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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

How to Create Your Own Lightroom Presets

Lightroom presets sometimes have a bad reputation, but they are a tremendously useful tool and time-saver when used properly. One of the best ways to use them is to create your own, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do just that.

A First Look at the Fujifilm X-H2 Mirrorless Camera

The Fujifilm X-H2 is the company's latest entry in its highly popular X Series line of mirrorless cameras, and it brings with it some impressive new features, the most notable being its new 40-megapixel sensor, the highest ever in an APS-C camera. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera, how it compares to the X-H2S, and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it in practice.

Everything You Need to Know About Microphone Pickup Patterns

When it comes to video work, while getting good visuals is obviously crucial, you also have to know how to record high-quality audio as well, or the final product will be dragged down. One of the most fundamental and crucial bits of knowledge you will need is how microphone polar response patterns work and which to choose for different situations. This excellent video tutorial will show you what polar response patterns are, the properties of the most common types, and how to pick the right one for a specific scenario.

An Easy Way to Get Better Landscape Photos

One of the most challenging parts of landscape photography is that you constantly have to balance ever-evolving conditions, seeking out new compositions, and managing camera settings and equipment. What if you could remove one of those from the equation, though? This excellent video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer discussing how you can make finding new compositions far easier.

A Review of the New Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens

Tamron is one of the most exciting companies in the photography world right now, putting pressure on other manufacturers by releasing lenses that offer a ton of performance for their respective prices and that often push the envelope of design. One of the most exciting lenses in their current lineup is the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

5 Easy Techniques for Retouching Skin in Portrait Photos

Knowing how to light, pose, and shoot a portrait is only half of what it takes to produce a compelling finished product. Almost all portraits will need some degree of retouching, and as such, your editing skills need to be just as sharp as your skills behind the camera. If you are new to the craft, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you five easy techniques for retouching skin in Photoshop.

Some Helpful Tips for Better Landscape Photo Compositions

Composition is one of the trickier parts of any photographer genre, as it is a bit more nebulous and tricky to talk about than something quantifiable like camera settings. It can be particularly tough in landscape photography, where we get no control over the placement of elements in the frame. If composition is something you are struggling with at the moment, check out this great video tutorial that offers some helpful tips and advice sure to put you on the right track.

Is the Fujifilm X-H2 Mirrorless Camera the New Camera to Beat?

The Fujifilm X-H2 mirrorless camera is the company's newest option in the X Series line, and it is a major step forward, being the first to offer a high-resolution sensor — the highest ever in an APS-C camera, in fact. There is more than just that sensor to be excited about, though. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera from a photography perspective and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Review of the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD Lens for Fujifilm X Series Cameras

Standard zoom lenses with f/2.8 apertures are some of the most popular workhorses out there, as they cover many commonly used focal lengths and offer enough light-gathering power to handle a wide range of scenarios and needs. However, such lenses can be quite expensive, which is why the Tamron 17-70mm f/2.8 Di III-A VC RXD, which comes in at $799, is such an intriguing option. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and if its performance and image quality can outpace its bargain price tag.

Why Did Olympus Fail?

In January 2021, OM Digital Solutions acquired the Olympus Imaging Division, and though the cameras and lenses live on, the original iconic company was gone in some sense. So, what caused the downfall of one of the most respected and oldest photography companies on the planet? This interesting video takes a look at the history of the Olympus Imaging Division, where things started to go awry, and why it led to its ultimate failure.

Will Advancements in Technology Bring Back the Shoot and Burn?

The "shoot and burn," a photoshoot in which the photographer immediately delivers the images with minimal edits, saw a peak in popularity in the first decade or so of digital, when the novelty and convenience of digital files made the prospect of instant delivery enticing for a lot of customers, especially in genres like family photography. Now, with the rise of AI-powered culling and editing software, there loom some interesting questions: will the shoot and burn see a resurgence, and will it be a good thing for photographers?

5 Helpful Beginner Tips for Better Photos

When you are new to photography, there is a lot to try to learn all at the same time: creative vision, controlling technical parameters, editing, and a lot more. If you are new to photography and looking for some guidance on how to improve, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you five great tips and techniques for creating better photos in no time at all.

Dealing With Burnout as a Professional Photographer

Being a professional photographer is a demanding career that requires you to wear many hats and rarely allows time to catch one's breath. As such, burnout is a common issue among professional photographers. So, when you experience it, what can you do? This excellent video essay features an experienced photographer discussing his experiences with burnout and how he handles it.

Can This Affordable 85mm Lens Compete With More Expensive Options?

85mm lenses with wide maximum apertures are some of the most popular out there, particularly for portrait photographers, where their flattering focal length and narrow depth of field make them ideal for photographing people. Nonetheless, such lenses can cost well north of $2,000, which is what makes the Meike 85mm f/1.8, which costs less than $200, so intriguing. Can it keep up with more expensive options, though? This great video review takes a look at its performance and image quality to answer that question.

How Good Is the Tamron 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD Lens?

With lenses like the 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD, Tamron has shown that in addition to creating pragmatic, affordable lenses, they also have their eyes on those that push the boundaries of design and offer unique capabilities. One such lens is the 50-400mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III VC VXD, which offers an unusually wide range of focal lengths, and this excellent video review takes a deep look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

How to Find the Right Composition for a Landscape Photo

In between specialized equipment, camera settings, forecasting, creative vision, and more, it takes a lot to learn how to create compelling landscape photos. But perhaps nothing is trickier to learn than the art of composition. If that is something you struggle with a bit, check out this great video tutorial that features a range of helpful advice from an experienced landscape photographer.

Has Canon Made a Big Mistake?

Canon recently caused a fair amount of controversy when it came out that they had requested that Viltrox stop manufacturing autofocus lenses for the RF mount, as they feel doing so infringes on their intellectual property. The incident seems to explain the curious lack of third-party lenses for the RF mount. Has Canon made a mistake?

Helpful Advice for Better Landscape Photos

There are a lot of approaches to landscape photography, and each offers different benefits and drawbacks and places different demands on your time, effort, creative vision, and technique. If you would like to improve your landscape images, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will walk you through a few shots and offer some great tips and advice along the way.

5 Mistakes Made by Landscape Photographers

Landscape photography takes a combination of technical skill, creative vision, and the ability to work in and with a wide range of conditions. There are some common mistakes all landscape photographers make at one point or another, and this fantastic video tutorial details five of them and what you can do to fix them or avoid them in the first place.

We Review the Hasselblad X2D 100C Medium Format Mirrorless Camera

The Hasselblad X1D 50C and X1D II 50C helped to redefine the paradigm of medium format, putting a large sensor inside a sleek, small body. Now, the X2D 100C is here, and not only does it double the resolution of its predecessors, it brings with it a bevy of impressive improvements and new features. In this review, we take a look at the camera and what you can expect.