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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

A Look at One of Photoshop's Most Powerful and Least Used Features

Photoshop is an extremely nuanced and complex program, which means there are often several ways to accomplish what you need to do. One of the application's most useful features, Blend If, is a bit hidden behind those multiple layers of menus, but it is one well worth knowing, as it gives you powerful and versatile capabilities for a range of editing scenarios. This excellent video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of Blend if and demonstrates how it works through a series of double exposure edits.

A Beginner's Guide to Editing Photos in Lightroom

Lightroom is one of the most popular programs for editing your photos, and it is surprisingly powerful, able to tackle a wide range of edits entirely by itself. If you are new to photography and working in Lightroom, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you the ins and outs of working in the program through a portrait edit.

How to Create a Professional Portrait Using Just One Speedlight

As a portrait photographer, learning how to work with artificial light will enable far more creative exploration and free you from needing to rely on certain times of day, locations, and conditions. The best place to start is with a single light. This great video tutorial will show you the ins and outs of working with a single speedlight and how to use it to create a professional-level portrait.

6 Common Photo Composition Mistakes

While things like aperture, shutter speed, and ISO are quantifiable, and thus, easy to discuss, composition is both qualitative and a bit more nebulous and thus, a bit harder to nail down. If composition is something you struggle with in your work, check out this great video tutorial that will show you six common composition mistakes photographers make and how to fix them to improve your images.

Helpful Advice for Becoming a Better Landscape Photographer

Landscape photography is one of the most popular genres out there, and finding success in it takes a combination of good technique, creative vision, the ability to work with changing and often unpredictable conditions, and often, a smidgen of luck. If you would like to improve your landscape photography, check out this fantastic video tutorial that features an experienced landscape photographer sharing some very helpful advice.

How Does the Nikon Z9 Compare to the Sony a1 for Wildlife Photography?

The Nikon Z9 and Sony a1 are two of the most advanced mirrorless cameras on the market right, capable of capturing high-resolution images at blazing burst rates, all backed up by some of the most sophisticated autofocus systems out there. And so, how do they perform against each other in one of the most challenging genres for a camera, wildlife photography? This excellent comparison takes a look.

3 Different Ways to Adjust a Sky in Lightroom and Photoshop

The sky is an integral part of just about any landscape photograph, and as such, it deserves a healthy dose of your attention during the editing process. If you would like to improve your landscape images, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you three different ways to adjust the sky using Photoshop or Lightroom.

How Good Is the New Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra Cameraphone?

The Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra takes a well-established platform and formula and builds upon it with a number of improvements and new features, one of the most notable being its 200-megapixel wide angle camera. This excellent video review takes a look at the new phone and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Why a Low ISO Isn't Always the Right Choice for the Best Photos

A lower ISO means less noise, greater dynamic range, and better image quality. As such, a lower ISO is almost always preferable — almost. ISO is only one of the three exposure parameters, and if you do not consider it in tandem with them, it can seriously affect your image quality. This excellent video tutorial will show you why you should not be afraid to raise your ISO when the situation calls for it.

A Review of the Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM Lens

Do you have $20,000 burning a hole in your pocket? If you have ever wondered what you can accomplish with a lens that costs the price of a car, check out this excellent video review that takes a look at what is arguably the most extreme lens on the market right now, the Canon RF 1200mm f/8 L IS USM.

5 AI Photography Tools to Try This Year

2023 is the year of AI, and the industry is exploding with a wide range of tools that can make your life easier, whether that is through editing, running your business, or other tasks. This excellent video tutorial will show you five such tools you should consider taking advantage of to save time and improve the quality of your images.

What Is Photographic Purpose in the Age of AI?

The age of AI is here, and like it or not, the barn door is open and the horse is out. With the ability to quickly generate believable images with minimal input, what does it mean to be a photographer in 2023? What is photographic purpose? This worthwhile video essay discusses the subject.

5 Great Urban Portrait Locations

The awesome thing about shooting portraiture in a city is that there are so many options for locations and looks, meaning you can easily create a large volume of worthwhile images in the span of just an afternoon. If you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the options and wondering what some of the best locations are, check out this fantastic video tutorial that will show you five of the best spots for your next shoot.

A Guide to Sunset Portrait Photography With a Single Speedlight

Sunset portraits are a timeless look that will always be appreciated by a lot of clients, and adding a bit of artificial light can help both to balance the exposure and to add a bit of creative flair that can really take the image to the next level. If you are new to working with artificial light, check out this great video tutorial that will show you how to combine a speedlight with a sunset to create compelling and eye-catching portraits.

The Versatility of Flat Light in Landscape Photography

When you think of compelling landscape imagery, you probably imagine rays of dramatic golden sun cascading across the scene, and while that can make for fantastic images, it certainly is not the only kind of light that makes for worthwhile photos. Flat light can be particularly nice for a range of shots, and this great video tutorial will show you both why it is useful and how to take advantage of it.

Canon Continues to Explore f/4 Zoom Lens Designs

With the advent of the RF mount, Canon entered a new realm of lens design, with some of the most extreme designs ever seen for full frame cameras. Nonetheless, it seems the company is also exploring more measured and pragmatic designs as well, with some very interesting f/4 zoom lens designs emerging in a recent trio of patents.

Some of the Most Common Landscape Photography Editing Mistakes

Rarely is a landscape photo finished when you take the shot; most such images require some level of editing to create the finished product. If you are new to landscape photography and interested in improving your work, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses some of the most common landscape photography editing mistakes and what you can do to avoid or fix them.

Canon Patents Advanced and Intriguing Lens

The RF mount has seen some extreme lens designs, with Canon pushing into new territory with options like the revered 28-70mm f/2L. It seems they have no intention of slowing down, as another interesting design has emerged, this time one sure to please sports and wildlife photographers.

How to Capture Eye-catching Beach Sunset Photos

The beach and a good sunset make for a fantastic combination and a timeless look. There are several ways to approach such a shot, and it takes some careful technique to deal with some often tricky issues, such as large dynamic range. This helpful video tutorial features an experienced landscape photographer sharing a range of helpful advice on when and how to take the photo along with how to post-process it for the best results.

Why One Photographer Left Canon for Sony

There are now several manufacturers will fully developed and advanced mirrorless camera lines, and it can be difficult to choose between the many different options. This interesting video features an experienced photographer discussing why he chose to switch to Sony after being a Canon user for over a decade and features some excellent insights into what features and capabilities a modern creative needs and appreciates.