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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Is Artificial Intelligence the Next Major Step for Photographers?

Eye autofocus, insanely fast burst rates, 8K raw video, and more. There is no doubt that camera features are getting better and better at a crazy pace. But the thing I am most excited for is not on a camera, it is in post-processing: artificial intelligence.

A Review of the Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art Lens for Sony E

The Sigma 35mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens was the first in the Art series and has been a valuable tool for a wide range of photographers. How does the Sony version fare? This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and what sort of results you can expect in normal usage.

A Lot of Street Photography Is Just Bad and Exploitative

Street photography is a particularly tough genre to achieve success in: it takes a combination of a quick eye, good instincts, and a dose of bravery, and even then, a little luck certainly helps. Personally, I think that even with that taken into account, a lot of street photography is simply bad photography and exploitative of the subjects.

What Can Camera Manufacturers Do to Attract Smartphone Users?

The advent of the smartphone camera completely eliminated the point and shoot market save for a few niche exceptions, thereby eliminating a large potential customer base for many manufacturers. What can those manufacturers do to attract smartphone shooters toward dedicated devices?

Can You Be a Wedding Photographer as an Introvert?

Wedding photography takes the ability to interact with and direct numerous people over the span of sometimes 12-16 hours, and it can be an exhausting experience even for the most extroverted of those among us. Many creatives tend to be introverted, however, which may leave you wondering: if you are an introvert, should you avoid becoming a wedding photographer? This great video discusses the topic.

How to Make People Comfortable in Portraits

We often talk quite a bit about the virtues of different portraits lenses, how various lighting techniques render your subject, and how different poses make for a flattering final image. But one thing that does not get discussed enough is how to make your subject comfortable in front of the camera. This fantastic video discusses the importance of doing so and several techniques that will help.

A Review of the Canon R6 Camera

The Canon EOS R6 has not received quite as much fanfare as the R5, but it is quite a capable camera as well. This excellent video review takes a look at the new camera and what you can expect from it in practice.

A New Nikon Mirrorless Camera and Lens Are on the Way

Nikon's mirrorless lineup is about to expand a bit, as rumors have it that next week, the company will be announcing at least one new camera and lens and possibly even more. Both the lens and body are expected to be quite affordable.

Pentax Plans to Keep Making DSLRs

Somewhat surprisingly, last year, Ricoh executives said they expected most users to return to DSLRs after a few years. That does not appear to be happening, but it has not lessened the company's strong commitment to DSLRs, something they just reaffirmed.

Will There Be a Canon 5D Mark V?

While the 1D series has always been Canon's flagship line, the 5D series is the camera of most working photographers. As the industry moves toward mirrorless cameras, the release of the 5D mirrorless equivalent, the R5, leaves us wondering: will we see a 5D Mark V, or was the 5D Mark IV the last Canon 5 Series DSLR?

Photographers Need to Seriously Consider Their Longterm COVID-19 Contingencies

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a considerable impact on the photography industry, and (at least in the United States), it is not clear when a permanent return to normalcy can be expected. Photographers need to develop contingency plans to deal with ever-changing conditions and scenarios as we move forward.

Five Features I Wish All Cameras Had

Modern cameras often have a vast array of features, some more useful than others. There are some features that are less common than others that are still highly useful, however, and here are five that I wish would appear in more cameras.

The Bokeh Master: A Review of the Sony 135mm f/1.8 Lens

135mm is often a popular alternative focal length compared to the more traditional 85mm focal length. Sony's 135mm f/1.8 lens is part of the company's G Master series of high-level lenses, and it offers photographers ultra-thin depth of field and lots of bokeh. This awesome video takes a look at the lens and the kind of performance you can expect in practice with it.

How to Change Eye Color Using Photoshop

There are lots of reasons why you might want to change the color of someone's eyes in post-processing. Thankfully, it is not a particularly hard thing to do convincingly, and this excellent video tutorial will show you how to do it using Photoshop.

Five Highly Underrated Camera Features

Most of us gravitate toward a few key features in cameras: things like ISO range, continuous burst rate, etc. Here are five camera features I think do not get enough credit.

Canon's New Lenses Are Just as Exciting as Their New Cameras

The new Canon EOS R6 and the R5 in particular have generated loads of excitement with their powerful feature sets. However, Canon also announced four new lenses alongside the cameras, and I think those are just as much reason to be excited.