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

Articles written by Alex Cooke

The Usefulness of Grids for Controlling Light

Artificial lighting can be a lot to try to learn when you are new to the subject, with a wide variety of tools, setups, rules, and techniques to get down. One of the most useful tools is the grid, and this excellent video will introduce you to how they work and when you should consider using them for your own work.

What Happens When You Put an $8 Lens on a $4,500 Medium Format Camera?

When you think of shooting with a modern mirrorless medium format camera, it is probably a safe assumption that you imagine pairing it with an equally top of the line lens. However, half the fun of mirrorless cameras is that you can adapt thousands of lenses to them. So, why not stick an $8 vintage lens on it and see what happens?

83x Zoom and 4K Video: A Review of the Nikon Coolpix P950

Professional lenses generally top out around 10x zoom ranges. However, certain bridge cameras have wider zoom ranges, with some pushing extreme ratios like 100x. This great video review takes a look at one such camera with a crazy 83x zoom range of 24-2,000mm, the Nikon Coolpix P950.

How Much Money Can Stock Photographers Expect to Make Right Now?

The coronavirus pandemic has left a lot of photographers very unsure of how their finances will change over the next few months. One genre that still has at least some demand, however, is stock photography. This great video takes an honest look at what you can expect to earn from stock photography right now.

5 Steps to Better Flat Lay Images

Flat lay photography is quite popular at the moment, as it is a versatile way to cleanly show off a range of items in a professional manner that nicely fits with a variety of visual styles. This excellent video tutorial will give you lots of helpful advice for taking better flat lay images.

How to Create Effective Rim Lighting for the Body

Rim lighting can be one of the most important aspects of creating a professionally lit shot, and it is something that can be easy to overlook when you are new to artificial lighting and focused on your key light. This fantastic video will show you how to create proper rim lighting for someone's body.

10 Helpful Tips for Working With a Wide Angle Lens for Landscape Photography

A wide angle lens is one of the most common pieces of gear in any landscape photographer's bag, but such focal lengths come with their own unique challenges. If you struggle with creating effective images with your wide angle lens, this excellent video will give you 10 helpful tips for working with it.

Fantastic Image Quality: A Review of the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM Lens

The 70-200mm f/2.8 is one of the most important lenses for many photographers and videographers, as they are typically of high optical quality and offer a very versatile focal length range coupled with a wide maximum aperture for a zoom. This excellent video review takes a look at the new Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM and what you can expect from it both in terms of performance and image quality.

Helpful Forest Photography Composition Tips

Forests are an abundant resource around the world, and they offer a wide range of photographic opportunities that evolve throughout the seasons and change with the weather. This excellent video tutorial discusses some great tips and ideas for composing forest images.

A Comprehensive Comparison of Six Popular Macro Lenses

A good macro lens is one of the most versatile optics a photographer can own, able to shoot a wide variety of subjects from portraits to the small details around us with sharp results. If you are looking for a macro lens of your own, this fantastic video compares six popular options to help you decide which is right for you.

13 Helpful Tips and Tricks for Being Productive at Home

The coronavirus lockdown has led to most creatives stuck at home and having to seriously rethink their work habits and how they can stay productive during this downtime. If that is something you are struggling with a bit, this excellent video features 13 tips and ideas for being productive while you are at home.

8K Video on a Phone: Just How Good Is the Samsung Galaxy S20 Ultra

4K has become the standard resolution for a lot of video production and consumption, with the cutting edge of the camera world eyeing 8K devices. Samsung's latest flagship phone, the Galaxy S20 Ultra, has some jaw-dropping camera specs, including 8K video, and while those numbers are certainly impressive, you might wonder how well they hold up in the real world, particularly on a phone. This great video review takes a look at how the phone's video capabilities hold up in practice.

How to Take Simple and Effective Speedlight Portraits

Photographers who do not specialize in portraiture or other genres involving working with people may not own dedicated professional lighting equipment suitable for the task. But almost every photographer owns a speedlight, and you might be surprised by how versatile they can be for lighting portraits. This great video tutorial will show you how to take effective portraits using a single speedlight.

A Look at the Empty Streets of Paris During the Coronavirus Pandemic

The coronavirus pandemic has led to massive shutdowns across the world, with the everyday lives of many people coming to a complete stop. Paris is one such city, with its historic and vibrant streets now standing quiet and devoid of much of the life that normally fills them. This video explores the city and shows just how remarkably different it is due to the COVID-19 lockdown.

Two Years With the Sony a7 III: How Does It Hold up in the Long Run?

The Sony a7 III has been around for a couple of years now, but even among newer cameras, it stills strikes a competitive balance of capabilities and price for both photographers and videographers. This great video review takes a look at how the camera holds up after a couple of years of usage.

Creative Waterdrop Photography You Can Try at Home

Waterdrop photography can be a great way both to practice your technical skills and to experiment with your creativity, plus it is just a ton of fun. This great video will show you how you can set up your own miniature splash studio at home using just your normal gear and a couple of items you likely already have laying around the house.

Helpful Tips for Posing Couples Who Aren't Models in Engagement Photos

Posing can be a difficult skill for a lot of photographers to master, and of course, it can twice as tricky when you add in a second person. If posing couples is something you need to work on, this fantastic video will give you tons of helpful advice for posing couples for engagements photos.