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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

Shooting With One of the Most Beloved Medium Format Film Cameras

Though it was introduced 50 years ago, the Mamiya RB67 is still one of the most beloved cameras out there, widely sought after by many film photographers. What makes this camera so special? This great video follows a photographer as he shoots with it for the first time.

Are You Hurting Your Business by Keeping Your Prices Too Low?

The level you set your prices at is crucial to your business, of course, but so is the perception of your brand. One issue many photographers overlook, however, is how their prices impact the perception of their brand. This excellent video examines the topic.

A Review of the Fujifilm XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR Lens

No doubt, a wide aperture wide angle lens is one of the most versatile optics a photographer or videographer can have. If you are a Fujifilm shooter and looking for such a lens for your kit, check out this great review of the XF 16mm f/1.4 R WR.

Do You Think It Is Appropriate to Text Your Clients?

Texting has become a primary form of communication for many people, but business norms don't always keep up with social norms at the same pace. This raises the question: is it appropriate to text your clients?

Why a Histogram Is Useful and How to Use It for Your Photos

The histogram can be one of the most useful tools at a photographer's disposal for dialing in the correct exposure and taking greater control of your edits. If you are unfamiliar with how a histogram works, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you both what a histogram is and how to use it to create better edits of your images.

How You Can Create Professional Portraits With Budget Equipment

Most of the time, when you see the work of a professional, they are probably using higher-end equipment. And why there is certainly justification for more expensive equipment, it is important to remember just how good the images you create can be even with budget equipment, and this great video shows how good fundamentals can get you there.

The Danger of Busy Scenes in Landscape Photography

Composition is by far one of the most deceptively nuanced and difficult to master aspects of landscape photography, and one of the traps photographers frequently fall into is making their frames too busy. This excellent video discusses whether a scene can be too busy and what you can do to correct the issue if it is.

Why Shooting in Raw Is Superior to JPEG

If you are new to photography, you have probably heard over and over the importance of shooting raw over JPEG, but you might not have heard why this advice is repeated so much. This excellent video discusses the advantages of raw over JPEG and shows some illustrative examples to prove the point.

A Review of the Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA Lens

A good wide-aperture 35mm lens is one of the most versatile lenses out there, popular for a wide range of photography and videography applications. This great video review takes a look at one such lens, the Sony Distagon T* FE 35mm f/1.4 ZA.

The Power of Diffused Light for Portraits

Learning how to effectively diffuse light is one of the most powerful skills any photographer can have, as it leads to softer and more flattering portraits. This excellent video tutorial will show you how to use different kinds of diffused light for better portraits.

A Review of the Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE Lens

A good 35mm lens with a wide maximum aperture is one of the most versatile optics a photographer can carry, but these lenses can often reach well above $1,000 in cost. However, there are some great third-party options out there at much more affordable prices, and this great video review takes a look at one such lens, the Samyang AF 35mm f/1.8 FE lens for Sony E mount cameras.

What Is the Best 50mm Lens for Fujifilm Shooters?

With the introduction of the extreme XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR lens, Fujifilm fans now have three different choices at the 50mm focal length, each at varying prices and feature sets. This great video review takes a look at all three, the XF 50mm f/1.0 R WR, XF 50mm f/2 R WR, and the XF 56mm f/1.2 R.

A Look at How to Improve Your Landscape Photography Compositions

No doubt, composition is one of the trickiest and most nuanced aspects of landscape photography, and there are numerous philosophies and techniques for finding success. If that is something you struggle with, this excellent video tutorial discusses some of what works and what does not in landscape composition.

Versatile and Affordable: A Review of the Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD Lens

A 70-300mm zoom lens can be a quite versatile optic for a wide variety of work ranging from sports to wildlife and more. If you are interested in adding such a lens to your own kit, check out this comprehensive video review of the highly affordable Tamron 70-300mm f/4.5-6.3 Di III RXD for Sony E mount cameras.

What Is the Best 50mm Lens for Canon Shooters?

Canon shooters are not without options when it comes to 50mm lenses, with a huge range of different optics at varying price points and image quality. This excellent video review takes a look at three of the best options out there, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM, RF 50mm f/1.2L USM, and the Sigma 50mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art.

What Do All Those Lighting Terms Photographers Use Actually Mean?

Learning artificial lighting can be tricky, particularly given the abundance of unfamiliar terms. Once you get those down, though, you will find studying and working with artificial light a lot easier. This helpful video will get you up and running with the most commonly used terms in no time at all.

How Do You Actually Think of Good Ideas?

It is all well and good to put all the time and effort you can into making yourself an apt photographer, but when it comes time to be creative, how do you actually come up with good ideas? This fantastic video tackles a rather nebulous subject to help you become a better photographer.

How Much Money Does One Million Video Views Get You on YouTube?

The dream of many people is to be able to leverage a platform like YouTube as a full-time career, but of course, with such spaces absolutely inundated by many creatives, that is not easy. Nonetheless, if you can make it, what kind of money can you expect? This great video features a YouTube educator discussing his actual revenue on several of his million-views videos.