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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Review of the New Irix 21mm f/1.4 Dragonfly Lens
0
by

Irix is known mostly for making manual focus wide angle lenses with rugged build quality and nice image quality, and the new 21mm f/1.4 Dragonfly lens seeks to continue that trend. The lens comes in Canon, Nikon, and Pentax DSLR mounts (and can be easily adapted to mirrorless), and this fantastic video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Techniques to Save a Poor Landscape Photo
3
by

Of course, we all try to get out photos are close to right as possible in camera, but none of us are perfect, and mistakes will happen. So, if you really miss the mark, what can you do to save an image you really want to use? This excellent video tutorial will show you some helpful tips and techniques for rescuing that shot.

Is This Strange Sigma Lens Worth a Look?
0
by

Sigma makes some pretty standard lenses, but they also create some more unique and less heard-of designs that can be the sort of creative shot in the arm that excites a lot of photographers. The 65mm f/2 DG DN Contemporary, which sits in a strange middle ground between 50mm and 85mm, is one such lens, and this great video review takes a look at the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

Three Fantastic Portraits You Can Create With Just One Light
2
by

If you follow the work of high-end portrait photographers, you will probably notice them often using complex three- or even four-light setups. And while there are good reasons for using those, you do not need all that complexity to create professional-level images; in fact, just one light will do if you know how to use it. This excellent video tutorial will show you three fantastic portraits you can create using only a single light.

A Look at Some Common Beginner Portrait Photography Mistakes
0
by

Portrait photography is one of the most popular genres out there, and it brings its own challenges and pitfalls. If you are new to portraiture and would like to improve your work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that details some common mistakes beginners make and what you can do to fix them or avoid them entirely in the first place.

Is That Expensive Prime Lens Really the Best Choice for Portraits?
12
by

Wide-aperture 85mm prime lenses are the classic choice for portrait photography, but that does not mean they are right for everyone. This excellent video comparison takes a look at two options, the Canon RF 85mm f/1.2 L USM and the RF 70-200mm f/4 L IS USM, to help you choose the right one for your work.

How to Get Started in the Business of Photography
0
by

Starting a photography business is about a lot more than simply being good with a camera and finding people to pay you for your skills. If it is something you are interested in but you have no idea how to get started, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced professional photographer discussing some advice he would give up-and-coming pros.

The Beauty of Landscape Photography in Bad Weather
0
by

Almost no one enjoys standing in the wind and rain, and I certainly would not blame you if you saw the clouds rolling in and wanted to pack up your equipment and head home. Nonetheless, you might be missing out on fantastic images if you do not stick around for the storm, and this fantastic video will show you just what you might be able to accomplish in those situations.

Save a Landscape Photograph With a Black and White Edit
1
by

For the most part, a landscape photo is not finished once you press the shutter, as half of the image-making process is in the direction you decide to take the edit. Sometimes, if you are looking at an image you know has potential but you can't figure out to do with it, you should consider turning it into a black and white photo. This great video tutorial makes a case for why and shows you some techniques to do so.

Finding Purpose in Photography
3
by

All of us first picked up a camera and started taking photos simply because we enjoyed the magic of the creative process. But after years working in photography, whether professionally or simply as hobbyists sharing our work with the world, that reason we do that can become obfuscated or forgotten entirely. Do you know your purpose in photography? This important video essay discusses the topic.

How to Edit Wedding Portraits in Lightroom
0
by

Lightroom is more powerful than ever, and you can complete quite a few edits in the application without needing to switch to Photoshop. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to edit wedding portraits using a wide variety of techniques, all in Lightroom.

How to Become a Successful Bird Photographer
5
by

Bird photography is not an easy genre in which to find success; it takes a fair amount of both specialized equipment and knowledge (a lot of which is outside photography) along with a lot of time, patience, and effort to find success. This great video features a few seasoned bird photographers discussing how to navigate the road to success in bird photography and some of the important lessons they learned along the way.

10 of the Weirdest Digital Cameras Ever Made
3
by

The form of the digital cameras has become relatively standardized. There are certainly variations from manufacturer to manufacturer, but the basic design is generally stable across companies. That was not always the case, however, particularly in the early days of digital. This neat video takes a look at 10 of the weirdest digital cameras ever made and just what made them so unique.

What Lightroom Sky Adjustment Tool Should You Use?
0
by

Landscape photography often takes at least a bit of editing to produce a completed image, and as such, you will usually be doing some kind of editing work on the sky. Lightroom's newest version has a wide range of useful tools for doing this, and this excellent video tutorial will show you some of the options for selecting and adjusting a sky and the pros and cons of each.

5 Useful Hidden Lightroom Features
7
by

Lightroom is a more powerful and nuanced application than we sometimes give it credit for, and there are some useful features that are easy to overlook. This awesome video tutorial will show you five hidden features in Lightroom that can make your work life a lot easier and more efficient and even improve the quality of your images.

A Look at an Interesting and Unique Lens From Sony
0
by

Once you get wider than 20mm, you generally do not encounter apertures wider than f/2.0, save for a few rare circumstances. One such option is the Sony FE 14mm f/1.8 GM, which positions itself as a fantastic creative tool for a wide variety of uses, and this excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

5 Things Camera Companies Won't Tell You
4
by

The camera industry is quite the well-oiled PR machine, with short update cycles that get photographers drooling over new gear every few months and a lot of hype drummed up over the latest and greatest camera or lens — some deserved and some not so much. This great video essay discusses five things camera companies will not tell you, and it is well worth giving it a listen.

Helpful Tips for Dealing With Light Pollution in Night Photography
0
by

Shooting the night sky, whether by itself or as part of a landscape, can be a magical thing. The problem is that with such low levels of ambient light, any manmade sources can quickly overwhelm the stars and ruin the frame. So, how do you deal with light pollution? This helpful video tutorial will give you some useful tips on how to avoid or mitigate it and come away with more desirable images.

Three Ways to Use a Second Light for Portraits
0
by

Every photographer starting out with artificial light should work exclusively with a single strobe until they are comfortable with the basics of lighting, but once you feel like you are ready to move on to more advanced setups, the first step, of course, is to add a second light, which opens up a wide range of creative possibilities. This fantastic video tutorial will show you three different ways to use that second light for portrait work to expand your creative palette.

Learn How These Fantastic Portraits Were Lit and Shot
4
by

Portrait lighting is about a lot more than simply creating a technically balanced image of your subject; it is your chance to exercise your creativity and show off your subject in a compelling and interesting fashion. If you would like to improve your own portrait photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you how one photographer lit and shot a set of portraits using several lights and modifiers.