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Alex Cooke
Cleveland, OH

Articles written by Alex Cooke

Why Inspiration Is Overrated

Photography is a creative pursuit, and as such, our inspiration can wax and wane. The truth is, though: inspiration is overrated.

This Insane 9mm Lens Is Wider Than You Can Imagine

Venus Optics makes some of the most fascinating lenses in the world, and they are showing no signs of stopping, as their latest lens is an absolute show-stopper, as it is the world's first full frame 9mm rectilinear (non-fisheye) lens. What is it like shooting with it? Check out this fantastic review to see.

A Simple and Straightforward Technique for Improving Your Photo Edits

Image editing takes a lot of skill in numerous techniques and creative vision to pull off successfully, and even the most talented and experienced photographers and retouchers can occasionally go awry in their work. Anyone, novice or experienced, can improve their image edits with this simple technique.

Don't Let Distractions Ruin Your Images

Distractions can ruin what would otherwise be a great photo, and they can sneak up on you more easily than you might expect. This interesting video discusses the issues of distractions in landscape photos and what we can do about them.

Everything You Need to Know About the HSL Panel in Lightroom

The HSL panel is by far one of the most powerful ways to edit your photos in Lightroom and to develop a signature style. If you are a bit unsure of how to use the HSL panel in Lightroom, this fantastic video tutorial will get you up and running in no time.

7 Great Composition Tips to Improve Your Landscape Photos

Composition is a tricky and intricate aspect of landscape photography, and though there are no hard and fast rules, there are lots of great tricks and guidelines that can help you on your way. This helpful video will show you seven great tricks to improve your landscape image compositions.

Why Carrying a Compact Camera Can Make You a Better Photographer

Compact cameras have fallen from popularity in the last decade with the rise of the smartphone, with most photographers working with their full setup and carrying a phone on the side. However, some photographers still carry along a compact camera, and this great video discusses why you should consider doing the same.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2020): Teodora Dimitrova

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 Beginner's Guide to Layer Masks in Photoshop

Layer masks are one of the most fundamental and powerful tools in Photoshop and one of the first things anyone new to the application should work on mastering. If you are new to Photoshop, this great video will show you everything you need to know about how layer masks work and how you can use them in your image editing.

How Does the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Compare to Both Sony 70-200mm Lenses?

The Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens is the final entry into the company's trinity of f/2.8 zoom lens, and like the 28-75mm f/2.8 and 17-28mm f/2.8, it is quite a bit cheaper than similar first party lenses. If you are wondering how it compares to the more expensive options, check out this great comparison with the Sony 70-200mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/4.

The Rule of Thirds Is Overrated

Perhaps no compositional guideline is more strongly ingrained in the minds of photographers than the rule of thirds. And while it is certainly a useful heuristic, it is not the law, and it is overused quite a bit of the time. This great video discusses why the rule of thirds is overrated.

Be Willing to Be Critical of Your Own Photos if You Want to Improve

Our photos are important to us, and as such, it can be difficult to be honest with ourselves and objectively evaluate their quality. However, if we want to improve as photographers, it is crucial that we be willing to do so, and this great video discusses why.

Here's Why You Get Noise in Long Exposures Even at Low ISOs

Noise is something we pretty much all try to minimize in our photos, and we know that one of the best ways to avoid it is to shoot at as low an ISO as possible. But even at low ISO values, you can still see noise, particularly as you shoot longer exposures. This great video will show you what long exposure noise is, why it happens, and how you can fix it.

Your Camera's Auto Mode Is Not Evil

A lot of photographers think that using automatic modes on a camera is a sign of a lack of technique or ability, but it is not such a black and white issue. Here is why you should consider using automatic modes in certain situations.

What Happens When Total Strangers Edit Your Sushi Commercial?

In the past few years, there has been a surge of online freelance marketplaces, and on them, you can often find photo and video editors waiting to process your work for fees ranging from just $5 to well into the hundreds. This fun video shows what happens when total strangers edit a filmmaker's sushi commercial.