Joe Farace

Joe Farace  |  Jan 09, 2015  |  0 comments

Since scratching the first drawings of animals onto cave walls, humans have been compelled to create images of their world for others to see and understand. During the past 150 years, the shape, size, and technology of the tools we have used to produce photographs has changed drastically. To capture sweeping landscape vistas, we no longer need to drive a mule-drawn darkroom wagon into the wilderness. Now a camera that fits in a pocket can do the job. During the coming year, the means that we will use to capture photographs may change but not the motivation to share a view of our world with other people.

Joe Farace  |  Dec 30, 2014  |  0 comments

Tamron’s 14-150mm Di III is the company’s first lens designed for the mirrorless Micro Four Thirds camera system. When originally announced, this lens was supposed to feature built-in VC (Vibration Compensation) image stabilization but over the course of its development—there’s lots of in-body stabilization in this format—this feature was removed.

Joe Farace  |  Dec 09, 2014  |  0 comments
When I was a student at the Maryland Institute College of Art back in the film days, there was a bulletin board near the school’s darkrooms where misplaced negatives were pinned. It was officially called “The Little Lost Negative Board” but someone had surreptitiously added, “Someday my prints will come.”
Joe Farace  |  Dec 03, 2014  |  0 comments

Tamron is a pioneer in all-in-one, do-everything lenses. Their new 28-300mm f/3.5-6.3 Di PZD lens is designed for Canon, Nikon and Sony shooters and I tested the Canon EF version using an EOS 5D Mark I and an EOS 50D, which changes the lens’ angle-of-view to that of a 45-480mm lens.

Joe Farace  |  Nov 04, 2014  |  0 comments

One way that photographers can add variety to a portrait session is to shoot a few images in black and white. The way I like to do it is to put the camera in monochrome mode then shoot with Raw+JPEG capture, creating two files at the same time—one in color, the other in monochrome—that you can show your subject right away. I did this recently and the subject loved the look of the black-and-white portrait so much that we continued the session shooting that way. That said, since this is the lighting issue I’d like to start with some new items to light up your photo life.

Joe Farace  |  Oct 31, 2014  |  0 comments

I think Mr. Erwitt’s talking about “the way you see” is the best advice for any photographer no matter what their experience level may be. One way to open your mind and eyes to different ways of seeing the world is to look at other people’s images, and that’s one of my goals with this column. Helping us with that today are four Shutterbug readers who bring their own unique views of the world to bear on the art and craft of photography.

Joe Farace  |  Oct 19, 2014  |  0 comments

This report and product roundup is based on my visit to this year’s WPPI Expo, a show popular with portrait, event, and wedding photographers. As I visited the many lighting companies at the show, it became clear that studio and location lighting is going through its biggest changes since the invention of the flash bulb.

Joe Farace  |  Oct 07, 2014  |  0 comments

The first thing I did after receiving Flashpoint’s 180 battery-powered monolight was shoot a few tests to get a feel for how well the unit performed. Although impressed, more so than with some other battery-powered units I’ve used, at one point while shooting with a Canon EOS 60D, a BG-E9 battery grip, and an EF-S 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, I thought, “Wow, why is this camera so heavy?” That was when the “Small Monolight/Small Camera” concept was born and I decided to shoot this review using a Micro Four Thirds camera. And why not, so I worked with my Panasonic Lumix G5 for the test.

Joe Farace  |  Sep 19, 2014  |  0 comments

Like most photographers I occasionally become equipment obsessed, but sometimes even the smallest tool, something as simple and useful as a new LensPen, can make creating new images a little easier. I’ve often said that the most important piece of equipment is the one between a photographer’s ears, but creating images also requires tools. Choosing the right tool or accessory may not make the difference between a good photograph and a bad one, but may make the difference in whether or not you even try to capture it.

Joe Farace  |  Aug 26, 2014  |  0 comments

The most important tip I would like to share about travel photography is never buy a new camera or lens before traveling to Bhutan or even Carhenge. The next most essential travel photography secret is that using your equipment has to be instinctive; when a photo op presents itself you may only have a few seconds to get a shot. There’s no time to think about what menu to use or how to turn on continuous AF, or what exposure mode you’re in. Using your camera has to be instinctive; you should see—or even anticipate—then click the shutter. It’ll make travel more fun, too.

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