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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2016): Rex Jones

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 2016, we'll be featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

Amazing Video Breaks Down One of Canon's Best Lenses

The Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM lens is nothing short of remarkable. With an internal 1.4x teleconverter matched specifically to the lens' optics, it's a unique piece of gear known for its stellar quality. Now, Canon has released a video showing just what goes into making one of their top lenses.

The Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art May Finally Be on Its Way

There may be no lens in the world more eagerly desired and anticipated than the Sigma 85mm f/1.4 Art. Sigma's wildly successful Art series of lenses have been a huge hit with their great optical quality and highly competitive pricing, leaving photographers practically begging for a portrait lens. Now, it looks like that wish may be coming true.

Lensbaby Starts Kickstarter Campaign for Fisheye GoPro Lens

Snap-on lenses are a big thing in the iPhone world. They open up possibilities for whenever someone is working with a fixed focal length system with a lens that cannot be removed. Now, Lensbaby is giving its fans the option to do the same with their GoPro cameras.

Is Instagram Introducing the Infamous 'Boosted Post'?

It's no secret that most businesses despise Facebook's current model, which has destroyed organic reach in favor of the "boosted" post. Instagram, on the other hand, has never employed such a process. That may be about to change, though.

The Experience of Photographing Vladimir Putin

Russian President Vladimir Putin was named Time Magazine's Person of the Year in 2007. Photographer Platon was selected to take his portrait for the cover, an image which has now gained far more reach and notoriety than just the magazine's cover. Here, he talks about his experience photographing one of the most powerful people in the world.

Learn How to Properly Light a Green Screen

The green screen effect (also known as "chroma keying") is highly useful and pretty cool. Lighting a green screen is a royal pain in the neck, however. Luckily, B&H has released a video to help you navigate the process and pull off convincing shots.

How Drones Are Being Used to Help Stop Poaching

Tsavo, a region in Kenya, contains the world's largest elephant population, and thus, it is a prime target both for poachers and conservationists. Nonetheless, policing the 8,150-square-mile area is a daunting task. With some clever math and the help of drones, though, Penn State University researchers are helping to make that task much easier.

Using Drones to Make Lighting Fires Safer

Controlled burns are crucial to conservation efforts, but setting them can be dangerous to firefighters. In fact, five have lost their lives in the past eleven years during such efforts. A team from the Nebraska Intelligent Mobile Unmanned Systems (NIMBUS) Laboratory at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln is seeking to make the job safer by removing humans from the equation.

FAA Begins Testing Drone Detection System

One of the biggest concerns about drones is their usage around airports. Several recent close calls have left the government scrambling to continue to catch up to the quickly evolving capabilities and usages of the flying cameras. The FAA is now testing a new system for detecting unauthorized drones near airports.

European Space Agency Releases Stunning Photographic Mosaic of Africa

Last year, the European Space Agency launched the Sentinel-2A, a terrestrial observation satellite that specialized in operations such as natural disaster management, forest monitoring, pollution management, and agricultural practices. They've just released an incredible cloud-free photographic mosaic of the Africa, offering a striking view of the continent.

Michael Reichmann, Founder of The Luminous Landscape, Passes Away at 71

Seventeen years ago, when digital photography and the Internet were still very much in their infancy, Michael Reichmann and Chris Sanderson started The Luminous Landscape. With his no-nonsense approach, vast experience and technical knowledge, and objective, even-handed approach, Reichmann shaped how we write and think about photography in the modern age.

Photographers Bring New Meaning to the Term 'Power Pose'

I've always been very slow and methodical when it comes to posing. Each angle is adjusted; every minutiae is considered. Sure, it may take a little longer, but it's worth it for the shot. After watching these videos, though, I've begun to think I've been doing it all wrong.

'Hong Kong Strong' Is a Mesmerizing Video Tour of the City

Hong Kong is one of the largest cities in the world, so capturing it in a way that does it justice is no small task. Filmmaker Brandon Li has accomplished that, however, by creating a fast-paced feast for the eyes that keeps the viewer on their toes and illuminates many of the unique facets of the City of Life.

How to Use a Video Game Controller to Edit in Adobe Premiere

I have a love/hate relationship with post work. It's where all the magic of the final product comes together, but it can be oh so mundane and tedious. One editor is making it both more fun and more efficient by trading in his mouse and keyboard for something a bit more interesting: a video game controller.