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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Should You Use Teleconverters for More Reach?
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On the surface, teleconverters seem like a fantastic way to help a lens pull double duty by allowing you to extend its focal length for a lot less than it would cost to buy another entire lens. While they can be quite useful, they also have some drawbacks you should be aware of before you buy one. This helpful video will show you their pros and cons as well as some other options to help you decide the best approach for your work.

A First Look at the New Fujifilm X-H2S Camera and XF 18-120mm f/4 R LM PZ WR Lens
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Both the Fujifilm X-H2S mirrorless camera and XF 18-120mm f/4 R LM PZ WR lens are impressive new devices from the company, and so far, it looks like they will be quite popular with many photographers and filmmakers. This excellent video takes a first look at both the camera and lens to give you an idea of what you can expect from them in practice.

A Beginner's Guide to Using Polarizing Filters for Better Photos
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There are two fundamental lens filters in photography, the ND (neutral density) filters and the polarizing filter. While the ND probably gets a bit more usage, the polarizing filter is quite useful as well. This great video tutorial will show both why and how photographers use polarizing filters to improve their images.

Images You Can Create From Your Own Bedroom
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If you hop on Instagram or the like and click on a landscape photography hashtag, you are likely to see mostly scenes from famous locations, often in distant and remote regions. And while there is a reason so many people shoot at those locations, they are not the only worthwhile places. In fact, as this great video shows, you can create fantastic photos even from your own bedroom.

5 Simple Mistakes You Need to Avoid as a Photographer
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Photography is a complex thing that takes a combination of technical skill, creative vision, and (if you are a professional) business savvy to find success, making it easy to fall prey to traps that can derail you along the way. Here are five subtle mistakes photographers make that can negatively affect their experience, images, or careers.

How to Create Natural Light in Studio
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It might seem strange to work in a studio only to use it to replicate the look of natural light, but it is a classic style that can be quite effective for a wide range of applications. This useful video tutorial will show you the technique behind creating the look as well as some helpful tips you can use to make it your own.

A Beginner's Guide to Street Photography
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Street photography can be a very challenging and intimidating genre, particularly when you are a beginner, but if you persevere with it, it can seriously benefit your skills across quite a few genres. If you are new to the genre and unsure of how to tackle it, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know to head out and get started shooting.

Canon Patents Two More Interesting Lenses
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Canon has had the pedal to the floor when it comes to lens development for the last few years, and it seems they have no intention of stopping. Two new patents have emerged that show two more extreme lens designs, both based on respected DSLR lenses.

How to Use a Reflector for Shaping Light for Portraits
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A reflector is one of the cheapest and most effective tools for shaping lighting for portraiture, and it can easily replace the need for another light in a lot of scenarios. If you have not been taking full advantage of your reflector or you are new to working with lighting, check out this helpful video tutorial that will show you how to use one for portraiture work.

A Review of the New Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G Mirrorless Lens
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The Sony E PZ 10-20mm f/4 G is one of the company's newest lenses, and despite its small size and relatively affordable price, it brings with it a huge range of features that make it desirable for both photographers and filmmakers. If you are a photographer interested in the lens, check out this fantastic video review that takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in stills applications.

A Beginner's Guide to Using Aperture to Take Control of Your Photos
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Along with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of the three fundamental exposure parameters that give you technical and creative control of your images, and mastering it is crucial to growing as a photographer. If you are new to photography and a bit perplexed about how aperture works, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know.

The Good and Bad About Nikon Cameras and Lenses
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Though it seemed doomed to linger behind Canon and Sony for a while, Nikon has made some serious steps forward in the mirrorless realm in the last year or so, and it seems full frame is a three-horse race once again. So, where does the company stand right now? This interesting video discusses the good and bad of Nikon's camera and lens lineup at the moment.

3 Basic Flash Techniques Every Portrait Photographer Should Learn
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When you are new to working with artificial light, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to balance all the technical and creative aspects while also posing your subject and controlling the camera. If you are a beginner and looking to improve, check out this great video tutorial that will show you three flash techniques every portrait photographer should know how to employ.

A Look at the New Sigma 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary Lens
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Sigma's latest lens is the 16-28mm f/2.8 DG DN Contemporary, and it offers the versatility of a wide angle zoom with a wide maximum aperture at a price that significantly undercuts typical first-party offerings of the sort, making it an intriguing option for many photographers and filmmakers. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

5 Reasons to Consider Converting a Photo to Black and White
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Converting an image to black and white is one of the most fundamental yet powerful editing techniques, but there are no hard and fast rules that dictate when you should do so. If you struggle with knowing when to edit a photo in black and white, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you five things to consider when deciding whether or not to do so.

A Review of the Powerful Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera
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The Sony a1 is, without a doubt, one of the most impressive cameras ever released, with features and capabilities that allow it to tackle just about any photo or video situation you could conceivably throw at it. This fantastic video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in a range of real-world scenarios.

10 Great Wedding Party Poses
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Group photos and video of the wedding party are some of the most shots you will need to get at a wedding, but posing a mass of people under significant time constraints can be a real challenge, even for experienced creatives. If you would like to learn about posing wedding parties, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you 10 effective poses sure to take some of the pressure off of you and help you make compelling images.

Can the OM System OM-1 Mirrorless Camera Compete With Full Frame Flagships?
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The OM System OM-1 sets a new standard for micro four thirds cameras by offering features and capabilities that help it compete or even exceed those of APS-C and full frame options. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in real-world usage.

A Review of the Revolutionary Sony Xperia 1 IV Camera Phone
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Camera phones have become remarkably advanced in the last few years, especially as we have seen some impressive advancements in computational photography that help to offset the drawbacks of their small sensors. Sony's new Xperia 1 IV ups the ante even more by being the first phone with an optical zoom, and this great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it.