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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

How to Create Professional Portraits With Just Umbrellas
2
by

There are a ton of different lighting modifiers out there, and as a photographer, you can very quickly end up spending a lot of money building a library of different tools for specific looks and purposes. However, you might be surprised by just how much you can accomplish with the humble and affordable umbrella, and this excellent video tutorial will teach you how to get professional results when using them.

Is Canon's Unique 800mm f/11 Lens Worthwhile?
15
by

When Canon announced their RF 600mm f/11 IS STM and RF 800mm f/11 IS STM lenses, they raised a lot of eyebrows. No doubt, the lenses are unusual, but they also offer ultra-long levels of reach at highly affordable prices, especially compared to other lenses that reach such focal lengths. How do they hold up in practice? This great video review takes a look at the 800mm f/11 and what you can expect from it.

Affordable Zoom: A Review of the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary Lens
5
by

A good supertelephoto lens is often quite expensive, but thankfully, in the last few years, we have seen a large influx of third-party options that offer long reach at significantly more affordable prices. This excellent video takes a look at one such lens, the Sigma 100-400mm f/5-6.3 DG DN OS Contemporary.

5 Ways to Improve Your Couples Posing
0
by

Posing a single person is tricky enough, and of course, posing two people is at least twice as tricky. If that is something you struggle with, this fantastic video will give you five great ways to improve your couples posing.

What Kind of Performance Can You Expect From Apple's New M1 Macs?
12
by

Apple's move to their own chips represents a seismic shift in the computing industry, and given how many creatives rely on Macs, one that has serious ramifications for the photography and videography industry. Now that the first computers with Apple's own chips are here, you might be wondering what kind of performance you can expect. This excellent video takes a look at the new Mac mini with the M1 CPU inside.

What Canon Cameras to Expect Next
8
by

We have already seen Canon's mind-blowing lens roadmap for the RF mount, but now that the EOS R5 and R6 are here, what can we expect next in terms of cameras?

Metabones' New Adapter Lets You Use Any Canon Lens on Fuji Medium Format With No Issues
5
by

Traditionally, you can adapt lenses made for a larger format on a smaller format — full frame lenses on an APS-C sensor, for example — but going the other way will produce issues the majority of the time. But thanks to Metabones, you can now adapt any Canon lens to a Fujifilm medium format camera with full functionality and no loss of image quality.

Can Canon's Famous 50mm Lens Hold up To Modern Sensors?
10
by

Of all Canon's esteemed L lenses, the EF 50mm f/1.2L USM probably has the most controversial reputation of all. Though originally meant for DSLRs, it easily adapts to Canon and other mirrorless cameras. Can it stand up to the resolution demands of modern mirrorless cameras? This great video review takes a look at what you can expect.

5 Common Mistakes in Landscape Photography and How to Avoid Them
6
by

Just like any other genre, landscape photography comes with its own set of potential pitfalls and common mistakes that can derail your images. This fantastic video discusses five common mistakes in landscape photography and what you can do to avoid them and create better photos.

Is This the Best Value Portrait Lens?
7
by

Wide aperture portrait lenses are some of the most popular out there, but they are rarely cheap. However, in the last few years, we have seen an influx of third-party lenses that are significantly cheaper than first-party options. This excellent video review takes a look at one such lens, the Samyang AF 85mm f/1.4.

A Look at the Best Portrait Lenses Out There
14
by

The most classically chosen portrait focal length is 85mm, which represents an excellent balance of all the characteristics sought after by photographers. However, portrait photographers will frequently employ a wide range of focal lengths depending on the look they are going for. This great video compares some of the best lenses at 85mm, 105mm, 135mm, and 200mm.

7 Fantastic Tips and Tricks for a More Powerful Lightroom Experience
2
by

Lightroom is a deceptively powerful program, and you can accomplish a great deal in it without having to turn to Photoshop or some other application. This fantastic video tutorial gives seven great tricks and techniques for taking more control of your Lightroom experience and creating better images.

How Good Is Canon's First RF Mount Cinema Camera?
3
by

The Canon Cinema line took a major step forward recently with the introduction of the EOS C70, the company's first RF mount cinema camera, allowing filmmakers to take advantage of Canon's stellar mirrorless lenses. This excellent video takes a first look at the camera and how it holds up in practice.

How to Improve as a Photographer Without Spending a Dime
0
by

You can easily spend a lot of money quite quickly trying to improve your photography, and often, that new lens of camera body will not do anything to the actual quality of your output. Instead of opening your wallet, it might be a simply change of philosophy that will make the difference.

How Can Photography Help Your Mental Health?
4
by

These are tough times for a lot of us, but creative activities can be a wonderful outlet and way of reinvigorating ourselves. This honest video essay takes a look at mental health and how the act of photography can help us lead happier lives.

What Is the Worst Photography Mistake You Have Made?
18
by

I have done some dumb stuff in my life — like really dumb. Ask any of my friends. And photography has been no exception. Here are some of the worst mistakes I have made as a photographer.

3 Common Portrait Photography Mistakes
1
by

No doubt, portrait photography takes the confluence of a lot of technical skills and creative ideas to be successful, and there are a lot of common mistakes we all make at one time or another. This excellent video details three common portrait photography mistakes and how you can avoid or fix them.

Who Makes the Best 70-200mm f/2.8 Lens?
11
by

Perhaps no lens is more commonly relied on by professionals in challenging environments than the 70-200mm f/2.8. So, which company makes the best version? This great video review compares the respective 70-200mm f/2.8 options from Canon, Nikon, Sony, and Panasonic to see which one is best.

How a Kicker Light Can Improve Your Portraits
5
by

Lighting is one of the most fundamental aspects of a successful portrait, and while we most often focus on getting the key light just right, the accessory lights can be what take a portrait from good to great. This excellent video will show you how simply adding a kicker light can make your portraits better.

5 Helpful Tips for New Drone Users
0
by

Drones are more capable, portable, and affordable than ever, and they are a fantastic photography and filmmaking tool and simply a ton of fun to fly. Nonetheless, they take a different approach than using a normal camera. This helpful video will give you five tips for working with a drone for the first time.