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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

What Can Truly Improve Your Photography

Spend any amount of time looking up photography on the internet, and you will be bombarded from every direction by claims of how you can improve your work, a lot of them centered around gear. Really, though, if you want to improve, it comes down to how you approach your photos, and this insightful video discusses what you really need to make better images.

How to Customize Lightroom to Give You More Useful Information

Lightroom contains more customization capabilities under its hood than it might seem initially, but one that rarely gets mentioned is the information the program shows you about your photos. Lightroom actually lets you display all sorts of data in these cells, and taking a few minutes to change their default settings can make your workflow a lot easier. This great video tutorial will show you how to do just that.

Do You Suffer From the 'Curse' of the Photographer?

Do you find yourself in a seemingly never-ending cycle of being excited by your work, only to become disenchanted with and disappointed by it when you look back at it later? Maybe you suffer from the "curse of the photographer."

Is This a Next-Level Travel Lens?

Generally, travel lenses are meant to cover a wide range of focal lengths to allow you to be able to photograph most things you are likely to encounter. On the other hand, when you go for a large focal length range, that often means sacrificing wide apertures for low-light situations and sharp image quality. This lens might be able to give you the trifecta of reach, aperture, and sharpness, however.

10 Steps for Finding the Perfect Camera Angle

We can learn a lot from experienced filmmakers and cinematographers, and one of their strongest skills is their ability to tell stories. Whether you shoot video or photos, this excellent video tutorial will give you a 10-step process for finding the best, most compelling angle for every shot.

The Important Question You Should Ask Before Taking Every Photo

We spend a ton of time talking about how to take a photo, including lighting, techniques, composition, and a lot more. And of course, all those things are quite important to producing a compelling photo, but that is not enough. But it takes more than that to create a good image, and this insightful video discusses how you should be approaching taking photos beyond just the how-to of it all.

Which Apple Computer Is Right for You?

The MacBook Air, MacBook Pro, Mac mini, and iMac. The M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max. There is certainly no shortage of options when it comes to Apple computers. If you are looking at the vast array of models and wondering which one is right for your work, check out this great video that will give you an overview of the lineup and help you pick the computer for you.

How to Become a Wedding Photographer

Being a wedding photographer can be a really enjoyable career if you have the drive and the right personality for it. If that is something you are interested in but are unsure of how to get started, this helpful video tutorial will give you some important areas to focus on to put you on the right track.

A Look at the Affordable and Flexible Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III VXD G2 Lens

The Tamron 28-75mm f/2.8 Di III RXD was a runaway hit for the company, using smart compromises to offer a light and portable lens with great performance and image quality at a price that significantly undercut offerings from first-party companies. The second generation of the lens brought with it a range of improvements over the already impressive original version, and this great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

5 Rules of Lighting Every Photographer Should Know

Working with artificial light is something a lot of photographers struggle with, but if you understand some fundamental rules about how it behaves and how to control it, you can make your life a lot easier. This excellent video tutorial will show you five fundamental rules of lighting that every photographer should know and how to use them to make better images.

A Review of the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95 Lens

A 50mm lens with a wide aperture is quite versatile, offering a neutral focal length for anything from portraits to events coverage and a lot of pleasing narrow depth of field and light-gathering capabilities. It does not get much wider than f/0.95, and this excellent video review takes a look at one such option, the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95.

How to Make Your Best Landscape Photographs

Landscape photography is a challenging but popular genre, requiring you to have good creative vision, solid technique, savvy editing, and often, just a bit of luck. If you are ready to make better images in 2022, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you plenty of great advice to set you on your way in the new year.

Why Is Becoming a Photographer So Difficult?

Learning how to use a camera, control lighting, and edit to consistently produce compelling images is hard enough, but turning that into a successful business is an entirely different challenge altogether. If that is something you have been wondering about or struggling with, this great video contains an important reminder to help keep you from becoming discouraged.

How to Improve Your Wedding Website and Get More Bookings

The website is the calling card of most photographers nowadays, and its design, user experience, and information all contribute to whether a potential client is likely to book you or move on. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced wedding photographer discussing several ways you can improve your website to increase your bookings.

A Look at Some of the Best Cameras and Lenses of the Past Few Years

It certainly is an exciting time to be a gear nerd, with manufacturers having released some truly next-level cameras and lenses in the last few years. This interesting video review takes a look at some of the best options of the last few years, their pros and cons, and how they compare to each other.

Did Nikon Hit the Sweet Spot With the Z fc Mirrorless Camera?

Nikon's first retro-inspired camera, the Df, came out to mostly middling reviews noting its emphasis on form over function. Their second effort, the mirrorless Z fc, keeps the retro aesthetic and features far more competitive specs. Did the company hit the sweet spot this time? This great video review takes a look at the image quality and performance you can expect from the Z fc.

10 Common Questions About Using Vintage Lenses

Vintage lenses have exploded in popularity in the last few years, offering photographers much more affordable options and unique looks that are not seen in more modern lenses. However, with so many options out there, it can be a bit hard to know where to look, what to buy, and how much to spend. This excellent video answers 10 common questions about using vintage lenses to get you on the right track.

The Proper Way to Use a Wide Angle Lens for Landscape Photography

When it comes to landscape photography, the lens of choice is almost always some sort of wide angle, whether a 16-35mm, 24mm, or something similar. And while such lenses are absolutely effective in the genre, there is a common mistake landscape photographers make with them, and this helpful video details both what it is and how to correct it.