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Alex Cooke
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Articles written by Alex Cooke

10 Crucial Lighting Mistakes Beginner Filmmakers Make

While there are a lot of differences between video and photography, one fundamental truth remains: your lighting makes or breaks your creations. And just like photography, there are some common lighting mistakes that new filmmakers tend to make. This excellent video tutorial will show you 10 such mistakes and what you can do to fix them or avoid them in the first place.

How a Photographer Runs His Business

Running a successful photography business that brings in sufficient income takes a lot more than simply being good with a camera and knowing how to light a shot. This excellent video tutorial features an experienced professional discussing how he runs his business and offering some helpful insight.

A Review of the Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM Lens

24mm lenses with wide apertures are some of the most versatile out there, offering a reasonably wide (though not overly so) focal length in tandem with a lot of light-gathering and subject-isolating power. The Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM takes that versatility and adds in macro capabilities and image stabilization, making it quite the intriguing option. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

Is a Beauty Dish or Octabox Better for Portraits?

Beauty dishes and octaboxes are two of the most common lighting modifiers out there, with almost every portrait studio in existence owning at least one of the two, if not both. They are not identical, though, and each renders your subject in a unique way, which is why it is important to understand the differences so you can pick the proper one for your style and clients' needs. This great video tutorial will show you a deep look at the two options, how they differ, and which is appropriate for different situations.

Is This the Ultimate Wedding Photography Lens?

Wedding photography generally requires at least two and often several lenses to get through the entire day, and as such, any lens that can take the place of a few offers a significant increase in convenience. The Tamron 35-150mm f/2-2.8 Di III VXD is one such lens, and with its tremendous focal length range and wide aperture, it looks like a potentially fantastic option for wedding photographers. This great video takes you through a wedding day with the lens to show you how versatile it is.

YouTube Reverses Course on Making Users Pay for 4K

Recently, some YouTube users started reporting that their ability to watch 4K videos was hidden behind a premium subscription, leading to outcry. Thankfully, that experiment has been walked back.

6 Important Lessons Learned From Shooting With Long Lenses

Shooting with long telephotos lenses is an entirely different experience that requires some specialized techniques and considerations. If you are new to working with those extra-long focal lengths and looking for some helpful advice to ensure you get the best possible shots, check out this fantastic video tutorial that discusses six important lessons.

A Review of the Do-it-All Canon RF-S 18-150mm F/3.5-6.3 IS STM Lens

Cameras like the EOS R7 and EOS R10 have shown that Canon is serious about APS-C mirrorless cameras in addition to their quickly growing full frame line. As such, the company has begun to create RF-S lenses specifically made for those smaller sensors, with one such lens being the RF-S 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM, which covers a huge range of focal lengths for a wide variety of needs. This excellent video review takes a look at the new lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in practice.

How Lightroom's Brush Tool Can Help You Make Better Photo Edits

Most people think of Lightroom as the place for organizing their photos and performing light edits and Photoshop as the destination for more intensive work. However, in the last few years, the former has made some major strides that make it a serious editing tool. This great video tutorial will show you how to use a combination of the new masking features and the brush tool for creating more compelling landscape image edits.

How to Take Great Landscape Photos No Matter the Weather

When it comes to landscape photography, we are at the mercy of the elements, and that can be a really frustrating thing, particularly when you have hiked for hours with a bag of gear on your back. So, what can you do when the weather is not great? The truth is that you can create worthwhile photos in any conditions as long as you approach things the right way. This excellent video tutorial will show you how.

How Good Is the Google Pixel 7's 'Unblur' Photo Technology?

We have gotten to the point where smartphones can create professional-quality photos in a wide array of situations. Google's Pixel 7 and Pixel 7 Pro phones offer some of the best cameras available, and one of their most interesting features is "unblur," which promises to use advanced tech to literally remove the blur from things like faces in photos where the shutter speed was too slow or the subject was moving too much. How well does it actually work, though? This awesome video review takes a look at what you can expect.

A Review of the Highly Affordable TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 Tilt Lens

Tilt lenses are some of the most versatile out there, allowing you to control depth of field independently of aperture, a unique capability that allows for both major technical advantages and highly creative images. However, such lenses tend to be quite expensive, which is what makes the TTArtisan 50mm f/1.4 Tilt lens, which sits at about $200, such an intriguing option. Can it provide decent performance, though? This excellent video review takes a look at the sort of performance and image quality you can expect.

Why One Photographer Left Canon

Canon has caused a bit of controversy with its stance on third-party lenses, and that has left many users pondering their future relationships with the company. This interesting video features a seasoned Canon user discussing why he has decided to sell his gear.

What You Need to Know About the Inverse Square Law of Lighting

One of the most crucial things any photographer working with artificial light needs to learn is the inverse square law, which has deep consequences on how light behaves and the look of your images. If you are new to working with artificial light and want to learn the inverse square law, check out this excellent video tutorial that will show you what you need to know.

Learn How This Marilyn Monroe Inspired Nude Portrait Was Lit and Photographed

Few photographic subjects are iconic than Marilyn Monroe, and even today, decades later, images of her capture viewers' eyes and photographers' imaginations. This awesome video tutorial will take you behind the scenes of a fine art nude portrait inspired by Marilyn Monroe and show you how it was lit, photographed, and edited.

Affordable and Versatile: A Look at the Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM Lens

Canon makes some spectacular portrait lenses, but they tend to command equally spectacular prices, and many photographers might not wish to shell out several thousands dollars for one. At $499, that makes the RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM a breath of fresh air, and when you add in the versatility of 1:2 macro capabilities, it looks like a very intriguing option. This excellent video review takes a look at the lens and the sort of performance and image quality you can expect from it in usage.

3 Professional Camera and Lens Combos You Can Get for About $1,000

When it comes to professional photography equipment, outfitting your camera bag can become expensive very quickly. Thankfully, though, we have been in the digital era long enough that there is a huge range of used gear available that is still plenty capable for a lot of applications. This great video will show you three great camera and lens combinations that can be had for about $1,000 and that will serve you well for plenty of needs.

7 Steps for Buying a Lens

Perhaps no piece of photographic equipment is more crucial to your work and image quality than the lens you put on your camera, and as such, when it comes time to purchase one, it is something you should consider carefully. If you are ready to purchase your next lens, check out this great video tutorial that will give you seven steps to follow to ensure you get the right lens for your needs and budget.

Is There Any Point in Photographing Popular Locations?

There are a lot of popular locations out there, and while they can look enticing, you sometimes get there and realize you are just creating the same images that thousands of photographers before you made. So, is there any point in investing the time, effort, and money to photograph such places? This excellent video features an experienced landscape photographer discussing the topic.