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Alex Cooke
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Original Articles Written by Alex Cooke

How to Handle Difficult Family Members During Shoots
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You're halfway through wedding family formals when Grandma starts rearranging everyone's positions because "the boys should be taller in the back." Uncle Bob pulls out his phone to show you better lighting techniques he saw on YouTube. The teenage cousin rolls their eyes and slouches every time you raise your camera. Meanwhile, your actual client—the bride who hired and is paying you—stands helplessly in her wedding dress watching her family hijack the photos she's been dreaming about for months.

5 Cameras That Changed Photography Forever
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Photography has evolved dramatically over the past 50 years, but certain cameras didn't just capture images—they fundamentally altered the entire medium. These five cameras didn't just introduce new features; they sparked revolutions that are still shaping how we create and consume photography today.

How to Raise Your Prices Without Losing Clients
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You've been charging the same rates for two years. Your costs have increased, your skills have improved, and your calendar is booked solid—yet you're making less money than ever because inflation has eroded your purchasing power while your prices stayed frozen. You know you need to raise your rates, but every time you think about it, panic sets in. What if clients leave? What if you lose the momentum you've built? What if you price yourself out of the market?

From Rural Ukraine to Global Recognition: The Self-Taught Journey of Postproduction Artist Galina Trush
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In an industry where formal education and expensive equipment often seem like prerequisites for success, Galina Trush's story stands as a powerful reminder that raw talent, determination, and an unwavering commitment to quality can open doors to the world's most prestigious publications. Today, her retouching work graces the pages of Vogue, Cosmopolitan, and Glamour, but her journey began in a small Ukrainian town with nothing more than a passion for visual arts and access to Photoshop.

The Client Red Flags Every Photographer Should Know
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Every experienced photographer has a story about the client from hell—the one who made their life miserable, didn't pay on time, demanded endless revisions, and left negative reviews despite getting exactly what they asked for. What separates seasoned professionals from struggling photographers isn't just technical skill or marketing savvy—it's the ability to spot problem clients before they become problems.

Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (May 2025): Hanna Nevreva
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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 2025, 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.

The Portfolio Mistake 90% of New Photographers Make
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Your portfolio is sabotaging your career, and you don't even know it. Right now, thousands of photographers are losing potential clients because they're making the same fundamental mistake that screams "amateur" to anyone who views their work. It's not about technical quality, composition, or editing skills—it's about something much more basic that most photographers completely misunderstand.

What to Do When Clients Ask for 'Just a Few Quick Edits'
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Every photographer knows this email. You've delivered the final gallery, the client loves 90% of the images, and then comes the follow-up: "These look amazing! Could you just make a few quick edits? Nothing major—just brighten this one a bit, remove that person in the background, and maybe make my skin look smoother in these five shots. Should only take a few minutes, right?"

Why So Many Photographers Are Burned Out in 2025
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Something's wrong in the photography world, and everyone can feel it. Browse any photography forum, scroll through Facebook groups, or check Reddit threads, and you'll see the same conversations repeating: established photographers selling their gear, newcomers questioning whether it's worth starting, and veterans openly wondering if the industry they once loved still has room for them.

The Three Camera Specs You Should Stop Obsessing Over in 2025
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Camera manufacturers have turned photographers into spec addicts, and it's time for an intervention. Every product announcement sends us scrambling to compare numbers: How many megapixels? What's the burst rate? How many autofocus points? We've been conditioned to believe that bigger numbers equal better photos, but that's marketing fiction designed to empty your wallet.

We Review the 2025 Mac Studio: The New Performance King
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Craving a Mac that tears through demanding projects without crowding your desk? The new Mac Studio with M4 Max aims to be your next power-packed desktop, merging blistering performance with a compact form factor that sits discreetly on any workstation.

How to Handle Copyright Theft (Step by Step)
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You're scrolling through Instagram when you see it: your photograph, posted by someone else, with no credit, no permission, and often with their own watermark slapped on top. Your stomach drops. That image took hours to capture and edit, and now someone is using it to promote their business, build their social media following, or sell their products—all without paying you a cent.

Why Friends and Family Discounts Backfire
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Your sister needs engagement photos. Your college roommate is getting married. Your neighbor wants family portraits. They all know you're a photographer, and they all expect the "friends and family discount." It feels natural to help the people you care about, especially when you have a skill they need. So you cut your rates in half, or maybe shoot for free, thinking you're being generous and strengthening relationships.

We Review the ASUS ROG Flow Z13: A Portable Powerhouse for Photographers, Creatives, and Coders
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The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 combines the power of a high-end laptop with the versatility of a tablet. This 13.4-inch 2-in-1 packs cutting-edge hardware in a sleek CNC-milled aluminum chassis, aiming to deliver pro-level performance for photographers, digital artists, and programmers on the go. In this in-depth review, we’ll explore its design, display quality, performance benchmarks, thermals and battery life, connectivity, cameras and audio, and overall user experience to see if it lives up to the hype.

Cameras That Failed Hard (And Why)
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The camera industry is littered with the corpses of products that looked revolutionary on paper but crashed spectacularly in the real world. These aren't just minor missteps—these are epic failures that cost companies millions, confused consumers, and taught us valuable lessons about what not to do. Here are the cameras that failed hardest, and the brutal reasons why.

Hey Photographers, Sell Your Old Crap Already!
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If you’ve ever stubbed your toe on a pile of outdated camera gear, you know the sting of clinging to equipment you never use. It’s like hoarding pizza boxes after the slices are gone—pointless and a bit embarrassing.
Fstoppers Photographer of the Month (April 2025): Eden Antho
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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 2025, 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.