Alex Cooke's picture
Average rating:
3.2 out of 5
3.2
Alex Cooke
Cleveland, OH

Articles written by Alex Cooke

Fstoppers Reviews the Rocket Rooster Analog Film Bundle Lightroom Presets Collection

Most people are a fan of the film look, but actually shooting, developing, and scanning it can be a bit more hassle and money than many of us are willing to undertake. The Rocket Rooster Analog Film Bundle gives you Lightroom presets for many popular film stocks as well as a range of local adjustment brushes for avoiding the need to go into Photoshop. Check out our review of the full system here.

The Story of a Secretly Legally Blind Person Who Went on to Become a Top Photographer

David Katz has enjoyed a long and successful career as a sports photographer in the British press, despite having been secretly legally blind his entire life, choosing not to disclose his condition, as he didn't want to be judged on anything except the quality of his work. In this inspirational video, he talks about his work, life, and condition and reveals it to former colleagues for the first time.

Some Helpful Tips for Wedding Group Portraits

If there're two things to remember about wedding photography, it's that you have to know your stuff inside and out and second chances don't exist. This helpful video will show you some great tips for posing a large wedding group, lighting them, and picking the proper camera settings.

Don't Let the Creative Hustle Make You a Loner

Working as a freelancer or business owner in a creative field often gets a glamorous image attached to it, but the reality (as we all know) is often that it means long hours of grinding away all by ourselves. This video reminds us that there's more to life than just work and the key to happiness is finding balance.

Five Helpful Tips for Shooting Portraits in Harsh Sunlight

Golden hour is cool and all, but unfortunately, it only lasts about an hour (I guess it was named well). If you're shooting with natural light, limiting yourself to just a small fraction of the day can really hinder your work. This helpful video will show you some tips to embrace that harsh midday sun and keep turning out shots.

How to Add Lipstick to a Subject Using Photoshop

Lipstick can be a great addition that can complement a subject's eyes or really help a colorful portrait pop all the more. If the subject wasn't wearing it already, this helpful video will show you how to convincingly add it after the fact using Photoshop.

Testing Eye AF on the Sony a7R III With Adapted Canon Glass

One of the coolest parts about Sony cameras is the ability to adapt a metric ton of glass to them, but in the past, that has generally meant taking a gamble on autofocus performance. Nonetheless, the a9 and a7R III have both made major steps in this area, and this video shows just how good things have gotten.

Broncolor Brings HS Support to Fujifilm With Release of RFS 2.2 Transceiver

Today, Broncolor has released the RFS 2.2 F, the Fujifilm version of their HS transceiver system. This allows those with Fujifilm cameras to take advantage of the Broncolor HyperSync system, allowing the photographer to move to sync speeds of up to 1/8,000 s on supported lights, enabling far more shooting possibilities.

Shooting Landscape Images With a Telephoto Lens

When you think of landscape photography, you likely think of wide angle lenses that capture large swaths of a scene; after all, those are the most common tools of the trade. However, this great video makes a case for why you might want to consider a longer lens the next time you head out to take some landscape shots.

How to Add a Soft, Warm Glow to Images Using Photoshop

A very popular and fun look for portraits and candid shots is a warm glow that seems to emanate from a soft, out-of-frame light source. This fun and easy tutorial will show you how to add that same glow to your images using Photoshop.

Follow a Photoshoot From Conception to Finished Image

We're lucky to live in an age when learning photography is easier than ever, but normally, educational content tends to focus on specific techniques or ideas. While that's generally fine, sometimes, it's helpful to see the entire creative process from start to finish to understand why different steps were taken and different decisions were made. This helpful video will show you just that.

Six of the Best Movie Shots of All Time

Personally, I think that even if we're not all aspiring to be the next Spielberg, good films can be tremendously instructive for both videographers and stills photographers because they showcase such strong storytelling via imagery. Here are six of the most powerful and effective shots in the history of film.

'Create Only What You Can Create': A Look at How to Grow as a Photographer

Photography, perhaps by virtue of the medium and its readily accessible nature, is a pursuit often learned by copying the work of others at least to a degree. This great video examines the importance of finding an original creative voice and being brave enough to show it to the world.

Ten Shortcuts for Working With Layer Masks in Photoshop

Out of all the things you need to know how to work with in Photoshop, layer masks are one of the most fundamental and important. This awesome and quick video will show you ten shortcuts for working with layer masks in Photoshop.

Ten Fun DIY Photography Presents

So, here's the problem with shopping for photographers: they tend to have really expensive taste. I mean, you can't really get Bob that 70-200mm f/2.8 lens when the office gift exchange program has a $20 limit. (Why is Bob asking for that, anyway? Come on, Bob. This is supposed to be casual.) Here are 10 fun and cheap DIY photography gift ideas.

Five Quick and Super Helpful Photoshop Tricks

Photoshop tricks are like chocolate and puppies: you can never have enough of them. This awesome video will show you five new tricks to not only make your workflow more efficient, but also easier and more powerful.

Instagram Fights Illegal Wildlife Exploitation by Warning Users in App

In many areas, animals are often illegally captured to generate money from tourists who jump at the chance to take a selfie with an exotic species, a practice that is highly dangerous for the animals involved. Instagram is taking action against the practice by providing in-app warnings and education.