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Alex Cooke
Cleveland, OH

Articles written by Alex Cooke

What Happens When You Lose Your Photographic Confidence?

Photography, like any creative pursuit, requires a degree of confidence in your abilities in order to find success. It is totally normal to go through periods in which you lose that confidence, however. So, what do you do then? This great video essay discusses what you can do to rebuild your confidence.

How to Find Good Portrait Photography Locations

Shooting portraits outside of the studio requires a keen eye for finding good locations. If that is something you struggle with a bit, this excellent video tutorial will teach you how to find locations that make for stronger portraits.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (November 2020): Skyler Ewing

The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2020, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

A Review of the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Lenses 

No doubt, the Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lenses are some of the most peculiar to come along in a while, but can they produce the kind of results suitable for professional work? This great video review takes a look at both lenses and the kind of performance you can expect.

What Features Do You Want to See Added to Photoshop?

Photoshop is a very complex and multi-layered application full of a ton of features, but even with all of those capabilities, there is still a lot of room for new features. This great video discusses 16 features that one pro would like to see added to the program.

7 Tips for Natural Light Beauty Photography

Of all the genres in photography, beauty work often has some of the most precise, intricate, and carefully sculpted lighting setups out there. Nonetheless, that does not mean you can't shoot beauty images using natural light, and that may even be preferable in certain situations. This fantastic video tutorial discusses seven tips for shooting better natural light beauty images.

How to Be Successful on Instagram in 2021

Though Instagram has changed quite a lot in the last few years (and not particularly for the better), it still remains an important place for displaying your work and attracting potential clients. This excellent video discusses how to rethink how you use the app and approach it in a way that will generate growth in the coming year.

Lightroom Settings All Photographers Should Know About

Lightroom is a deceptively complex program with a wide variety of settings that can impact both your workflow and the quality of your images. This excellent video details some lesser-known settings in the application that you should nonetheless be aware of.

A Review of the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift Lens

A shift lens is a uniquely useful optic for a variety of applications, particularly for architecture, where the ability to correct perspective and keystone distortion allows you to make buildings look more natural. This excellent video review takes a look at one such lens available for a variety of lens mounts, the Venus Optics Laowa 15mm f/4.5 Zero-D Shift.

How to Pose People Who Aren't Models

Working with models can make your job a bit easier, but for those of us who shoot portraits of people who are not models, having a firm grasp of posing is crucial. This excellent video will teach you how to pose normal people and still get professional images.

How One Photographer Almost Lost His Business

Running a photography business can be a risky and nerve-racking venture, and it helps you to have all of the business advice you can before you dive into things. This excellent video essay discusses how one photographer nearly lost his business and offers seven essentials for building and running a successful photography business.

How to Raise Your Prices Without Losing Clients

Figuring out how to price your photography services can be really tricky and a bit nerve-racking, especially when you are thinking of raising your prices. If that is something you are thinking of doing, this excellent video discusses how you can do so without losing your clients in the process.

Can the New $1,300 MacBook Pro Beat a $4,000 Model?

Apple's new Macs with their own silicon have been smashing conventions with highly impressive performance numbers, ultra-long battery life, and affordable prices for the power you get. If you have been wondering about the new MacBook Pro for your own work, this great video review features a photographer pitting the new laptop against his tricked out i9 MacBook Pro.

Shooting With One of the Most Beloved Medium Format Film Cameras

Though it was introduced 50 years ago, the Mamiya RB67 is still one of the most beloved cameras out there, widely sought after by many film photographers. What makes this camera so special? This great video follows a photographer as he shoots with it for the first time.

Are You Hurting Your Business by Keeping Your Prices Too Low?

The level you set your prices at is crucial to your business, of course, but so is the perception of your brand. One issue many photographers overlook, however, is how their prices impact the perception of their brand. This excellent video examines the topic.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR Lens

No doubt, a wide aperture wide angle lens is one of the most versatile optics a photographer or videographer can have. If you are a Fujifilm shooter and looking for such a lens for your kit, check out this great review of the XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR.

Do You Think It Is Appropriate to Text Your Clients?

Texting has become a primary form of communication for many people, but business norms don't always keep up with social norms at the same pace. This raises the question: is it appropriate to text your clients?

Why a Histogram Is Useful and How to Use It for Your Photos

The histogram can be one of the most useful tools at a photographer's disposal for dialing in the correct exposure and taking greater control of your edits. If you are unfamiliar with how a histogram works, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you both what a histogram is and how to use it to create better edits of your images.

How You Can Create Professional Portraits With Budget Equipment

Most of the time, when you see the work of a professional, they are probably using higher-end equipment. And why there is certainly justification for more expensive equipment, it is important to remember just how good the images you create can be even with budget equipment, and this great video shows how good fundamentals can get you there.

The Danger of Busy Scenes in Landscape Photography

Composition is by far one of the most deceptively nuanced and difficult to master aspects of landscape photography, and one of the traps photographers frequently fall into is making their frames too busy. This excellent video discusses whether a scene can be too busy and what you can do to correct the issue if it is.