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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Look at the Incredible New Sony a9 III Mirrorless Camera

Sony's a9 III is one of the most important cameras to hit the market in a long time, finally bringing to the masses the holy grail of a global shutter in a full frame camera. What do you get from a camera so jam-packed with groundbreaking features? This excellent video review takes a look at everything you can expect.

A Review of the Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2 Lens

Tamron is one of the most popular and respected companies in the market, notable for creating a variety of lenses that use pragmatic design principles to offer a lot of the same capabilities and performance of first-party options at far more competitive prices. One such lens is the 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VC VXD G2, and this great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

Captive Creativity: Inmates Develop Self-Portraits And Self-Worth Behind Bars

An ongoing exhibition on Long Island shines light on the transformative power of art behind bars. Featuring soul-baring self-portraits from inmates of the Yaphank Correctional Facility, the images emerged from an introspective four-week photography workshop aimed at reawakening dignity in persons serving time for nonviolent offenses.

A Review of the Sigma 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary Lens

Sigma's fresh 10-18mm f/2.8 DC DN Contemporary lens offers a compelling blend of a generous ultra-wide field of view and bright constant aperture, and that makes it an intriguing option for a wide variety of creatives. Can it deliver in practice, though? This great video review takes a look at the performance and image quality you will be able to expect.

A Review of the Fujifilm GF 55mm f/1.7R WR Lens

Fujifilm continues bolstering its medium format arsenal with ever more versatile GF mount options. One of the latest to come through is the GF 55mm f/1.7R WR, offering an unusually bright maximum aperture for the format. This fantastic video review takes a look at if the spec sheet lives up to its tantalizing promises in real-world practice.

A Review of the Tiny But Powerful Sony a7CR Mirrorless Camera

The Sony a7CR crams the formidable 61-megapixel full frame sensor from the nearly twice-as-expensive a7R V into a body barely bigger than the original a7C. What can you get out of this tiny powerhouse? This excellent video review takes a look at what you can expect.

Sculpting Storytelling Light for Engagement Photos

Capturing the spirit of love’s celebrations demands thoughtful artistry behind the lens. In his latest tutorial, seasoned wedding shooter Pye Jirsa demonstrates essential techniques for intentionally crafting evocative engagement portraits through deliberate light shaping. Through five versatile lighting recipes, Jirsa spotlights how to create desired moods and contexts to transform setups into narrative tools.

Sculpting Style With Light: Unlocking Artistic Vision Through Multi-Flash Setups

Many photographers looking to pursue more conceptual portraiture are intimidated by elaborate lighting configurations required to achieve intensely stylized effects. However, this excellent video tutorial makes the case that venturing beyond single-source illumination opens doors for bringing unique creative visions vibrantly to life.

Mastering Manual Flash: Go In-Depth on Off-Camera Lighting

Photographers often hit walls when controlling off-camera lighting on shoots. While TTL flash offers some automation, real mastery means moving to manual settings for predictable, quality results. The excellent video tutorial will put you on the right track.

Meta Ditches Responsible AI Team

Meta has dismantled its team devoted to developing ethical artificial intelligence, according to an internal memo leaked recently. The Responsible AI group, formed in 2019 to ensure fair and bias-free model training, has been redirected to focus on expanding the company's generative AI capabilities instead.

Want to Start Getting Paid for Your Photography? Follow This Formula

Aspiring photographers often hit a wall when trying to transition from hobbyist to professional work. It's one thing to take nice photos for fun, but landing those first paid gigs requires a strategic approach and understanding of what a client needs, not just what you like to shoot. The fantastic video tutorial boils down a simple yet effective formula any beginner can follow to start photographing local small businesses and getting paid.

Mastering Off-Camera Flash: Avoid These Common Mistakes

Learning to shoot with off-camera flash brings a whole new level of control and creativity to photography. But along with the endless possibilities comes ample room for slip-ups. This fantastic video tutorial outlines the five most common mistakes people make when first stepping into off-camera lighting, along with fixes to set you up for success.

Choosing the Ideal Lens for Portrait Photography

Selecting the right lens for portrait photography is a pivotal decision for photographers of all levels. This comprehensive video offers valuable insights into the intricate world of portrait lenses with in-depth exploration of various lens types, from prime lenses to zooms, wide angles to telephotos, making it an invaluable resource for photographers seeking to refine their portrait photography skills.

Alert for Photographers: Package Theft Soars to Record Levels

As the holiday season approaches, the Better Business Bureau has issued a warning to photographers, revealing that package theft is currently "at an all-time high." This troubling trend is a cause for concern, especially as we anticipate an increase in package deliveries during this busy holiday season.

Why Aperture Priority Is One of the Most Important Camera Modes

In the world of photography, creativity often hinges on the control of light and focus. One powerful tool that grants photographers the ability to manipulate these elements is "Aperture Priority" mode. This enlightening video delves into the realm of Aperture Priority mode, unlocking its potential to enhance your photographic journey and show why it's such an important tool.

Are You Savoring the Photographic Experience?

There can be a lot of pressure on photographers to get the shot, move on, and get the next one. It's important to remember to enjoy the craft, though. This great video tutorial reminds you to savor the moment.

You Can Learn Photography Without a Camera

While a camera may be indispensable for producing photographs, there are manifold ways to learn the art of photography without one. Besides technical proficiency, great photographers like Dorothea Lange relied on less tangible traits like emotional intelligence and inspiration, and we can learn from them.