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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

Just How Good Is the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD Lens?

The 70-200mm f/2.8 lens is one of the most important in a wide variety of photographers' bags, but such lenses are rarely affordable. Nonetheless, with third party alternatives becoming both more available and of higher quality in recent years, it is a great time to look at different options. This great video review takes a look at the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD lens.

One of the Worst Mistakes Made With Telephoto Lenses in Landscape Photography

Most landscape photographers prefer to use wide angle lenses for the majority of their work, but that does not mean telephoto lenses cannot be useful as well, and in fact, they can be a great way to distinguish your work from that of others. However, telephoto lenses come with their own pitfalls, and this excellent video details one of the most hazardous mistakes you can make and how you can fix it.

The Eight Phases of Being a Photographer

Photography can be a very cyclical pursuit: you will often find yourself with almost a sense of deja vu as you go through different phases of creative preferences and feelings toward your own work. This great video discusses eight phases we photographers tend to go through.

Could You Shoot a Video at f/0.95?

Shooting video takes great focus skills already, so shooting it at an extreme aperture is all the more challenging. This neat video follows a filmmaker as he shoots a video at a crazy wide aperture (f/0.95).

How Good Is the Sony a7S III?

The Sony a7S III was one of the most eagerly anticipated cameras of the last few years, and now that it is finally here, you might be wondering how it actually performs in the real world. This great video review takes a look at the new camera and what you can expect from it in practice.

A Beginner's Guide to Prime Versus Zoom Lenses

One of the oldest and most hotly debated topics in photography is the issue of whether one should use prime or zoom lenses. If you are new to photography and wondering which category is right for your work, check out this great video on the topic.

A Look at the Nikon Z 5 and NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 Lens

The Nikon Z 5 offers shooters the chance to get into full frame mirrorless territory at a relatively affordable price, while the NIKKOR Z 24-50mm f/4-6.3 lens backs that up with a small footprint and extremely reasonable cost. How do they hold up in practice? Check out this great video to see.

A Comparison of the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Lenses

A high-quality 85mm wide-aperture lens is the holy grail for a wide variety of photographers, offering the ability to create sharp portraits with backgrounds blown to smithereens. However, such a lens is rarely cheap, but Sigma's offerings frequently undercut first-party brands, including Sony. Can their new 85mm f/1.4 Art keep up with Sony's own 85mm f/1.4 G Master? This great video review compares the two to find out.

The Best Travel Lens? A Review of the Tamron 28-200mm F/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD Lens

Most lenses with a very large zoom range sacrifice either image quality or portability, but a lot of strides have been made in the last few years. If you are looking for a single lens that can handle almost any situation you throw at it, check out this great review of the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD for Sony E mount.

How the Datacolor SpyderX Photo Kit Can Improve Your Photos

Color is one of the most important things to photographers, but surprisingly, we often do not do everything we can and should do to ensure our colors are accurate and consistent. Datacolor's SpyderX Photo Kit makes it easier than ever to make sure your colors are spot on from the moment you press the shutter to the final export, and Datacolor is offering it for 50% off. Let's look at how it can help you.

A Review of the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Sony E Cameras

Sigma's Art series is well known for offering high optical quality at affordable prices, and a 50mm lens is one of the most popular for a lot of photographers. If you are looking for a 50mm lens, this great video review takes a look at the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens for Sony E cameras.

Learn How Manual Mode Works in Five Minutes

Working in manual mode is a skill every photographer should master to take better creative and technical control of their images. If that is something you struggle with, this great video will get you up and running in just a few minutes.

Is It Worth Photographing Popular or Classic Scenes?

Hop on Instagram and search for any popular location, and you will find thousands upon thousands of very similar photos, so much so that you might wonder if there is ever a point in spending the time, money, and effort it takes to shoot such places. This thought-provoking video discusses whether it is worth photographing the classic scenes or if you should spend your time and energy trying to be more creative in other places.

How to Remove Noise From Video Audio

Any video needs it accompanying audio to be clean and with good levels to make a successful final product, but unless you are shooting in a controlled environment, you will often have to deal with issues like background noise or static. If you struggle with editing audio, this great video will show you how to take care of common issues like noise for cleaner audio and better overall videos.

Common Mistakes Landscape Photographers Make With Telephoto Lenses

Most landscape photographers turn to wide angle lenses for the majority of their work, but there is an entirely separate world of great images waiting to be made with telephoto lenses. That being said, telephoto lenses come with their own challenges and pitfalls, and this great video will show you some of the most common mistakes landscape photographers make with them and how to correct those errors.

The Power of V-Flats for Negative Fill

When you work on building a lighting setup for a portrait, you likely think about it from the perspective of adding different lights and modifiers. But as important as adding light is, knowing where and how to take it away is just as crucial to shaping your subject. This great video will show you how to use v-flats to create negative fill and improve the look of your portraits.

A Comparison of the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art Lenses

Sony's G Master lenses are the best the company has to offer, but Sigma's Art series often offers comparable performance at more affordable prices. If you are looking for a top-notch portrait lens and wondering which is right for you, check out this helpful video comparison between the Sony FE 85mm f/1.4 GM and Sigma 85mm f/1.4 DG DN Art lenses.

A Review of the Sony ZV-1 Compact Camera

Sony makes some of the best compact cameras out there, and the ZV-1 is one of their latest and most unique models, with a wide variety of features designed especially for vloggers. This excellent video review takes a look at the ZV-1 and the sort of performance you can expect from it in real-world usage.

Should You Use an HSS Flash or an ND Filter?

If you want to shoot outdoor portraits with a shallow depth of field using artificial lighting, you are going to run into issues of overexposure due to the limitation imposed by the sync speed of your camera. There are two solutions to this: high-speed sync or using an ND filter, and this great video shows you the workflow using each as well as their respective pros and cons.