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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Beginner's Guide to Flying a Drone

The first time I wanted to fly a drone, my friend suggested I buy a $20 version on Amazon to practice with, because they tend to be much harder to fly without all the advanced navigation and stabilizing features of more expensive models and teach you good skills. My first flight lasted four seconds and ended with a bent prop and me prying the drone out from the slats of a park bench. I did get really good at flying it eventually. Having a beginner's guide would have been a bit more helpful, though. Luckily, you have this!

Watch What Happens When a Model and Photographer Switch Roles

Photographers stand behind the camera and models stand in front of it. It's been that way since the dawn of time (or at least cameras). This fun video examines what happens when you switch those roles and the kind of results you'll get.

Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About the DOF Preview Button

If there's one button on your camera that you could go your entire photographic career without ever pressing, it's the depth of field preview button. Nonetheless it turns out that that weird little button is rather useful. This helpful video explains its function, quirks, and best uses.

How to Use Lightroom to Hunt Down Chromatic Aberration in Your Images

Chromatic aberration is an extremely common lens problem that can leave your images with weirdly colored edges. In its more subtle incarnations, it can be easy to miss until you've already exported the image, but it turns out Lightroom has some helpful tools to help you see where it might be hiding.

You'll Never Be Happy as an Artist If You're Not True to Yourself

The whole "artists don't care what others think" thing is a giant lie. Most artists care what others think of their work more than anyone else in the world. Creativity is an unsure and scary thing, and a little validation makes us feel good. It's poisonous.

A First Look at the Canon 6D Mark II Camera

Canon recently released both the 6D Mark II and SL2 cameras. The 6D Mark II was particularly anticipated, as it is Canon's cheapest and lightest full-frame DSLR. Here's a helpful and practical first look at the newest DSLR in the Canon family.

Examining Gender Disparity in the Filmmaking Industry

The filmmaking industry has historically been a male-centric one, and though the scales have started to tip back toward equal representation in recent years, the disparity is still very much real. This interesting videos examines the data, causes, and consequences of the current state of affairs.

A Quick Beginner's Guide to Astrophotography

If you're interested in trying out astrophotography, it's a fun, but very different genre to get into. This helpful video will give you some quick tips to ensure you get it right and get those entrancing shots of the stars.

The FAA Is Developing a System for Remote Identification of Drones

Consumer drones continue to grow both in capabilities and sheer numbers at a rate that seems to be outpacing the government's ability to find a way to properly integrate them into the national airspace. As the FAA works to catch up, their newest proposal could be a big step forward.

How to Create a Demo Reel Using Premiere Pro

If you've got scattered clips of your videos hiding in disparate corners of your hard drive, it might be time to bring them together and create a demo reel to show off all your best work. This helpful tutorial will show you how to do just that.

Don't Overlook the Importance of Pupil Size When Working With Strobes

We talk a ton about different lighting setups and how they affect tonal transitions, strength of shadows, etc., but rarely do we investigate how the way we work with our lights affects our subjects' pupil size, and yet, that plays a large role in a person's perception of a portrait.

Even Ansel Adams Himself Once Had to Advertise to Make Money

If you're a photographer or really any kind of creative, you've probably at some point experienced the existential crisis along the lines of "does my work mean anything? Does anyone care?" This reminder that even the greatest among us had humble beginnings should put a smile on your face.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (June 2017): Lori Cicchini

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.

Tamron Announces SP 24-70mm f/2.8 Di VC USD G2 Lens

For many photographers, a 24-70mm f/2.8 lens with vibration compensation is a holy grail. Tamron has just introduced their second generation of that exact lens with many improvements and a slick redesign. Check out the new lens!

Five Tips for Becoming a Successful Landscape Photographer

Landscape photography is a weird genre: there are no people, and unlike something like product photography, it's pretty much up to you to choose what to shoot and how to shoot it. So, it can often feel a bit nebulous as to how one navigates a world veritably inundated with imagery, particularly when standards are sky-high. This helpful video will give you some great pointers to get you on your way.

Learn What All the Job Titles in Movie Credits Are

Large-scale film productions take an incredible amount of work by a veritable plethora of talented people fulfilling numerous roles to pull off. It's easy to overlook just how much goes on behind the scenes as the credits roll past, but this great video explains who does what and just how much goes into making a successful film.

How to Make Better Instagram Stories

Instagram Stories have quickly become a popular way for photographers, videographers, and other creatives to share real-time work, behind the scenes clips, and other interesting miscellany with their audiences. As their popularity continues to grow, here's how to to make your Stories stand out amongst the crowd.

A Comparison of the DJI Spark, Mavic Pro, and Phantom 4 Pro Video Quality

If there's one thing no one can accuse DJI of, it's having too few drones for consumers to choose from. If you're looking to purchase the Spark, Mavic Pro, or Phantom 4 Pro, this quick comparison will give you a glimpse at the relative video quality between the three popular options.

Canon Announces the 6D Mark II and SL2 Cameras

With perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated updates, Canon has announced the 6D Mark II, the second version of their popular budget full-frame camera, which now has some intriguing new features. They've also announced the SL2, the second version of their smallest DSLR. Check out the improvements to each model!