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Alex Cooke
Cleveland, OH

Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Guide to Frequency Separation in Photoshop

When used correctly, frequency separation can be a very powerful and efficient tool for editing your portraits. This great video tutorial will show you a straightforward method to use frequency separation in your portrait retouching.

Seven Helpful Tips to Help You Save More Time

A lot of photography is about making yourself more efficient to streamline your workflow, as every second you can save really adds up over time. This great video features seven helpful tips that can make your workflow more efficient and leave you more prepared to shoot whenever the opportunity presents itself.

Save $100 on a Wacom Pen Tablet Today Only

A pen tablet is one of the most useful accessories any photographer can have, and you'll find they can vastly increase both your editing precision and efficiency. And today only, you can take $100 off an industry-standard Wacom tablet.

A Beginner's Guide to Camera Settings

When you are new to photography, your camera's exposure settings can seem like a confusing maze of abstract parameters, but getting to know them is crucial to taking control of your images and improving your work. This helpful video will get you acquainted with the three fundamental exposure parameters and show you how to use them in different shooting scenarios.

Learn How This Two-Light Portrait Was Shot and Edited

One you have started to get the hang of the basics of how light works and you feel comfortable with portraits setups using a single strobe, the next step is to move up to two-light setups, of course. This awesome video will show you how such a photo was lit, shot, and edited.

Learn How This Awesome Photo Was Shot

In pursuit of showing off the beautiful set design, this gorgeous photo ended up using a total of six lights, as well as a haze machine. Go behind the scenes with this awesome video to see how this complex and intricate setup all came together to produce the final result.

Practicing Patience and Focusing on the Image

When it costs nothing extra to mash down on the shutter button of a digital camera, it can be easy to fall into the trap of shooting anything and everything, sometimes at the expense of really honing our eyes and finding truly special compositions. This great video follows a photographer as he deliberately and methodically finds an image that was worth waiting for.

Three Things I Appreciate About Sony Cameras

Sony cameras have captured the imaginations of many photographers and videographers in the last few years, with their rich feature sets and vast capabilities providing lots of excitement and increasing the company's market share at a rapid pace. Here are the three things I most appreciate about Sony cameras.

Five Signs You're Becoming a Better Photographer

Photography can be a slow process, with lots to learn and improve upon and many mistakes made along the way. As such, it can be hard to tell if and how you're improving. Here are five signs that you are becoming a better photographer.

Three Things I Appreciate About Canon Cameras

Canon cameras tend to get a lot of flak for seemingly being behind the times technologically speaking, though they remain the top brand in the world. Nonetheless, it's not all bad with them. Here are three things that I think Canon cameras do very well.

Create Happier Clients by Learning to Manage Expectations

Being a financially successful photographer is just as much about business sense as it is about photographic skill. One of the best ways to ensure pleasant outcomes with your clients is to learn how to manage their expectations before you even click the shutter.

Why Does This Leica Lens Cost So Much?

Weighing in at a little over 8 oz, the Leica Summicron 50mm f/2 is quite the small lens. It doesn't have a remarkably wide maximum aperture either, and yet, it costs over $2,000. What makes this lens so expensive?

Do You Risk Your Gear to Get the Shot?

Photography is a hobby/profession that can take a serious toll on your wallet. The cost of a lot of precision, technologically advanced equipment can lead you to be very protective of your gear (and rightfully so). Is it worth risking it to get the shot?

The Best and Worst Photography Products I've Purchased

The photography world is chock full of products meant to make photographers think they will instantly improve their work and take dazzling shots. Some are obviously better than others. Here are the best and worst pieces of photography gear I've purchased.

What Camera Feature Is Most Important to You?

Modern cameras are mightily advanced technological instruments, full of a bevy of features and capabilities, some more important than others. This is the feature that's most important to me.

What Piece of Gear Will You Never Sell?

Photographers can be both nostalgic and habitual, finding a piece of gear they really love and sticking with it for a long time. Most of us have some piece of gear we love and won't ever part with. This one is mine.

One of the Most Common Mistakes Beginner Photographers Make

When you're new to photography, you might feel a bit overwhelmed by all of the various technical parameters and artistic guidelines you have to keep in mind simultaneously. Well, I'm here to add another one to the list, but I promise that it will improve your shots drastically.