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Alex Cooke

Cleveland, OH
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Original Articles from Alex Cooke

My Biggest Instagram Pet Peeve

Instagram is a really cool thing; it's chock full of amazing work that inspires. It's also a great place to connect with the people who make that work. However, when people create fake connections by following and unfollowing, I get quite annoyed. 

What I've Learned Shooting Drone Portraits

I have way too much fun with my drone. And while it's great for landscape shots, I wanted to try something a bit different, so I put a call out for musicians, told them to lay on the ground, and put a camera in the air. However, using a drone to take portraits is far different from having your camera at eye level. 

The Power of Undershooting in Photography

Last week, fellow Fstoppers Writer Ty Poland wrote an article called "The Power of Overshooting." Ty is a great photographer, and he made some very valid points, but I must respectfully disagree. To me, undershooting is what advances your skills as a photographer. 

Fstoppers Writers Reveal Their Biggest Mistakes in Photography

We pride ourselves on being professionals who work incessantly to constantly become better photographers here at Fstoppers. Still though, we're human, and sometimes, we make mistakes. Here are some of the most memorable mistakes Fstoppers writers have made. 

Jason Vinson

https://fstoppers.com/photo/111158

Beware the Golden Myth of Photography

As someone who has spent a life in mathematics, I see a lot of attempts to ascribe mathematical concepts to real-world ideas in an overly simplistic way. The media misinterpreting a single medical study and reporting that a glass of red wine is equivalent to an hour at the gym does not mean you should forget the treadmill and buy more Malbec.

Will We See 3D-Printed Camera Accessories Soon?

3D printers have recently become cheaper, more reliable, and more capable at the consumer level. On the same token, photographers constantly need all sorts of miscellaneous parts: adapters, clamps, rings, etc. It seems like now is the time for at-home 3D printing to take hold. 

Why Drones Scare Me

I love my DJI Phantom 4. I've gotten some great shots that I could have only dreamed of before. And yet, a recent experience left me angry and surprised. 

Everything We Think We Know About the Canon 5D Mark IV

There may be no camera more eagerly anticipated than the Canon 5D Mark IV. The 5D Mark III is one of the workhorses of the industry, but it's definitely showing its age as of late, and many are clamoring for Canon to catch up. The 1D-X Mark II is certainly promising, but for many wedding and portrait photographers, the 5D series is their bread and butter.

The Fascinating Self-Portraits of Courtney Emery

In the age of the selfie, a truly well-crafted self-portrait can make us take pause. Courtney Emery's images are intriguing and multifaceted creations that draw the viewer in and offer a very interesting look at her identity. 

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.

10 of the Weirdest Cameras Ever Made

The history of camera gear is rich, storied, and well, weird. Camera design has evolved in many different directions over time, sometimes in magnificent arcs of ingenuity and design, others in pit stops of absurd creativity or questionable judgment. Today, we're celebrating some of the strangest stops along that journey. 

Lamenting the Loss of the When and What in Photography

The sheer volume of photographs being produced has reached unforeseen levels. We take photographs almost without thinking now; any vaguely noteworthy event garners a veritable mass of cameras and cameraphones. But quantity does not necessarily beget quality, nor does it necessarily enable the photographic eye to sharpen itself.

Fstoppers Chats With Algolux About the Future of Computational Photography

Computational photography is quickly becoming one of the leading threads for the future of our industry. Whether we realize it or not, it is already deeply integrated into our DSLRs and cameraphones in a supporting role, while other manufacturers have embraced it as the fundamental basis for equipment.

Vogue Magazine Claims You Don't Need a Professional Wedding Photographer

Vogue Magazine recently released a list of 10 things the modern wedding can do without. Along with rings and the first dance, Vogue wants you to say "I don't" to hiring a professional photographer because a wedding is about "true love" and a photographer "detracts from that." Excuse me? 

Ten Things You Should Do When You Have a New Camera

Was the holiday season good to you? Are you blissfully cradling a brand new camera? Before you run out and start firing frames, be sure to check this list to make sure you and your camera are in top shape. 

The Story of One of the Earliest Composite Controversies

The use and misuse of composite photography is a story we hear about quite often. Long before the days of Photoshop and digital manipulation, though, composite photography existed. Here's the story of one of the earliest controversies surrounding a composite. 

VSCO Jumps Into the GIF Game With DSCO

On Thursday, Visual Supply Company (makers of the immensely popular editing app, VSCO) announced the release of DSCO, their new app for creating short, GIF-like clips. I downloaded the app and spent some time with it today. 

The Photography Accessory That Could Get You Killed

I've seen photography products that have made me laugh at their silliness. I've seen products that have made me roll my eyes at their absurdity. But it wasn't until I saw this product that I audibly cursed at my computer screen in sheer disbelief.