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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Can the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II Compete With Much More Expensive Lenses?
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85mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are wildly popular for portraiture work, offering a classical focal length in tandem with that shallow depth of field that a lot of photographers love. However, such lenses can easily run north of $2,000, which is what makes the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4 FE II, which retails for $799, a breath of fresh air. Can it compete with lenses that cost double or even triple that amount? This excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect.

Just How Good Is the New Sony a7R V Mirrorless Camera?
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The Sony a7R V is here, and the company's newest resolution monster mirrorless camera has brought with it a wide array of impressive new features and upgrades. If you are wondering what you can expect from the camera, check out this great first impressions video that examines the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.

Which of These Sigma Lenses Is Right for You?
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Both the Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary lens and 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art lens fill the popular role of the wide-aperture standard zoom and do so at prices that significantly undercut those of first-party options. So, which is right for you? This excellent video comparison takes a look at both to help you decide.

Mistakes Landscape Photographers Make With Telephoto Lenses
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Landscape photography typically defaults to using wide angle lenses, but telephoto lenses can be an equally powerful tool. However, telephotos lenses come with their own traps and pitfalls as well. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing some of the most common mistakes made with telephoto lenses and how to fix or avoid them.

9 Helpful Tips for New Landscape Photographers
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Landscape photography is one of the most popular genres out there, and there are numerous ways to approach it and to find and express your creative voice. Nonetheless, there are some fundamental techniques and approaches that every beginner should be aware of. This excellent video tutorial will show you nine helpful tips that are sure to put you on the right track with your work.

Are Modern Photos Too Perfect?
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We are at a remarkable time in photography: cameras and lenses are more capable than ever, and we can create images that photographers could only dream of a decade ago. And for the most part, that is a great thing. However, there can be a downside to that. Are images too perfect nowadays?

A Review of the Tamron 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens
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Tamron has continued to establish themselves as a company that creates both lenses that make smart compromises to get to affordable price points and others that push the boundaries of design. The new 20-40mm f/2.8 Di III VXD is quite the interesting option, sitting somewhere between a wide angle zoom and a standard zoom. This great video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Review of the Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM Lens
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Coming in a relatively small and portable package and at a price that will not break the bank, the Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM offers photographers access to all the most common ultra-wide angle focal lengths along with a few extra useful features. Can it offer the sort of performance and image quality professionals need? This excellent video review takes a look.

A Review of the Affordable Sigma 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens
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The 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is one of the most popular and important options out there, found in a huge range of genres and applications, where its combinations of a wide aperture and commonly used focal lengths make it a prized choice. That being said, such lenses tend to be rather expensive. Sigma's 28-70mm f/2.8 DG DN brings the price down by a significant amount by making a few clever compromises. This great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

A First Look at the New Canon RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM Lens
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Alongside the new EOS R6 Mark II mirrorless camera, Canon recently announced the RF 135mm f/1.8 L IS USM lens, an update to one of its most respected and loved lenses, the EF 135mm f/2L. The company's RF portrait lenses have set high standards — very high, in fact. Can the 135mm f/1.8 L keep up? This great first look video examines the lens and the sort of images it can produce.

Fujifilm Announces the X-T5 Mirrorless Camera and Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 Macro Lens
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Fujifilm fans, rejoice! The company has announced the X-T5, the latest mirrorless camera in their popular and respected X Series, and it comes with some impressive new features and upgrades. They have also announced the Fujinon XF 30mm f/2.8 Macro lens, offering a versatile focal length and high magnification capabilities.

The Joys of Large Format Photography
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What if every time you pressed the shutter, it cost you $5? What would you shoot? Large format photography is about as extreme as it gets, but it gives you images that simply are not possible with 35mm or even medium format. This neat video will show you the process of shooting 4x5 film and some of the images you can create with it.

How to Take Better Portraits in Bright Sunlight
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Bright, harsh sunlight sitting far overhead is the bane of many portrait photographers' existences, but it is not impossible to create compelling portraits with flattering light in such conditions. This helpful video tutorial will show you how to take bright sunlight and harness it for worthwhile images.

How to Edit Landscape Photos in Black and White
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We are used to seeing landscape images with vibrant, eye-catching colors, but of course, that does not mean you can't create compelling photos in black and white. It takes more than simply pulling all the saturation out of a file to create worthwhile shots, though. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to edit landscape photos in black and white to get the best results.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (October 2022): Sebastian Malinowski
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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 2022, 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 Beginner's Guide to Flash Photography
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A lot of photographers feel a bit overwhelmed by the prospect of learning how to work with flash, but once you learn the fundamentals of how light behaves and how to control it, you will find strobes are not that great a mystery and that they can open an entirely new creative world. If you are new to working with artificial light, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will get you up and creating images in no time.

What Is Color Depth and Why Does It Matter?
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Color depth (also known as bit depth) is one of the properties of photos and video that is discussed less often than marquee features like resolution, but it has a deep impact on the quality and appearance of your work. If you are new to photo and video work, check out this great video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know about color depth.

The First Photographer You Have to Satisfy Is Yourself
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Being a creative, even if it is work you are doing for a client, is a deeply personal thing. As such, one of the most important things is staying true to your creative vision. This excellent video discusses that idea and why you are the first person you need to satisfy with your work.

Helpful Tips for Better Portrait Photos
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Portrait photography is a challenging genre that requires a combination of technique, the ability to work with a human subject, creative vision, and more. Whether you are new to the genre or an experienced professional, check out this fantastic video tutorial that offers a wide range of tips and helpful advice sure to help you create more compelling images.

The Many Portrait Looks You Can Create With Just a Single Light
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Although you will often see professional portrait photographers working with multi-light setups, you can absolutely create compelling images using just a single light. In fact, there are different looks you can create just by varying the position of your light. This excellent video tutorial will show you how light placement affects your photos and how to use it to create the looks you are after.