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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Believe It or Not, the Camera Industry Experienced Growth in 2017

For the better part of a decade, we've been hearing doom and gloom analyses about the death of the camera market at the hands of the camera phone and the like. This has been reflected by a steady decline in sales, but for the first time in years, 2017 experienced an overall growth.

Is the iPhone a Legitimate Replacement for an Advanced Pocket Camera?

We've all seen the phone versus $50,000 camera videos, and while they're fun to watch, the real competition for an advanced camera phone is a compact system camera. This great video examines how well an iPhone X can compete with a popular vlogging camera for video work.

Five Portrait Photography Mistakes to Avoid

Portrait photography (or any genre involving people) is difficult because no matter how good your technical skills are, there's a prominent human element, and your success hinges on being proficient at working with your subjects. This great video will examine five common portrait photography mistakes to avoid.

Helpful Tips for Standing Out in Portrait Photography

Every genre from landscapes to fine art macro shots of insects of the southern United States has its clichés. And while there's nothing inherently wrong with them, doing something different can help you distinguish yourself. This great video will help you create your best portraits and stand out more.

YouTube's CBO Discusses Logan Paul, Monetization, and the Future of the Platform

YouTube's relationship with its creators is notoriously shaky, with seemingly arbitrary decisions and poor communication often having very real effects on the bottom lines of those who use the platform and leaving them upset at the lack of consistency and transparency. In this great interview, Casey Neistat sits down with YouTube's Corporate Business Officer to discuss recent controversies and the future of the platform.

Why You Should Stop Shooting B-Roll

B-roll is supplemental footage that provides alternate angles, tangential storylines, or just filler for a voiceover or to help set the pace of a film and provide you with extra footage in case something isn't working in post. Although it's a standard thing, one filmmaker thinks you should stop shooting b-roll.

Canon Is Bringing 4K to Its Mirrorless Line [Rumor]

Mention Canon and 4K in the same sentence and you're likely to upset some videographer in your vicinity. That may be about to change, however, as it looks like Canon will be bringing 4K to their next mirrorless camera.

On Developing Your Own Memorable Style as a Photographer

There are few universal measures of success in photography, but surely, one of them is having a readily recognized style. Finding yours can be a bit difficult, but this helpful video talks about what it takes to get there.

The Road to Success as a Photographer Is Difficult

Getting started in freelance photography can feel like getting on a road you've never taken before and hoping if you drive on it long enough, you'll reach your destination. This great video examines how to deal with the anxiety and expectations you'll experience on your way.

Perfecting Your Images: The Power of Check Layers in Photoshop

When you're working in Photoshop, it's easy to stare and stare at an image for hours and somehow still miss some little detail; we get tunnel vision, our eyes get tired, etc. This is when check layers can be an incredibly useful way to ensure you don't miss a thing.

25 Helpful Lightroom Tips in 2 Minutes

Lightroom tips are a lot like puppies: you can never have too many of them. And while I can't offer you a puppy (likely because I'm keeping them for myself), I can offer you this great video that will give you 25 helpful Lightroom tips in just 2 minutes.

The Sony a7R III Is a Tethering Monster

The Sony a7R III has generally been receiving glowing reviews for being a more refined and capable version of its predecessor. In this video, you'll see one area that has seen a huge improvement is tethering speed, allowing for a much faster studio workflow.

How to Use Two of Photoshop's Weirdest Blending Modes

Despite the veritable multitude of options offered by the program, most photographers can get through their entire careers only using six or so of Photoshop's blending modes. Nonetheless, there's a lot of hidden power in the lesser used modes, and this great video shows you how to take advantage of two of the quirkiest of all: color dodge and color burn.

A Range of Advice From a Successful Portrait Photographer

Portrait photography can be a tricky genre, as it relies very heavily on your ability to interact with and bring the best out of the people in front of your lens, making it just as much psychology as photography. This great video will give you some tips for working with subjects as well as some helpful career advice.

NASA Sets New Record for Long-Distance Photography

Those scientists over at NASA do some pretty cool stuff, one of which is sending spacecraft filled with probes and cameras deep into space. One of those spacecraft just set a record by taking a photograph while 3.79 billion miles from Earth.

What It's Really Like Being a Landscape Photographer

Look at enough photos and watch enough YouTube, and you might begin to suspect that landscape photography consists solely of jetting to exotic locations and arriving just as that golden light crests a mountain. And sure, those moments are there, but this great video examines what the average days are like. Spoiler alert: they're pretty great.

Some Helpful Tips for Taking Better Photos With Wide-Angle Lenses

Of all the focal lengths, I personally think wide-angle lenses might take the most getting used to when it comes to creating compelling imagery that takes advantage of their unique properties and avoids their pitfalls. This helpful video will give you some great tips for taking better shots with them.

AP Photographer Attacked After Super Bowl

While the Eagles' Super Bowl win over the Patriots was certainly a joyous occasion for the city, the night was not without a negative side, as some reports of looting, vandalism, and assaults came out of the city. One of the assault victims was an AP photographer.