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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Review of the Apple QuickTake 100, a Neat Digital Camera From 1994
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It is easy to look at modern digital cameras and forget just how spoiled we really are. After all, the latest generation of cameras make it almost impossible to miss the shot. Even a decade ago, digital cameras were far less capable, and if you turn back the clock three decades, digital models had barely just come into existence. This fun retro review takes a look at one such camera, the Apple Quicktake 100.

A Review of the New Fujifilm Instax Mini 12 Camera
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Fujifilm's Instax line of instant film cameras have long been popular for reinvigorating the genre with some modern features while still allowing users to take part in the fun of instant film, all at very reasonable prices. The new Instax Mini 12 is here, and it brings with it an updated design and a range of new features. This great video review takes a look at the new camera and the kind of performance you can expect from it in usage.

A Review of the Sony FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II Lens
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The 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is one of the classic workhorses in countless photographers bags, suitable for a huge range of genres and scenarios. As such, you can often expect top-shelf performance out of professional 70-200mm f/2.8 lenses. For Sony shooters, there is the FE 70-200mm f/2.8 GM OSS II, and this excellent video review takes a quick look at the image quality and performance you can expect from it in usage.

5 Essentials for Starting a Photography Business
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When you have gained a lot of confidence in your ability with a camera and have built out a nice portfolio, you might start thinking about going professional. However, even though it absolutely takes those aforementioned items, they are not enough on their own. It takes a good amount of business savvy to create a reasonable income from photography. This helpful video tutorial will show you five essential items that will make your business life a little easier.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR Lens
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35mm lens with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular and versatile options available, offering the ability to tackle a huge variety of shooting scenarios and genres, including things like wedding photography, astrophotography, street work, and more. For Fujifilm users, there is the XF 23mm f/1.4 R LM WR, and this excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A Beginner's Guide to Choosing the Right Focal Length for Photos
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Perhaps no choice is more fundamental to and impactful on your images than the focal length you employ. So, how do you choose the right focal length for a photo? It is a more complex question than it might seem on the surface. If you are new to photography, be sure to check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you some helpful advice and knowledge for choosing the right focal length.

This Powerful Lightroom Tool Saves Time and Makes Edits More Precise
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Lightroom is bursting with a variety of tools for editing your images, but one that is often overlooked is the Targeted Adjustment Tool. This tiny icon hiding among the larger sliders and adjustments is quite powerful, though, and with it, you can efficiently make very precise adjustments to multiple aspects of your photos. This great video tutorial will show you where to find the Targeted Adjustment Tool and how to use it to edit your images.

A Review of the Affordable Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM Lens
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Canon's RF lenses have generally been lauded for their impressive image quality and performance (and often, their extreme design), but with all that comes fairly expensive prices. And that is why, at $299, the RF 16mm f/2.8 STM looks like quite an intriguing option, particularly when you consider how portable it is as well. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of experience and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

How Managing Color Can Improve Your Landscape Photos
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When it comes to landscape photography, we often talk about things like exposure settings, lens choice, use of filters, managing conditions, and more. But one thing we do not talk about as much is color, and yet, it is one of the most powerful aspects of any landscape photograph. This great video tutorial will show you how careful management of color can make your landscape images better and offer some helpful tips for making that happen.

The Professional Life of a Modern Female Photographer
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While the craft is the same, the professional life of a female photographer is often different than that of a male photographer, whether it is in the way clients work with them, the interactions they deal with on social media, or the expectations of their abilities. This great video interview sits down with a female photographer, Arfa Khatri, and discusses some of her experiences, difficulties, and the struggles she faces in her day-to-day life as a professional creative.

A Beginner's Guide to Long Exposure Photography
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One of the first techniques every new photographer loves to try is the long exposure. Long exposures can improve image quality by helping to reduce noise, and they can be a wonderfully powerful creative tool that can entirely change the look of an image. If you are new to photography and wondering how to get started with long exposures, check out this great video tutorial that will get you up and running in no time.

A Review of the New Sigma 50mm f/1.4 Art Lens
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Sigma's latest entry in the highly popular Art series, the 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art, is here, and it brings with it an impressive array of features and capabilities and an even more impressive price. This excellent video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (February 2023): Christian Zink
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The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2023, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

A Review of the Impressive Nikon NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S Lens
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Nikon's new NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.2 S lens has been turning heads for offering an extreme design and the promise of impressive image quality and beautiful bokeh. Can it deliver on that promise? This excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect.

A Review of the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Lens
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In the last few years, Tamron has established themselves as a manufacturer of some of the most cost-effective and useful lenses available, offering practical capabilities and good image quality all at very affordable prices. One such option is the 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD lens for Nikon Z mirrorless cameras, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Why You Should Embrace Bad Weather in Landscape Photography
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When you think of stunning landscape photography, you probably imagine vast expanses with golden rays of light cascading across them. However, cloudy, foggy, or rainy days can yield equally stunning photos if you know how to work with them to maximize your results. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to embrace those gray days and come away with compelling photos.

Can Sigma's New 50mm Lens Compete With Sony's?
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50mm f/1.4 lenses are both highly versatile and highly popular, able to take a wide range of needs and scenarios, including portraits, weddings, landscapes, and much more. As such, almost every manufacturer makes at least one 50mm lens. The Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG DN Art to the Sony FE 50mm f/1.4 GM are both new to the market and promise high levels of performance and image quality, and this excellent video review compares both to help you choose the right for your needs.

Why You Should Be Careful Using the Rule of Thirds
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The rule of thirds is probably the most common heuristic method of composition, so much so that just about every modern camera and editing program has a grid for its usage built in. And while it can often lead to well-balanced photos, there is a downside to it too. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing why you should be wary of the rule of thirds and how to create better photos.

Three Important Lessons We Can Learn From Two Master Photographers
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Robert Frank and Sergio Larraín are two of the most famous photographers in history, and as such, we can learn some important lessons from their images and their approach to the craft. This excellent video essay takes a look at their work and their philosophies and discusses three important lessons we can deduce that will help us become better, more complete creatives.

A Look at a Powerful Portrait Photography Combination
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When you pair Sony's powerful 61-megapixel a7R V mirrorless camera with the FE 135mm f/1.8 GM, it seems like a match made in heaven for portrait photography. How does the combination perform in the real world, though? This excellent video shows you what you can expect.