhat minor differences. On the other hand, large format photography is something entirely different, and while it requires an entirely different set of skills, it will reward you with a look and level of image quality that not even the best digital cameras in the world can approach. The Intrepid 8x10 Gen 3 offers an affordable and relatively portable entry point into large format work, and this great video review takes a look at how it holds up in practice.

5 Common Misconceptions That Hurt New Flash Photographers

Working with flash is an important skill for many photographers, as it will allow you to explore a far greater breadth of creative ideas and to get around otherwise challenging technical issues. Nonetheless, there are some common misconceptions about the craft that can derail those are new to it. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced photographer sharing five of those misconceptions and what you can do to avoid falling prey to them.

A Guide to Long Exposure Photography

When it comes to landscape photography, few techniques are more popular and invite more creativity than long exposures. If you are new to the technique and would like you to get started, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to be on your way.

A Look at the Photography of Brendan Fraser

Brendan Fraser is enjoying a well-deserved career revival right now, but his skills extend beyond acting as well. Fraser is a talented photographer, and this neat video will show you some of his story and images.

The Benefits of Shooting Without a Tripod in Landscape Photography

When it comes to landscape photography, perhaps no accessory is more ever-present than the tripod. The tripod allows both for techniques like long exposure photography and for ensuring the highest levels of image quality. And sure, those are some major benefits, but there are some pros to working without a tripod as well. This interesting video discusses some of the best reasons for shooting handheld in landscape photography.

How to Take Dramatic Flower Photos With Black Backgrounds

Spring is here, and that means that flowers are blooming everywhere you look, and they make for marvelous photo subjects. Of course, you can photograph them in a natural way that shows off the surrounding light and environment, but a black background can add a sense of drama and show off the vibrant, eye-catching colors of the blooms. It does not take that much equipment to do so either! This excellent video tutorial will show you what you need and how to go about doing it.