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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Creative and Eye-Catching Two-Light Portrait Setup
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When you are new to working with artificial light for portraits, you should generally start with a single source until you are comfortable with all the basic properties and techniques. Once you feel comfortable with those, you can begin to embrace more complex multi-light setups. This excellent video tutorial shows a relatively simple two-light setup that creates an eye-catching spotlight effect.

How to Deal With Dissatisfied Photo Clients
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If you do photography professionally, you are going to eventually have a dissatisfied client. It is something that happens to all of us, and it is not even always your fault. So, what can you do when that happens? This excellent video tutorial offers some helpful advice that will make it easier to handle those difficult situations.

Important Advice on Gear and Photography
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Whether you are a new or highly experienced photographer, the allure of new gear can be strong. And there is nothing wrong with geeking out over the latest and greatest, but when that starts inhibiting your growth as a photographer because you are blaming the tools for a lack of technical or creative growth, it can become a serious problem. This great video discusses the topic and the sort of pitfalls you need to watch out for.

How to Add Atmosphere to a Photo in Lightroom
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It used to be that you generally used Lightroom for organization and light adjustments and Photoshop for heavier editing. However, in recent years, Lightroom has taken some remarkable steps forward, and you can now perform major edits without having to leave the program. This great video tutorial will show you how to use some of Lightroom's tools to add atmosphere to an image.

How to Choose the Right Film Camera for You
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Film photography is experiencing a real surge in popularity, and the beauty of it is that there are decades upon decades of used film cameras available, meaning you have a ton of options in which to find the perfect model for your needs and budget. If you are interested in film photography and ready to purchase a camera, check out this great video that discusses some good options and what to look for.

Can This Sub-$200 85mm f/1.8 Lens Keep Up With More Expensive Options?
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85mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular out there, particularly for portrait photographers, but they can also run well north of $2,000 for a good model. And so, at less than $200, the Meike 85mm f/1.8 is quite the intriguing lens, but do you get much at such a low price? This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Creating Stunning Long Exposure Panoramic Photos
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Both long exposures and panoramas are fantastic ways to create eye-catching photos that encourage viewers to stop and really examine every detail in the frame. Combining them takes a bit of careful technique, but the results can be well worth the effort. This great video will show you how to about shooting them and the sort of results you can expect from the process.

Where Should Your Focus Point Be When Photographing People?
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If you are simply photographing a single person and they are occupying the majority of the frame, it is not hard to know where to place your focus point, but things can get a bit more complicated if you are dealing with a group of people or a particularly intricate scene. This helpful video tutorial will show you everything you need to know to make sure you get the best possible results every time.

Is This a Cheap Way to Get Into Macro Photography?
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The wonderful thing about macro photography is that there are always compelling subjects within arm's reach, but on the other hand, it generally requires a dedicated macro lens. If you are interested in macro photography but not ready to invest a lot of money in it, a potentially viable intermediate option is extension tubes. This great video will show you how extension tubes work as well as the pros and cons of using them for macro work.

How Long Does It Take to Become a Professional Photographer?
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Becoming a professional photographer is a dream of many, but the road to getting there is anything but short and straight. So, how long does it take to actually get there? This great video features an experienced photographer discussing the journey and offering some helpful insight and tips for finding success along the way.

How Infrared Photography Can Turn Boring Shots in Entrancing Photos
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Sometimes, the thing you need to break out of a creative rut is a new or unusual way of creating images, and an infrared-modified camera is one such example of that. This great video will show you how an infrared-converted camera can take normal, uninteresting scenes and breathe new creative life into them.

How to Balance Flash and Ambient Light in Portrait Photography
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Whether you are a portrait, wedding, or family photographer, one of the most useful skills you can learn is how to balance ambient light and flash. If you would like to improve your portraiture work, check out this helpful video that will show you a method for balancing flash and ambient light to create more balanced and complete portraits.

Important Advice for Photographers in All Genres
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In the age of the internet and social media, it is easier than ever to compare yourself to hundreds of other creatives with just the swipe of your thumb, and that can be a really dangerous thing. This great video offers some helpful advice for becoming both a successful and satisfied photographer.

7 Helpful Tips for Sharper Landscape Photos
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Pretty much every genre of photography seeks sharp images, but in landscape work, sharpness is often of a particular importance. If you would like to take nice, crisp photos, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will give you seven useful tips to help you take sharper landscape photos.

7 Minutes of Helpful Tips for Portrait Photography
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Portrait photography is a challenging genre, as it takes a combination of technical savvy, creative vision, and the ability to work with people to create successful images. If you would like to improve your own portraits, check out this helpful video that features an experienced photographer giving a lot of great advice sure to help you make better photos.

How to Edit Eyes in Lightroom
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When it comes to portraits, perhaps no feature is more important than the eyes, and as such, giving them a little extra attention in the post-processing stage can help you take your images to the next level. This great video tutorial will show you how to edit eyes using only Lightroom.

How to Create Very Soft and Flattering Light for Portrait Photos
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When it comes to portrait photography, soft light is often the method of choice, as it provides flattering renderings suitable for a wide range of styles and subjects. If you are new to working with artificial lighting and interested in learning more, check out this helpful video tutorial that will show you how to create elegant soft light for portrait work.

A Review of the Versatile Canon RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM Lens
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24-70mm f/2.8 lenses are the workhorses of choice for a huge range of photographers and filmmakers, as they offer a very versatile focal length range in tandem with a wide maximum aperture. Nonetheless, not everyone needs that f/2.8 aperture, and if you are willing to exchange that for f/4, you can get even more focal length range at a reduced price. For Canon shooters, one such lens is the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM, and this great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

What Gear Does a Professional Photographer Really Need?
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When you are a hobbyist, you can drop whatever money you can reasonably afford on gear if it makes you happy. However, when you are a professional, gear is a business expense, and as such, you have to pay more careful attention to its impact on your bottom line and if you truly need it. This great video tutorial features an experienced photographer discussing just what gear a professional really needs.

Does This $73 Lens Produce Reasonable Images?
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Normally, lenses with wide maximum apertures, such as f/1.4, sit at the expensive end of the spectrum, costing anywhere from several hundred to multiple thousands of dollars. And so, a new 35mm f/1.4 lens that costs just $73 is sure to turn some heads, but can it actually turn in decent images? This excellent video review takes a look at the TTArtisan 35mm f/1.4 to answer that question.