Articles written by Alex Cooke

Some cameras are designed to be pragmatic tools, meant to reliably get the shot without fuss no matter what situation you throw them into. Other cameras put form first, offering stylish designs meant to inspire your creativity. It is a rare camera that does both equally well. This excellent video review takes a look at one such camera and why it will make you want to go out and shoot with it.

Changing the background of an image convincingly is about a lot more than simply creating a precise mask for your subject and dropping in a new backdrop. It takes the ability to accurately evaluate and match things like lighting, color, perspective, depth of field, and more. If you are wondering how to do all those things, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you everything you need to know to convincingly change the background of an image using Photoshop.

One of the challenges of landscape photography is that unlike many other genres, you do not have control of the elements in the scene, only where you position yourself and how you choose your composition. This can often lead to overly busy compositions, but this helpful video tutorial will give you some good advice on how to counteract that and produce stronger, more compelling images.

Should you put your pricing on your photography website? It is a tricky question: on one hand, without it, you might annoy potential customers who want an idea of what they should expect to spend. On the other hand, with it, you might scare aware potential clients before you have had the chance to make your case for why you are worth the money. If you are wondering how to approach this, check out this great video tutorial that will give you some helpful advice on the topic.

A wide-aperture 85mm lens is always a popular choice for portrait photography, but such lenses can often run well north of $2,000. However, the Viltrox AF 85mm f/1.8 lens promises a classic optic at a much more affordable price, and this excellent video review takes a look at if it can provide the sort of performance and image quality professionals still demand.

There is more information on how to edit your photos available than ever before, and while that is certainly a great thing for anyone who wants to improve as a photographer, it can lead to using someone else's editing habits and techniques rather than developing your own creative voice. If that is something you struggle with, this excellent video tutorial will help you find more creative freedom in your edits.

When it comes to processing your images, Adobe is the standard choice for a lot of photographers, and many creatives go years without even trying other options. However, nowadays, there are a lot of alternatives to Lightroom and Photoshop, and whether you just do not like subscriptions or you are looking for a different way to work with your photos, this helpful video will give you a brief overview of three different options.

Zoom lenses have made some remarkable advancements, but that does not mean primes have stagnated in the meantime. Canon's 28-70mm f/2L USM is one of the most impressive zooms in a long time, blurring the line between prime and zoom, while their RF 85mm f/1.2L USM sets the standard for 85mm portrait lenses. So, can the 28-70mm f/2L take the place of the 85mm f/1.2L, or does it still hold a special place all its own?

Perhaps no type of lens generates more admiration, envy, and fighting than a wide-aperture 85mm lens. As the classic portrait focal length, such lenses often carry their respective manufacturer's best technology, offering that shallow depth of field and buttery bokeh so many photographers crave. This fantastic video takes a look at seven of the sharpest such lenses out there and which comes out on top.