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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

How to Use Editing to Add Depth to Landscape Photo

One of the classic challenges of photography is bringing a sense of depth to what is a two-dimensional representation of a three-dimensional scene. Understanding how to manipulate both color and contrast in post-processing can go a long way in helping you achieve this. This awesome video tutorial will show you how to use tools in Lightroom to give your landscape images a sense of depth.

A Beginner's Guide to Wide Field Astrophotography

Astrophotography can be one of the most stunning and magical genres of photography, as you watch wonders of the universe that are invisible to the naked eye appear on your camera screen. It is also one of the most technically challenging photography genres, but your practice and patience will be rewarded. If you are ready to get started, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the basics of wide field astrophotography.

The Difference Between Image Quality and Quality Images

The difference between image quality and quality images is significant, and yet, they are two things that are often confused for one another. It is crucial that we maintain clarity about which is which and how to improve each individually. This excellent video essay features an experienced photographer discussing the topic and offering some insightful advice.

How to Edit Over- and Underexposed Photos in Lightroom

If you are new to photography, it can be a little overwhelming trying to learn how to edit images with all the tools at your disposal. Nonetheless, one of the most common post-processing tasks you will have to tackle is fixing an overexposed or underexposed photo. This helpful video tutorial features a seasoned Lightroom pro showing you how to do just that.

How Do You Know if Your Photos Are Good?

You can work tirelessly on developing strong technique and nurturing your creative voice, but if you do not know when you have taken a good photo, it can all be for naught. Evaluating your own work can be trickier than you might think, but it is a crucial skill to develop, whether you are an amateur or a professional. This helpful video tutorial offers a range of actionable advice on how to do just that.

Helpful Advice for Posing Couples

Knowing how to confidently and efficiently pose couples is an absolutely crucial skill for any engagement or wedding photographer, and yet, posing is one of the trickiest skills that often takes photographers the longest to master. If you find yourself struggling a bit with posing, check out this helpful video tutorial that offers some great tips sure to put you on the right track.

Can This 'Bubble Bokeh' Lens Satisfy Your Bokeh Desires?

Portrait photographers love a medium telephoto lens with good bokeh, and for most modern lenses, good bokeh means producing creamy, featureless backgrounds that allow total focus on the subject. But what is the bokeh has a character all its own? That is what TTArtisan is aiming for with the "Bubble Bokeh" lens, and this excellent video review takes a look at if its cheap price and interesting rendering make it a winner.

A Good Approach to Camera Settings

Mastering shutter speed, aperture, and ISO is crucial as a new photographer. Doing so will not only give you technical control over your images, but will enable you to explore creative ideas that help you develop your unique photographic voice. This awesome video tutorial will give you a useful approach to camera settings to help you take precise control over your photos.

A Look at the New Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 5

While the Galaxy Z Fold 5 is getting most of the attention at the moment, for those who do not want the footprint of or the cost of a flagship, the Galaxy Z Flip 5 offers quite a nifty experience and a lot of the same benefits at about half the price. How does it hold up in practice? This excellent video review takes a look at the new phone and the sort of performance and experience you will be able to expect from it in usage.

How Often Do You Revisit Old Photos?

As we progress as photographers, we accumulate more and more images in our catalogs, and it can be easy for old photos to become buried deep on hard drives, left to be forgotten about. But there can be a lot of value in revisiting old shots, and you find even find treasure hidden in those old folders. This great video tutorial shows you what you can accomplish when you apply modern techniques and improved skills to older shots.

Why You Should Not Always Shoot at the Widest Aperture

Modern lenses are quite remarkable devices, and they often allow you to shoot at extremely wide apertures with little consequence in image quality, making it easy to fall into the habit of just leaving your lens at that maximum aperture for all your images. That can be a mistake, though, and it can make your work overly one-dimensional. This excellent video essay discusses some of the many reasons you might want to consider stopping down the next time you head out.

Do You Need a Tilt-Shift Lens for Architectural Photography?

Tilt-shift lenses are considered standard equipment for architectural photography, allowing you to correct common geometric issues to ensure your images both realistic and of the highest possible quality. But with modern cameras and software, do you really need a tilt-shift lens, or can you get by using other techniques? This excellent video discusses the issue to help you decide.

A Review of the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD Lens

Supertelephoto zoom lenses are remarkably versatile, making them well suited for a huge range of applications. In recent years, we have seen a real boom in more affordable options that offer great performance and image quality at prices that make them far more accessible. One such option is the Tamron 150-500mm f/5-6.7 Di III VXD, and this excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect from it in usage.

A Beginner's Guide to Editing Landscape Photos

When it comes to landscape photography, rarely is the photo finished the moment you press the shutter; most landscape images require some degree of processing in order to produce a polished product. If you are new to the genre and ready to improve your images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of how to edit your first photos.

A Review of the Impressively Affordable Viltrox AF 75mm f/1.2 Lens

We have seen a boom in affordable third-party lenses in recent years, with many of them offering good performance and image quality at prices that significantly undercut those from first-party manufacturers. Viltrox has been one of the manufacturers leading that charge, and the AF 75mm f/1.2 is emblematic of that, offering a nice portrait focal length in tandem with an extremely wide aperture. How does it hold up in practice? This fantastic video review takes a look at what you can expect.

How to Make Flash Look Like Natural Light

Flash can sometimes be used to create dramatic, otherworldly portraits whose lighting jumps off the screen, but other times, you want to use flash to mimic the look of natural light. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to use flash for a subtle effect that looks like it was natural light the whole time.

How to Shoot in Flat and Boring Light

Overcast days can produce rather flat light that lacks dimension and can feel rather boring, and as such, it can be a bit tricky to product images that are compelling. That does not mean you should just pack it up and head home, though. Flat light can actually lead to fantastic images, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to find and shoot them.

Helpful Advice for Taking Better Landscape Photos

Landscape photography is a challenging genre, but when you get a good shot, it makes all the time and effort worth it. If you would like to improve your landscape photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer sharing a range of useful advice to help you get on the right track.

Why You Should Try a 135mm Lens for Portrait Photography

When it comes to portrait photography, the classic focal length is 85mm, but of course, that is not the only option you can use for creating worthwhile images. 135mm lenses have long been a popular alternative to the classic 85mm option, and this great video essay discusses why you should consider using one in your work.

A Mistake Many Modern Photographers Make

Most modern photographers interact with social media at least to some degree, and it can have more of an effect on your work and your creative evolution than you might think. This insightful video essay discusses how social media can lead professional and amateurs alike to make a mistake that handcuffs their ability to grow and to enjoy the craft of photography.