Digital Innovations

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Digital Innovations
A Few Unsung Heroes Of Digital Imaging; Stamps Of Approval
Joe Farace  |  Oct 01, 2006  | 

"All science is either physics or stamp collecting."--Ernest Rutherford

There's nothing a photographer likes better than ripping the shrink wrap off a new software tool, image-editing program, or plug-in. The expression on their face reminds me of kids opening brightly-colored boxes during the holidays. While these kind of toy-like tools allow us to...

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Digital Innovations
Living Outside The Frame
“A Photograph Is Not An Accident—It Is A Concept.”
Joe Farace  |  Sep 01, 2006  | 

"The still must tease with the promise of a story the viewer of it itches to be told."
--Cindy Sherman

Two quotes again this month: The first by Ansel Adams, the second by Cindy Sherman. There are six photographers in Time magazine's list of the 100 most influential artists and entertainers of the 20th century: Henri Cartier-Bresson, W. Eugene...

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Digital Innovations
Trying To Be Your Best; “The Best Way To Predict The Future Is To Invent It.”
Joe Farace  |  Aug 01, 2006  | 

"Only the mediocre are alwlays at their best."
--Jean Giraudoux

Two quotes this month: The first by Alan Kay was on my mind while replying to the editor of my book The Complete Guide to Digital Infrared Photography--I didn't choose that title. He asked: "If I want to emulate the look of color IR film is a plug-in or (digital)...

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Digital Innovations
Mac OS Meets Windows; Peaceful Coexistence Within Platforms
Joe Farace  |  Jul 01, 2006  | 

"Life is pleasant. Death is peaceful. It's the transition that's troublesome."
--Isaac Asimov

I've tried to dump my Windows computer many times over the past few years, but the reality of writing Digital Innovations dictates it should be cross platform. So when my eMachines motherboard was fried, it was easier and cheaper to replace...

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Digital Innovations
Blurring The Lines; Software Solutions For Soft Effects
Joe Farace  |  Mar 01, 2006  | 

"There is nothing worse than a brilliant image of a fuzzy concept." --Ansel Adams

It could be that the sainted Adams meant a fuzzy image of a brilliant concept, but we'll never know. This month's column looks at using imaging software to blur an image and was inspired by a letter from reader Carol Baker. As a movie buff you gotta know...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Is There A Correct Way To Make A Photograph? Of Course Not, And Don’t Let Anyone Tell You Otherwise!
Joe Farace  |  Feb 01, 2006  | 

"Crankshaft: I want to buy a camera. Photo clerk: Digital? Crankshaft: No I plan to operate it with my toes."
--"Crankshaft" comic strip

Steve Kennedy is a photographer, automobile expert, and author of Jaguar: The Classic Marque (

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
New Year’s Rockin’ Software; Treasures From Around The World
Joe Farace  |  Jan 01, 2006  | 

This month's column contains practical and creative software from around the world, including something new from Greece's gift to the imaging world, Panos Efstathiadis. It's rare to see artists working together, but Efstathiadis' Stamp, that appears at the end of this column, is part of Frank Hatcher's WZ2K Cork Board Photoshop Action set. Some of...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Holiday Stocking Stuffers; Gizmos, Gadgets, And Gear To Produce The Ultimate Image
Joe Farace  |  Dec 01, 2005  | 

"You might as well do your holiday hinting early."--Anonymous

Submitted for your approval: A list of gizmos, gadgets, and gear for the digitally-minded who maybe thought they had everything but didn't know that they really needed lots more stuff to produce the ultimate image. You can use this month's column as a shopping list for your...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Analog Filters In A Digital World; Only The Strong Survive
Joe Farace  |  Nov 01, 2005  | 

"I always have a quotation for everything, it saves original thinking."
--Dorothy L. Sayers

Color filters for photography are often identified by their Wratten numbers, but who is this Wratten guy? Wratten & Wainwright made photo materials for commercial printing and by 1909 had established the Wratten system and published The Photography...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Isn’t It Ironic? The End Of Kodak’s Black And White Photo Paper
Joe Farace  |  Oct 01, 2005  | 

"The supreme irony of life is that hardly anyone gets out of it alive."
--Robert Heinlein

After 100 years, Eastman Kodak has stopped making black and white photographic paper that the Associated Press called "a niche product for fine art photographers and hobbyists..." I don't think there is any such thing as "fine...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
It’s National Hardware Month...Again; Gizmos, Gadgets, And Widgets, Oh My!
Joe Farace  |  Sep 01, 2005  | 

"There is only you and your camera. The limitations in your photography are in yourself, for what we see is what we are."--Ernst Haas

Whenever I rant about how it's the photographer's vision not the hardware that's important for creating memorable images, I'm reminded of when I was younger and shooting pictures with a well-used...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Raw Power; For Maximum Intensity Get Conversion Software That Works
Joe Farace  |  Aug 01, 2005  | 

"All power corrupts but we need the electricity."--Anonymous

Those people who tell me they capture everything in raw format remind me of those photographers who used to shoot "everything on Velvia." Heck, I don't even shoot everything on CompactFlash. My Canon EOS-1D Mark II takes both CompactFlash and Secure Digital cards. Well Bunky, if...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Black & White And Infrared All Over; Don’t Overlook Your Digicam’s IR Capability
Joe Farace  |  Jul 01, 2005  | 

"Nothing travels faster than the speed of light except bad news, which obeys its own special laws."--Douglas Adams

A digicam's infrared capability is a feature that's sometimes overlooked when cameras are reviewed in Shutterbug and other publications. Lest you think digital IR capture is an esoteric pursuit, a Google search turned up...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
The Best Things In Life Are Free; Who Says?
Joe Farace  |  May 01, 2005  | 

Photos © 2004 Joe Farace, All Rights Reserved

"Creative work is play. It is free speculation using materials of one's chosen form."
--Stephen Nachmanovitch

The GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a free open source photo retouching and image authoring program. While some of its fans claim it's just as good as Adobe...

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Digital Innovations
Digital Innovations
Share & Share Alike; Photo Sharing Is A Good Thing
Joe Farace  |  Apr 01, 2005  | 

All Photos © 2004, Joe Farace, All Rights Reserved

"Living is having ups and downs and sharing them with friends."--Trey Parker & Matt Stone

There are lots of photo-sharing sites, even good ones, too, like Smugmug (www.smugmug.com) and Webshots (http://www.webshots.com"...

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