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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

How Good Is the Affordable Canon EOS R8 Full Frame Mirrorless Camera?

The Canon EOS R8 is a relatively affordable entry point into Canon's full frame mirrorless system, making it an intriguing option for a wide variety of users, whether as a main or backup body. This great video review takes a look at the camera and the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Look at How to Sell Photo Prints in 2023

Prints will always be in style: no matter how good digital displays are, people love tactile manifestations of images for a variety of applications: homes, offices, and more. So, how do you go about selling prints in 2023? This excellent video tutorial will give you a wide range of useful advice.

A Review of the New Pentax K-3 III Monochrome Camera

Black and white cameras are a bit of a rarity, but they have been steadily present for years, and many photography purists swear by them both for the experience and the quality of images they provide. And so, as both a black and white camera and a DSLR, the new Pentax K-3 Mark III is an especially interesting camera. How does it perform in practice? This great video review takes a look at everything you can expect from the camera.

A Review of the Samyang AF 75mm f/1.8 Lens for Fujifilm X Series Cameras

Samyang, well known for many years for creating fantastically sharp and affordable manual focus lenses, has moved into creating autofocus options as well in recent years. Despite the addition of autofocus, their lenses remain competitively priced, which is what makes the AF 75mm f/1.8 for Fujifilm X Series mirrorless cameras so intriguing. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Is This the Best Black and White Camera Out There?

Black and white cameras are a bit of a rarity, but those who use them generally swear by the way they render images. The new Leica M11 Monochrom rangefinder offers an impressive range of features paired with a top-of-the-line sensor, and it may just be the best black and white option yet.

A Spectacular Canon Lens Is on the Way

While Canon has always made some of the world's most impressive lenses, they really kicked it into another gear when the RF mount came along. It seems they have no intention of stopping, with another impressive lens on the way soon.

How a Photographer Shot an Entire Wedding on Film

Wedding photography is one of the most challenging genres out there, and given the pressure and lack of second chances, most photographers opt for high-end digital equipment to ensure the best chances of getting the shots they need. Given today's client expectations, can you still shoot a wedding on film? This neat video features a photographer taking you through his entire film photography kit for a wedding.

A Look at One of the Strangest Lenses Out There

The AstrHori 85mm f/2.8 Macro & Tilt lens is definitely one of the strangest lenses to come along in a while, and yet, behind that weird design is a highly affordable option that promises to tackle the responsibilities of three or four separate lenses. Can it perform all those functions suitably and offer the performance and image quality professionals demand? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect.

A Beginner's Guide to Prime Versus Zoom Lenses

The most fundamental distinguishing factor of lenses is whether they are primes or zooms. Each type has distinct advantages and disadvantages, and as a beginner, it is crucial to learn the differences so you can make the right choice for your needs and budget. This helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about the two types of lenses.

Two Big Reasons Amateur Photographers Are Afraid to Become Professionals

Becoming a professional photographer can be a scary thing, especially because, unlike a traditional job, the pathway to sustainable success is much more nebulous and often changing. What are the most common fears people have about becoming a pro? How can you mitigate those fears? This excellent video features an experience professional photographer discussing the topic.

A Review of the Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera

Canon's EOS R5 mirrorless camera showed the industry that the company was deadly serious about the professional mirrorless market, but alongside it came the EOS R6, which was arguably a more pragmatic option, offering most of the EOS R5's features and capabilities at a much more affordable price. The EOS R6 Mark II brings a nice array of improvements and new features over the original model, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it.

A Review of the Canon EOS R8 Mirrorless Camera

The Canon EOS R8 offers an affordable route into the company's full frame mirrorless lineup, making it an appealing choice for a wide array of amateurs and professionals alike. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A Review of the Leica M11 Rangefinder Camera

Leica's M11 rangefinder represents a notable step forward for the iconic M series, bringing with it a wide range of new features and improvements that are sure to capture the attention of many photographers. How does it hold up in practice, particularly against the reputation of its predecessors? This excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from the camera.

Who Makes the Best Telephoto Lens for Sony Cameras?

One of the best parts of the Sony system is the vast library of different lenses available, making it easy to find an option that fits both your budget and your needs. In particular, there are many options for supertelephoto zooms, with Sony, Tamron, and Sigma each offering multiple choices. This excellent video comparison takes a look at seven such lenses to help you pick the right one for you.

The Oversaturation of Photography: Is Social Media Killing the Photographer's Eye?

Without a doubt, social media has revolutionized the experience, dissemination, and even creation of photographs. Social media platforms like Instagram and Twitter have leveled the playing field in a lot of ways, allowing photographers to instantly share their work with hundreds or thousands of followers. Combined with the availability of high-quality cameras in smartphones and social media algorithms, the number of images disseminated to the world has absolutely exploded. Despite this democratization of the craft, has social media actually diminished the value of photography?

How to Light a Portrait Using a Single Speedlight

Portrait lighting can sometimes take complex multi-light setups, but you would be surprised at what you can accomplish with just a single light — even only a speedlight. In fact, you can even create professional images with one, and it is a great place from which to start as a beginner to artificial light. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use a single speedlight to create compelling portrait images.

How to Use a Standard Zoom Lens for Landscape Photography

The standard zoom lens (24-70mm) is one of the most practical and versatile out there, able to tackle a wide range of applications with ease, including landscape photography. This great video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer sharing how he uses a standard zoom for his own work.

One Photographer's Thoughts After Four Years With the Leica M System

Perhaps no camera system is more iconic and more polarizing than the Leica M system. While some see it as an overly extravagant status symbol for wealthy people, others absolutely swear by both the experience it offers and the images it produces. So, who is the system really for? This fantastic video review features one photographer sharing his thoughts after four years of using Leica M cameras and lenses.

A Look at How to Make Expressive Landscape Photos

One of the challenges of landscape photography is creating expressive images, as you have little control over what appears in the frame compared to most other genres. If that is something you struggle with, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will share some helpful advice for creating expressive images and how to deal with issues like composition, aspect ratios, and perspective shift.

Thoughts on the Impact of AI on the Photography Industry

AI has been the talk of the town around the photography industry for a few months now, with opinions ranging from it being a fantastic tool that will significantly reduce and streamline photographers' workflows to it being the death knell of many parts of the industry. This interesting video essay features an experienced commercial photographer offering some more pragmatic and balanced thoughts on how AI will change the industry.