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Alex Cooke
Cleveland, OH

Articles written by Alex Cooke

Every Photographer Fails Sometimes

If you want to be successful as a photographer, you have to know both how to succeed and how to fail, that is, how to embrace not the possibility but rather the inevitability of failure and to turn it into something that promotes learning and growth. This great video examines the idea of just that and how we can grow from failure.

More Zoom for a Low Price: A Beginner's Guide to Teleconverters

Teleconverters are an interesting proposition: a cheap device you attach between your lens and camera body that gives you an increase in focal length. This great video will give you an introduction to their strengths and drawbacks to decide if they're right for your work.

Here Are 11 Mistakes Beginner Photographers Often Make

When you're first starting out in photography, it can feel absolutely overwhelming trying to learn, assimilate, and execute the information and techniques you need to know in tandem with your artistic vision. This helpful video will show you 11 common mistakes beginners make to help you avoid them and advance your work more quickly.

Why One Wedding Photographer Hates the 24-70mm f/2.8 Lens

As you read the title of this, you might think that this photographer is crazy, but indeed, he abhors the (almost) universally revered 24-70mm f/2.8 lens for wedding photography. Check out his reasons why in this quick video essay.

A Comprehensive Comparison of Medium Format Film Stocks

While digital sensors have essentially surpassed 35mm film, 120/220 film is a great way to try out medium format without paying the price for digital medium format. This awesome video will give you a comprehensive rundown of the look of each film so you can choose what's right for you.

Comedian Conan O'Brien Makes Fun of the Stuffed Anteater Wildlife Photography Scandal

You may have heard of the scandal surrounding the Wildlife Photographer of the Year contest held by the Natural History Museum of London, in which the winning photographer was disqualified after experts ruled he had used a stuffed anteater in his winning photo. The story has gained so much traction that even Conan O'Brien picked it up for a few laughs.

How Just a Touch of Ring Flash Can Breathe Life Into Your Portraits

Sometimes, you have a great lighting setup that gives you the exact look you want, but you need to fill in the shadows ever so slightly. This great video shows you how a ring flash can allow you to fill in shadows without changing the overall look of your setup.

Nikon Confirms Their Mirrorless Camera Is Coming by Spring 2019

It's known that both Canon and Nikon have been readying proper answers to Sony's and Fuji's mirrorless cameras, but details have been scarce and projected timelines aren't clear. Nikon recently clarified this, saying we can expect their mirrorless offering by spring of 2019.

How Unusual Lighting and a Bit of Ingenuity Led to This Great Shot

It can be easy to fall into using the same lighting setups over and over, and while there is certainly nothing wrong with using the tried and true methods, once you have those down, you might be itching to reinvigorate things a bit. This quick video shows you how a unique lighting setup and a little ingenuity led to these great shots.

Be Realistic About What Social Media Is and What You Expect to Get From It

Social media is a weird beast that makes a lot of us at least somewhat uncomfortable, but most of us also acknowledge it's a bit of a necessary evil for the modern creative. This great video talks about being realistic about what social media is, your relationship with it, and what you can expect from it.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (April 2018): Jan Gonzales

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 2017, 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.

Things to Think About When You're Not Satisfied With Your Photography

In photography, like any art, you tend to experience ups and downs when it comes to your satisfaction with your work and ability to produce quality, innovative images. This great video examines why things may not be going your way and what you can do about it.

Take Advantage of Photoshop's Automatic Tools for Better Color Correction

Color correction is one of the most fundamental and important post-processing skills a photographer can have. Photoshop has some helpful automatic tools to help you with this process, but with just a little bit of tweaking, you can get better results. This helpful video will show you just what to do.

Learn How to Use Photoshop's Curves and Why They're So Powerful

One of the most fundamental and powerful features of Photoshop is the Curves tool, and knowing it inside and out is key to all sorts of compelling and convincing edits. This helpful video will introduce you to the Curves tool and how to use it effectively.