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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

5 Common Mistakes New Photographers Make

When you are new to photography, it can be a bit overwhelming trying to learn and master a multitude of techniques and technical parameters all while developing a creative style at the same time. It is completely normal to make mistakes along the way. This helpful video tutorial discusses five common mistakes beginners make and how to fix them or avoid them entirely so you can get on the path to better images more quickly.

When Should You Make a Photo Black and White?

Of all the edits you can do to a photo, perhaps none is more fundamentally transformative than converting it to black and white. However, how do you know when to make that conversion? This excellent video tutorial discusses the topic as it applies to wedding photos and portraits and offers some helpful advice.

A Comprehensive Guide to Lightroom

A lot of people think of Lightroom as the place for organizing photos and performing basic edits and Photoshop as the place for more involved and serious edits, and while that is true to a degree, you might be surprised by just how much you can do in Lightroom. This fantastically comprehensive tutorial will show you everything you need to know to edit photos in Lightroom.

How Good Is Photoshop's New Landscape Mixer Neural Filter?

What if you could change the season of a landscape photo with just the click of a button? Photoshop's new landscape mixer neural filter promises to leverage Adobe Sensei technology to do just that, allowing you to turn a summer landscape into a snow-laden wonderland with a single click. Does it produce worthwhile images, though? This neat video features a Photoshop pro taking the new feature for a test drive to see what it can do.

A Review of the Hasselblad 907X 50C Medium Format Camera

Hasselblad's 907X 50C is one of the more unique cameras to come along in quite some time, putting a modern medium format sensor in a body completely devoid of a viewfinder, meant to be used like a TLR camera of yesteryear. This great video review takes a look at the camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Review of the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM Lens

A 100-400mm zoom lens is highly versatile, useful for anything from sports and wildlife photography to landscape work and more. They come in many different options with a wide variety of price points. Canon's RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM sits at the affordable end of the spectrum but still offers some great features, and this excellent video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

7 Helpful Winter Landscape Photography Tips

The beauty of winter is that even landscapes you have photographed dozens of times can become entirely new scenes with fresh, vibrant looks. Winter landscape photography presents its own unique challenges, though, and this excellent video tutorial will give you seven tips to help you get the most out of your photos.

This Might Be the Craziest Lens Ever Made

Lens designs have been pushed to some pretty extreme lengths in the past decade or so, with full frame options like 50mm f/0.95 or 28-70mm f/2 becoming standard fare. However, the most extreme consumer lens design ever made might be from several decades ago. So crazy is the design that only one copy was ever made, and this fascinating video takes a look at what you can do with it.

Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make Regarding Lenses

Perhaps no piece of equipment has a bigger impact on your photos than your lens. There are some common misconceptions about lenses, however, and as expensive as they are, it is important to make sure you know everything you can about them. This helpful video tutorial discusses some common mistakes photographers make when thinking about lenses.

A Review of the Nikon Z 9 Mirrorless Camera for Wildlife Photography

Nikon's Z 9 mirrorless camera is here, and it challenges the supremacy of the Sony a1 and Canon EOS R3 at the top of the professional mirrorless camera race. One of the genres that often demands such cameras is wildlife photography, and this awesome video review takes a look at how the Z 9 performs.

A Review of the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera

The Canon EOS R5 and the recent EOS R3 have received most of the attention the last few years, but hidden behind them is the EOS R6, which offers a lot of the same features and advanced capabilities at a much more affordable price. This great video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from the camera in practice.

There Is No Such Thing as 'Correct' Exposure

As photographers, we spend a lot of time trying to get the perfect exposure and discussing and learning a variety of techniques to do so. But what is a "correct" exposure anyway? Maybe it does not exist at all.

Luminar, Photoshop, or On1: Who Has the Best Sky Replacement?

In the past few years, sky replacement software has exploded in both options and capabilities, and there are now several well-established options for photographers to choose from. On1, Luminar, and Photoshop all have varying sky replacement capabilities with different levels of performance, and this great video takes a look at all of them to show you which performs the best.

A Review of the Powerful Canon EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera

Canon's EOS R3 is here, and it takes another major step forward for the company, offering specs sure to capture the attention of a lot of photographers and videographers. Do those specs hold up in the real world? This great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from the camera.

A 7-Step Guide to Editing Black and White Portraits in Lightroom

Creating a compelling black and white portrait is about a lot more than simply removing the color from an image; it is an art in itself. If you would like to learn how to create such images in Lightroom, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced photographer guiding you through a seven-step process for creating compelling results.

A Review of the Nikon NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 Lens

40mm lenses have become a bit more popular in recent years, offering an interesting and unusual focal length between the much more standard 35mm and 50mm options. The Nikon NIKKOR Z 40mm f/2 is one such lens, and with a small footprint and light weight combined with an affordable price, it makes for a compelling option. This great video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of image quality and performance you can expect from it.

NFL Cameraman Takes Ball to the Head, Still Gets His Shot

People who work on the field and sidelines of NFL games are often in harm's way from players crashing around and off the field during plays, but occasionally, it is a flying ball that causes trouble. One veteran cameraman showed off his toughness recently when a Nick Folk field goal came down directly on his head.

7 Tips to Help You Take Better Drone Photos

Drones are more convenient and powerful than ever, and they can be a really fun way to find a new perspective and invigorate your creativity. If you are new to flying cameras and wondering how you can get better photos, this helpful video tutorial will give you seven tips to start you on your way.

Hands On With the New Nikon Z 9 Mirrorless Camera

The Nikon Z 9 is finally here, and it takes square aim at Canon's and Sony's top cameras, giving Nikon shooters a powerful body suitable for a wide range of professional applications. This great hands-on video takes a look at the new camera and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Photography Website Mistakes That Can Cost You Money

Nowadays, your website is probably the most important tool in your business toolkit, as it is where the vast majority of potential clients will evaluate if your work suits their needs and initiate contact with you. As such, it is crucial that you ensure you do everything you can to create the best possible online experience for your site's visitors, and this great video tutorial will help you ensure that you do.