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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Review of the Powerful Sony a1 Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a1 is here, and it has caused a ton of waves thanks to its ridiculous specs. It has started to reach the hands of some users, and this fantastic video review takes a look at this powerhouse and the kind of photo and video performance you can expect from it in practice.

How Color Theory Can Help You Improve Your Photos

We spend a lot of time working on all sorts of techniques and ideas to improve our photos, including things like composition, editing techniques, settings, and a lot more. However, one thing that gets a bit overlooked is color theory, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how you can apply it to your own images to improve their quality.

This Lens Was Made for Bokeh

A lot of photographers sure do love their bokeh, and this vintage lens has a unique property that gives it some fantastic bokeh. This great video takes a look at the Tair 11A 135mm f/2.8 lens, its unique design, and the sort of images you can take with it.

The Exposure Triangle: Something Every Photographer Should Know

There are few things more fundamental and important to becoming a technically competent photographer than mastering the exposure triangle. If you are new to photography, this fantastic video tutorial will show you how the exposure triangle works and how to use it to take better control of your photos.

How Does Sony a1 Image Quality Compare to the Canon EOS R5?

The Sony a1 is all the talk of the photography world right now, with some of the most impressive specs we have ever seen in a camera. The Canon EOS R5 is its main competition at the moment, and this great video comparison takes a look at the image quality between the two and which one comes out on top.

A Review of the Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN Contemporary Lens

A 24mm prime lens is a popular choice, as it offers a wide perspective without the more extreme distortion seen in ultra-wide focal lengths, making it a good choice for a lot of different uses. The Sigma 24mm f/3.5 DG DN Contemporary is a remarkably small lens, making it a great walkaround option, and this fantastic video review takes a look at how it performs in practice.

7 Tips for Better Landscape Photos in Bad Weather

When you think of great landscape photos, you likely think of scenes with beautiful sunsets and gracefully floating clouds, and while those can certainly be fantastic, you might be surprised by the wonderful images you can get when you embrace bad weather. This fantastic video tutorial will show you seven tips for taking better landscape photos in bad weather.

How to Improve Your Wide Angle Landscape Photos

Wide angles lenses are very common for landscape photography, but they can be tricky to use effectively. This excellent video tutorial discusses how to improve your wide angle landscape photos.

How to Create Perfect Vignettes in Photoshop

Vignettes are by far one of the most common and effective ways to draw your viewers' attention to the subject of your photo, but you can get far more control and creative freedom by customizing the process instead of using Photoshop's built-in tools, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you how to do so.

Do You Hate Your Own Photos?

No doubt, nearly all of us go through periods of hating our own work, even if we love the process of photography itself. What can you do during such times? This fantastic video essay discusses the topic of artistic anxiety and how to move past it and gain confidence in your work again.

A Review of the Sony FE 12-24mm f/4 G Lens

For many genres, an ultra-wide angle zoom lens can be quite useful, and while an f/2.8 aperture can be quite helpful, the extra expense and bulk is not always necessary for people like landscape or architectural photographers. For Sony shooters, there is also the FE 12-24mm f/4 G lens, and this fantastic video review takes a look at the kind of performance you can expect from it in practice.

How to Shoot Flash Portraits at Night

Portraits that combine flash with natural light are a highly popular look and a technique that will do a lot to help you gain more confidence and versatility when working with artificial light. However, when you start shooting at night, the technique becomes a little trickier. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to shoot portraits at night when using a flash.

Why You Should Consider Embracing Prime Lenses

No doubt, zoom lenses are extremely convenient and useful for a wide variety of applications across a wide range of genres. Nonetheless, prime lenses can help you improve by forcing you into creative problem-solving, and this fantastic video essay discusses why you might want to try using them more often.

What Cameras Will We See in 2021?

When it comes to new cameras, 2021 has already started off with a bang, with the release of Fujifilm GFX 100S bringing high-level medium format capabilities down to unheard of price levels, and the Sony a1 pushing mirrorless full frame into exciting new realms. With 11 months still to go in the year and a lot of exciting gear rumored to be on the way, what can we expect? This great video discusses what we might see.

A Review of the New Fujifilm X-E4 Mirrorless Camera

Fujifilm recently announced the X-E4, the latest camera in the company's beloved X Series line of mirrorless cameras, and it pairs their latest X-Trans sensor with a lot of new features and capabilities at an affordable price. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and the pros and cons you can expect from it.

A Review of the Sony FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS Lens

70-200mm f/2.8 lenses are some of the most versatile and highly popular optics out there, but they are rather expensive and heavy. For those who want the flexibility of the reach of a 70-200mm but do not need the extra light-gathering power, the 70-200mm f/4 is a fantastic option, and this great video review takes a look at Sony's option, the FE 70-200mm f/4 G OSS.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (January 2021): Roy Iwasaki

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 2021, 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.

What Are Focal Reducers and What Are They Used For?

Focal reducers are relatively rare compared to teleconverters, though they work based on the same idea (simply employed in reverse). If you have not seen them in use before, this awesome video tutorial will show you how they work and why they are useful.

How Diffraction Robs Your Photos of Sharpness

Diffraction is a fundamental physical property, and no matter how expensive your lenses are or how advanced their designs might be, there is no hiding from it. If you are unfamiliar with diffraction, this fantastic video tutorial will show you why it happens and why you should be aware of it in your own work.