Alex Cooke's picture
Average rating:
3.2 out of 5
3.2
Alex Cooke
Cleveland, OH

Articles written by Alex Cooke

How Good Is the New OM System OM-1 Mirrorless Camera?

The OM System OM-1 is here, and it brings with it some mightily impressive improvements and upgrades along with a range of new features that help to modernize the system and make it competitive with APS-C and full frame options again. This great video review takes a look at the new camera and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

13 Great Tips and Ideas for Springtime Landscape Photography

Spring is just about upon many of us, and it brings with it a wide range of exciting new photo opportunities and chances to explore your creativity and expand your portfolio. If you want to make sure you get the most out of the next few weeks, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses 13 ideas and tips to improve your springtime landscape photos and expand your creative output.

Camera Settings Every Landscape Photographer Needs to Know

One of the beautiful things about landscape photography is that your camera settings play two roles: providing a technically correct exposure and just as importantly, allowing you to render the frame in the way your creative mind sees fit. There are some camera settings you need to make sure you have down, however, and if you are new to the genre, this helpful video tutorial will make sure you know what they are and how to properly use them.

How to Combine Multiple Catalogs in Lightroom

As you progress in photography and accumulate more images in your library of work, you will probably end up with tens or even hundreds of thousands of photos, and keeping them organized can be quite a task. Part of that will sometimes mean working with multiple catalogs that you might want to combine down the line. This excellent video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to merge multiple catalogs in Lightroom.

How to Capture Sharp Photos of Birds in Flight

When it comes to photos of birds in flight, few other things matter if the final image is not sharp. If you would like to make sure your photos of birds in flight are nice and crisp, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you a range of tips as well as a nice discussion on what makes a compelling image of a bird in flight.

The Importance of Following Your Photographic Intuition

When it comes to photography, we often spend a lot of time either trying to follow formulaic procedures to create the best images or trying to imitate the work of others. And that can often create perfectly acceptable images, but on the other hand, it is important to remember that sometimes, intuition is the best way to get things done. This excellent video essay discusses that idea and how to apply it to your own work.

How to Photograph Foggy Forests

Forests can make for wonderful photographs, but they can be very tricky to create compelling and clean compositions in given the dense and unpredictable, snaking branches. Fog can be a fantastic natural way to alleviate this issue, and it provides dramatic, diffuse light. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to create the best images you can when shooting a foggy forest.

How to Choose the Best Aperture for a Photo

Along with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of the three fundamental exposure parameters that help to create a technically sound photograph. However, aperture is not just a tool for getting the correct exposure, as it gives you powerful creative control over the look of the resultant image. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to choose the correct aperture for a variety of images both to create a technically correct photo and to convey what you want creatively.

A Guide to Shooting With Sony Cameras and Lenses on a Budget

Sony offers some of the most advanced cameras and lenses in the world, but of course, tricking out your entire kit can quickly cause the costs to add up. That being said, if you do not insist on having the absolute best equipment, it is quite possible to build a competent and capable Sony kit without breaking the bank. This helpful video will take you through the best options for cameras, primes, and zoom lenses.

What You Need to Know to Take Fantastic Pet Photos

Whether you want to make it a business, volunteer your time and skills for shelter pets in need, or just want to create better memories of your own furry friends, pet photography is a specialized skill that takes some careful technique and knowledge. If you are ready to improve your pet photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know from the best gear to lighting, camera settings, working with treats, and more.

Is This the Only Lens a Photographer Needs?

Tamron has really gone through a renaissance in recent years, creating impressively capable and practical lenses that significantly undercut the prices of many first-party options. The 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is quite a significant step forward, covering a huge range of common focal lengths with impressively wide apertures. Can it be the only lens some photographers need? This fantastic video review takes a look.

Why Your Focal Length Choice Is So Important for Portrait Photography

When it comes to portrait photography, one of the most fundamental and important creative decisions you can make is the focal length you use. If you are newer to portrait photography and curious about how it affects the look of your final images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you a set of portraits shot at a range of different focal lengths.

An Easy and Effective On-Location Lighting Setup

When you are working in the studio, it is not a big deal to create complex, multi-light setups, since all your gear is there and doing so only requires moving it a minimal distance. On the other hand, when it comes to working on location, unless you have an entire crew with you, efficiency is the name of the game. This helpful video tutorial will show you a quick, simple, and effective lighting setup for on-location portraits.

There Are No Shortcuts in Photography

There are a ton of products out there that promise you a quick and direct route to being a better photographer. Before you spend your money on what might be an empty promise, however, spend a few minutes watching this fantastic video essay that discusses what it really takes to become a better photographer.

How To Turn Your Garage Into a Professional Portrait Studio

When it comes to portrait photography, most professionals employ a range of lighting equipment to dial in the exact images they are looking for no matter where they are or when they are shooting. That being said, you will be amazed what you can accomplish with natural light and the knowledge of how to shape it to your needs. This great video tutorial will show you how to create professional portraits in a garage using just natural light and a few modifiers.

Everything You Need to Know About Virtual Copies in Lightroom

Lightroom has some useful tools for organizing and working with large collections of photos, and one particularly useful option is virtual copies. If you have not used them before or you want to get more out of them, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know to use virtual copies.

This Powerful Technique Will Improve Your Photo Compositions

Composition is a nuanced, tricky thing, and it holds within it the power to capture the viewer's eye and imagination. If you are looking for ways to improve the compositions of your images, no matter what genre you shoot, check out this fantastic video essay that will show you a time-tested technique for creating more interesting and compelling photos.

5 Helpful Tips for Better Family Photos

Family portraits are something that will almost always be in demand, but with multiple subjects to manage, with some of them often being unruly kids, it can take a lot to get a successful result. If you want to create better family portraits, check out this excellent video tutorial that will give five tips sure to help you improve.

2022 Will Be a Big Year for Capture One

A lot of photographers love Capture One, particularly for the image quality it produces and for its robust tethering capabilities. Capture One plans to expand in 2022, with a new iPad app on the way, and this video preview shows some of what you can expect.

Apple Announces New Studio Display

Rounding out today's Apple announcements is the new Studio Display, offering professional-level image quality for users of just about any Mac model. Let's take a look.