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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Solutions to Common Photoshop Sky Replacement Issues
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Photoshop's new automatic sky replacement tool is here, and it brings with it the promise of saving a ton of time and effort on a task that is traditionally rather tedious. But of course, no automated software is perfect, and you are bound to run into the occasional issue. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to deal with the most common problems you might encounter when using the feature.

Three Reasons Why Prime Lenses Are Great Besides Wide Apertures
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No doubt, a lot of photographers love prime lenses because they often offer super-wide apertures and creamy bokeh, but that is not the only advantage primes offer over zooms. This fantastic video discusses three reasons prime lenses are not just for crazy bokeh.

The Bokeh Machine: A Review of the XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR Lens
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Fuji shooters who are also bokeh fanatics have a new top choice: the XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR. Does it offer sharpness and autofocus performance to match? This fantastic video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance you can expect in real-world usage.

Compact and Powerful: A Review of Sony a7C Mirrorless Camera
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The Sony a7C is the latest camera in Sony's highly popular and respected line of mirrorless cameras, and it is quite a departure in design from previous cameras in the series. This great video review takes a look at the camera and the kind of performance you can expect from it in practice.

A Beginner's Guide to Shooting in Manual Mode
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Mastering manual mode is one of the most fundamental skills every photographer needs to develop to take better creative and technical control of their images. If you are new to photography and wondering how to decode the mystery of manual mode, this fantastic video tutorial will get you up and running in no time at all.

Why Do We Need HSS for Flash Photography?
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One of the most useful features for flash photographers is high-speed sync, which allows us to use flash at essentially any shutter speed we would like. This excellent video shows how a focal-plane shutter works and why that creates the need for solutions like high-speed sync.

Creating Uniquely Silky Fall Photos
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Fall photography is by far one of the most popular subjects, and most often, photographers shoot it with an eye toward maximizing detail and nuance. Of course, however, that is not the only way to make fall images. This fantastic video takes a look at a different way of producing autumn photos that results in a silky, ethereal style.

Portable and Versatile: A Review of the DJI Pocket 2
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DJI's Osmo Pocket gimbal was a great device, offering capable performance in a tiny package that could go anywhere with ease. The Pocket 2 comes with a bevy of new features and improvements over the original model, and this fantastic video review takes a look at what you can expect from it in practice.

How to Set Up a New Camera
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Getting a new camera is always exciting, but as complicated and nuanced as bodies are these days, it is important to take a bit of time to set up the camera not only so it matches your preferences, but so it performs as you need it to. This fantastic video discusses all the things you should do to set up a new camera for photography work.

Is the Canon EOS R6 the Best All-Around Mirrorless Camera?
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No doubt, the Canon EOS R5 is a fantastically powerful camera, but it is also on the more expensive side of things, and it might have more features than you actually need. The EOS R6 contains a lot of the advanced capabilities of its big cousin but comes in at a much more affordable price. Does that make it the best all-around mirrorless camera? This great video review takes a look at how the R6 holds up after a few months.

5 Effective Techniques for Better Communication in Photoshoots
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You can have all the technical skill and creative vision in the world, but it takes the ability to communicate effectively with your clients during a shoot to be able to deliver great images. If that is something you struggle with, this fantastic video tutorial will give you five helpful tips for better communication during photoshoots.

Is Canon's RF 85mm f/1.2L Lens Really Worth Four Times the Price of the RF 85mm f/2?
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Canon's 85mm f/1.2 lenses have long been some of its most highly lauded and impressive optics, but along with that extreme design comes a high price tag. But Canon offers a much more affordable 85mm f/2 lens for its mirrorless cameras alongside the famous f/1.2, and that lens is only a quarter the price of its more extreme cousin. Is the f/1.2 worth that extra price? This great video compares the two to help you decide.

How to Fix Blown Out Highlights in Photoshop
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Blown out highlights are a very common issue in a lot of genres, and they can be quite a distraction depending on the image. While it is true that once a highlight is blown, it cannot be recovered, you can perform some work in Photoshop to cover up the area and improve the final image. This great video tutorial will show you how to deal with blown highlights in Photoshop.

Versatile Zoom: A Review of the Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM Lens
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The Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM lens is the mirrorless version of the highly popular EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens, and along with an extra 100mm of reach, it brings with it many other improvements as well. With such a versatile focal length range, it is sure to be useful to a lot of photographers, and this great video review will show you what you can expect from it in practice.

Affordable Wide Angle: A Review of the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR Lens
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A good wide angle lens can be a fantastic tool in a wide variety of applications, but such lenses can also be rather expensive. If you are willing to compromise an extremely wide aperture for the still-wide f/2.8, you can save a lot of money, though. This excellent video review takes a look at one such affordable lens, the Fuji XF 16mm f/2.8 R WR.

How to Take Better Photos of the Moon
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The moon is a fantastic subject both by itself and as part of some sort of nighttime scene, whether that is a landscape, a cityscape, or even something like a wedding portrait. If you are wondering how to improve your own moon photos, this fantastic video tutorial will give you a wide variety of tips and tricks for better images.

How Good Is the New Fujifilm X-S10 Camera?
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The Fujifilm X-S10 is the latest addition to the company's respected X Series line of cameras, and it features a lot of the latest tech, including 4K video and fast continuous shooting rates. How does it perform in practice? This great and comprehensive takes a look at the camera and what you can expect from it in real-world usage.

5 Lies Beginner Portrait Photographers Believe
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Portraiture is by far one of the most popular genres among photographers, both amateur and professional, and that tends to generate a lot of myths and misconceptions that can be harmful to your progress. This fantastic video discusses five common misconceptions about portrait photography and the truth about the genre.

Are These Budget Lenses Sharp Enough for High-Resolution Cameras?
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Traditionally, if you want the best quality images, you have to invest a lot of money in very expensive lenses. However, there are a few budget gems out there, and they can give you sharp images while saving you a boatload of cash. This fantastic video takes a look at two such lenses, the Samyang XP 85mm f/1.2 and 135mm f/2.0 ED UMC, and if they can keep up with the demands of modern high-resolution sensors.