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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Five Mistakes Photographers Make When Switching to Video
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More and more photographers are either switching to or beginning to add video to their services, and while there are lots of similarities between shooting photos and shooting photos, there are enough differences that it's important to take the time to learn to do it properly. This helpful video will show you five common mistakes photographers make when switching to video and how to avoid them yourself.

Thinking of Buying a New Camera? Ask Yourself These Questions First
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Most photographers enjoy playing with new gear; after all, a lot of us are gadget nerds, and modern cameras can be rather nifty little technological boxes. Before you get ready to drop a bunch of money on a brand new camera, though, be sure to ask yourself these questions to make sure you're making the right decision.

Why Was the Canon 200mm f/1.8 So Expensive?
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Canon has quite a storied history of extreme lenses, and one of the most famous of those was definitely the EF 200mm f/1.8. This great video examines what made that lens so special and why it was (and remains) so expensive.

Canon Announces the RF 85mm f/1.2L USM Lens
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Canon's EF 85mm f/1.2L II lens is one of the most popular portrait lenses of all time, and it was surely a given that it would be coming for the RF mirrorless line. Today, Canon has announced the RF version, which features an entirely new optical design that should give it increased performance over its predecessor.

Why Are Cinema Lenses So Expensive?
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If you look at normal lenses, then look at cinema lenses of comparable aperture and focal length, you might be shocked by their prices over their counterparts. This fun video examines just why cinema lenses are so expensive.

Save $400 on a Sigma Art Lens Today Only
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The Sigma 40mm f/1.4 DG HSM Art lens is another star is Sigma's widely lauded Art line, known for its top-notch image quality at an affordable price. That price is even more affordable now, as you can take $400 off the lens today only.

Using a Speedlight for Outdoor Portraits
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Dedicated monolights are certainly highly useful for portrait work, but they're also relatively expensive and rather bulky. However, almost every photographer owns a speedlight, and you might wonder if you can use it in place of a monolight for on-location portrait work. This great video shows you the benefits and drawbacks of shooting with a speedlight outside.

The Ricoh GR III: An Overlooked but Highly Competent Compact Camera
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The Ricoh GR series has a long history stretching back to the film era, when they were known for their high quality (particularly for a point and shoot) 28mm lens. Ricoh has continued that tradition of quality as the series has moved into the digital era, and the third iteration looks to be quite a great option for those looking for a quality pocketable camera. This great video takes a look at the Ricoh GR III.

Do You Offer a Discount to Family and Friends for Your Photography?
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Photographers provide a very useful service, and because of that, you will probably often be asked to provide those services for friends and family, and they might want a discount (or even want you to work for free). When that happens, should you indulge them? This great video explores that exact question.

A Quick Tip for Selecting Colors Outside of Photoshop
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Photoshop's eyedropper tool is highly useful for selecting exact colors for a variety of uses while you're in the program. But did you know that you can also use it to select colors outside the program? This great video will show you a quick trick for selecting colors outside Photoshop.

Convincing Your Loved Ones That Photography Is a Real Job
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For many going into a photography career, the untraditional nature of the job can lead loved ones to be concerned or even disapproving of the choice. This great video examines that dilemma, telling the creator's personal story and offering ideas on how you can deal with that issue.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (April 2019): Erik Johansson
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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 2019, 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.

Three Helpful Tips for Running a Successful Photography Business
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There is a very distinct and fundamental difference between being a successful photographer and being successful in the business of photography. This helpful video will give you three tips to ensure you're successful when you start a photography business.

How Good Is the Panasonic S1 Full Frame Camera?
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The Panasonic S1 has been making waves as the company's first full frame camera, replete with a fascinating feature set in a rugged body. Nonetheless, it's part of a very inundated full frame camera market, and it has a lot of stiff competition. How well does it fare against the competitors? This great video review seeks to answer that question.

How to Stack Tracked Star Shots With a Foreground
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One of the fundamental issues in astrophotography is the general lack of light. To combat this, many serious astrophotographers turn toward equatorial mounts to allow them to get more light, but this can create difficulties if you have a foreground subject as well. This helpful tutorial will show you how to composite a foreground shot with a tracked night sky shot.

Learn How to Shoot in Manual Mode
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One of the most essential skills any new photographer should learn is how to shoot in manual mode. This helpful video will show you everything you need to know to start successfully shooting in manual mode.

Shooting a Challenging Large Format Photo
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Large format photography is already a highly challenging genre, as it requires a lot of technical considerations other formats don't. This great video follows a photographer as he shoots a difficult scene with an 8x10 camera while walking you through his methods and creative decisions.