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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Review of the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 DG DN Art Lens
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A 24-70mm f/2.8 lens is the workhorse of choice for a ton of photographers and filmmakers, offering a versatile focal length range and a wide maximum aperture. They can be quite expensive, however, which is why Sigma's 24-70mm f/2.8 Art, which is about half the price of first-party options, is so intriguing. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and if it can compete with more expensive options.

What Will It Take for Olympus Cameras to Succeed?
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OM Digital Solutions has promised the release of many exciting new products in the next year or so, but with the camera market more fiercely competitive than ever, they certainly face a steep uphill battle. What will it take for them to succeed? This excellent video essay discusses 10 things that will give them a better chance of finding success.

A Lot of Canon Lenses Are Coming This Year
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Canon's RF lenses have been highly lauded for their impressive optical quality and boundary-pushing designs, and the company is continuing to develop and release new glass. It looks like the second half of 2021 is going to be particularly exciting, with a huge collection of lenses on the way.

How to Simulate a Long Exposure in Photoshop
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Long exposures are a highly popular look, but sometimes, you might not have an ND filter with you or you might not have decided to make a long exposure in the moment. If you have an image with potential that you think would look even better as a long exposure, this quick and helpful video tutorial will show you how to convincingly fake it using Photoshop.

A Guide to Focus Stacking in Lightroom and Photoshop
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Often in certain genres (such as landscape or macro photography), you need more depth of field and sharpness than is possible to capture in a single image. When that happens, you will want to turn to focus stacking. It is a relatively straightforward technique, and this fantastic video tutorial will show you a workflow for it using Lightroom and Photoshop.

A Look at the Uniquely Useful Canon Drop-in Filter Adapter
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One of the most annoying aspects of using front-mounted circular filters is that there are many different common sizes, which can quickly add up in cost and make you carry around a bag with a bunch of different filters. Canon's unique Drop-In Filter EF-EOS R Mount Adapter solves that issue, allowing you to use a single ND or polarizing filter with any EF lens. This excellent video review takes a look at how it holds up in the real world.

Thoughts on Why Gear Doesn't Matter
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A lot of us like to keep up with the latest gear, and there is certainly nothing inherently wrong with that; after all, cameras are rather nifty gadgets. But it is important to not confuse enthusiasm for gear with gear being a shortcut to improving as a photographer. This great video essay discusses the topic and offers some good motivation for enjoying what you have.

A Review of the Canon EOS R6 for Wedding Photographers
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The Canon EOS R5 has been widely lauded for its highly impressive feature set. However, its sibling, the EOS R6, comes with a lot of those same impressive features and is much more affordable than the EOS R5. This excellent video review takes a look at the camera from a wedding photographer's perspective and the kind of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

A Review of the Impressively Fast Fujifilm GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR Lens
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Fuji's medium format system has proven wildly popular, and as the company has expanded the lineup, they have released some quite impressive lenses. The GF 80mm f/1.7 R WR is one of those lenses, and this great video review takes a look at it and how it performs in practice.

7 Common Mistakes Photographers Make
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Whether amateur or professional, there are certain common mistakes that we all make at one point or another. This excellent video tutorial discusses seven common mistakes photographers make and how to either avoid them or fix them.

Why Shadows Are so Crucial in Photos and Video
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We spend a ton of time talking about how to light subjects not only to bring out their features in a flattering way, but to also convey a certain mood or message. But just as important as where you place light is where you do not. This excellent video essay shows you the importance of shadows and how they are used to add depth and meaning to photos and videos.

The Differences Between Various Popular Lighting Modifiers
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When it comes to portraits, one of the most important decisions you can make is the choice of modifier. This great video will show you three common modifiers (softbox, parabolic umbrella, and umbrella) along with a lot of helpful example photos to show you how they will render your subject.

A Look at the Autofocus and Image Quality of the Fujifilm GFX 100S
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The Fujifilm GFX 100S is one heck of a camera, taking the company's highly respected GFX 100 medium format mirrorless camera and cutting both its size and price nearly in half. This great video review takes a look at the camera's image quality and autofocus performance, as well as having some fun by adapting some full frame lenses to it.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (February 2021): Paola Padron
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The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2021, we're featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

Why You Should Consider a Personal Photo Project
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A lot of professional photographers will tell you over and over about the importance of taking on personal projects. Even if you are only a hobbyist, they are a fantastic way to build your skills, expand your creativity, and become a more confident photographer. This fantastic video essay discusses why you should consider picking up a photography project.

Everything You Need to Know About Aperture in Just Two Minutes
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Along with shutter speed and ISO, aperture is one of the three most fundamental parameters that every photographer needs to have an absolute mastery of. This fantastic video tutorial will show you everything you need to know about how aperture works and how to use it for your photos in just two minutes.

What Sort of Camera Strap Is Right for You?
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Of all the accessories that come with photography, your camera strap is probably not one you think about very often (if at all). However, with several pounds hanging off your neck for often hours at a time, it is something you should give a bit of consideration, and there are more options than you might have realized. This great video will show you a variety of straps, what they are useful for, and how they can improve your comfort.

Should You Follow Trends or Photograph What You Love?
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With the rise of social media, photography trends are more prominent than ever. Should you follow them or just photograph what you want? This great video essay discusses the balance between the two.

How to Create a Dramatic Black and White Image in Photoshop
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Converting a photo to black and white is about more than simply pulling all the color out of it; it is a chance to make an entirely new image. This fantastic video tutorial will show you how to convert a photo to black and white in Photoshop and turn it into a dramatic, eye-catching piece.

One Lens for Everything: A Review of the 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD Lens
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While most of us own multiple lenses suited for different purposes, sometimes, whether for convenience or necessity, we want one lens that can handle all possible situations. For Sony shooters, there is the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD, and this excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect from it in practice.