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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

How to Retouch Newborn Baby Photos Using Photoshop

Newborn babies tend to have different skin than their older counterparts and thus different retouching requirements. This helpful tutorial will show you everything you need to know about retouching newborn skin quickly and effectively in Photoshop.

A Beautiful Short Film on What Happens When One Steps Away From Social Media

"Social media is awful and we're all going to die someday (plz like and subscribe)," reads the hilariously ironic video description of this short film depicting what happens when a couple steps away from the din of social networks. Check out what happens when you sign off the computer and step out of the house.

A Quick Guide to the Proper Way to Back Up Your Photos and Videos

It happens all the time: I see a post from a friend or in a forum with a desperate plea for help because someone's hard drive failed and they have no backup of their work. It's absolutely crucial that you back up your files properly, and this helpful video will give you an overview of how to do that.

Finding Worthwhile Images in Your Past Catalog

One of the trickier things about photography is that our various skills and taste may develop at different rates, leaving images with a lot of potential that are held back by one specific issue. If you experienced this when you were still learning, now might be the time to take a look at your catalog and consider reviving old images.

Shooting a Perfume Bottle Product Photo With Just One Speedlight

When you think of product photography and lighting, you likely think of intricate, multi-light setups that precisely sculpt every last highlight and shadow. Nonetheless, there's a lot you can accomplish with simpler setups, and this great video will show you how to get a professional shot of a perfume bottle using very minimal gear.

Why Photographers Should Collaborate More

By virtue of the process, photography can be a rather solitary thing. And while there's nothing wrong with working alone, there are many benefits to collaborating with others. This great video examines why you should consider working on a team for some of your shoots.

A Guide to Creating More Engaging Looks With Cinematic Lighting

Whether you're shooting stills or moving images, lighting is just about everything when it comes down to it. This excellent guide will show you how lighting shapes and sculpts the face, adding dimension and helping you to tell a story, and how you can use it to better your own work.

Saving an Image Using Split Toning in Lightroom

Sometimes, you'll come home with an image that seems rather unremarkable, but when you play with it for a bit in Lightroom, it suddenly becomes something you hadn't envisioned when you first shot it. This great video will show you how to split toning saved an image.

A Fascinating Documentary on the Early History of Photography

Most of us are relatively familiar with the history of photography in the last decade or so, but I'd argue its early years were far more interesting, with patent wars abounding and chemicals making people crazy (ok, maybe I'm glad that part is no longer an issue). This fascinating documentary details the history of early photographic processes, their development, and the stories of the people behind them.

Three Helpful Tips to Grow Your Instagram Following

We're unfortunately living in the days of the algorithm, and that means working with Instagram is nowhere near as straightforward as it used to be. Nonetheless, it's still a powerful tool for creatives to get their work out into the world and network. This great video will examine three things that might be holding you back when you try to increase your Instagram following.

The Incredible Detective Work Behind Finding the Photographer of This Iconic Image

What's the most difficult environment you've ever taken a photo in? The time when you had one chance to get the shot with no opportunity to try again? Does it compare to tumbling around the moon at several miles per second while capturing one of the most iconic images of all-time? Check out this great video that explores the creation of "Earthrise."

How to Pose People Who Aren't Models

When you're first starting out, you can't just call up an agency and expect to shoot with a model. Most of us started by grabbing friends and bribing them to stand in front of our lens. Of course, most of our friends aren't trained in posing, however. This helpful video will show how to pose people who aren't models.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (January 2018): Josh Borup

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.

Take $1,200 Off a MacBook Pro With This Rare Apple Deal Today Only

The MacBook Pro remains the computer of choice for a large number of photographers and videographers, with great power, battery life, and reliability. However, they're very rarely discounted, but today only, you can get one of the top-level MacBook Pros for $1,200 off.

Photographer Heroically Attempts to Go Entire Day Without Complaining

Los Angeles, CA: A Southern California photographer recently caught the attention of his peers as he heroically attempted to go an entire day without complaining, making it into the early evening before he was derailed by the announcement of another Canon camera without 4K.

Popular Rock Musician Tries Novel Method to Get Rid of Phones at Shows

Camera phones are cool and all, but I'll still never understand the need to take terrible videos (with terrible audio) of live concerts while blocking the view of people around you. One musician has a new approach to stopping them from appearing at concerts.

To Be a Better Photographer, It's Sometimes Best to Not Take a Picture

When you drag all your photography gear to a location, do you ever feel a certain pressure to come away with a shot? Certainly, we all want the time and effort we put into each shoot to pay off, but sometimes, it's detrimental to try to force a shot that isn't there.