Joe Farace

Article: Putting the Best Face Forward.Posing for Portraits, Part V

When a person has a portrait made, they often ask the photographer to make sure they “get their good side.” But do people really have "good" and "bad" sides? You betcha!

Article: Product Review: Nikon 1 J1.Is less more?

How does Nikon's bold new MILC system, with its small sensor, compare to the latest Micro Four Thirds cameras? Our field and lab test results may surprise you.

Article: Posing a Large Wedding Group.Posing for portraits, Part IV

Posing groups of people is always a challenge. Photographing groups at a wedding is an even bigger challenge because not only can the groups become large but also there are usually time constraints.

Article: On-Location Posing Tips.Posing and Portraits, Part II

Portraits—no matter where you make them—are all about light, so start by searching for places where the light looks good.

Article: Posing, Costumes and Hair.Posing and Portraits, Part 2

Costumes add an element of fun to portrait sessions, and can put inexperienced subjects at ease in front of the camera. That plus knowing the right question to ask can result in a successful session.

Article: Basic In-Studio Posing Tips.Posing and Portraits, Part 1

One of the most important elements in creating saleable portraits is knowing how to pose your subjects.

Article: Modify your your Digital Camera for Infrared Photography.Infrared photography is easier than ever, thanks to some clever, warranty-voiding customizations.

Because the imaging sensors in digital camera are sensitive to more than visible light, some manufacturers place an infrared cut-off filter in front of the chip to block IR light from striking it and causing color balance problems.

Article: Multifaceted Reflectors Have Many Uses.Lighting accessories

Reflectors are available in many forms but my favorite is the circular, collapsible types that are easy to carry.

Article: Product Review: The Apple iPad.The possibilities are infinite

Is the iPad going to revolutionize displaying and editing photographs, or self-publishing electronic photo books? Here’s a look at the first generation.

Article: Assembling A Small Location Lighting Kit .Wireless flash makes it easy to set up a studio on the go

Let's put together a complete location/studio lighting kit that will fit in a carry-on bag

Article: Product Review: Olympus E-P2.Something’s New in the Digital Pen Family

Within months of the groundbreaking E-P1, Olympus introduced the interchangeable-lens, compact Micro Four Thirds E-P2. Is this camera a minor refinement, or a significant upgrade?

Article: Product Review: Carl Zeiss 28mm Distagon T* f/2.0 ZE lens.Wide and fast…and perfect?

Zeiss has recently introduced a series of spare-no-expenses, top-quality manual-focus lenses optimized for today’s digital SLR cameras. Let’s put one of them through its paces.

Article: Product Review: Pro-Optic 8mm f/3.5 Fish-Eye CS lens.Does this sub-$300 ultrawide lens deliver image quality that will please demanding digital photographers?

Lots of photographers would like to own a really wide angle, fish-eye lens, but there has always been one major roadblock standing in the way: the price tag. These optical devices are complicated to design and build, and that complexity is ultimately reflected in the cost.

Article: Camera-Review-Olympus-E-P1.Neither P&S or SLR, but a Little of Both

The Olympus E-P1 is a bit of a hybrid. It’s not a point and shoot camera, although it looks like one. It isn’t an SLR but takes interchangeable lenses.

Article: Do you know your DSLR’s exposure modes?.Take full control over your camera

When it comes to knowing the difference between program, auto, Tv, Av, and manual, do you feel a bit green? After this in-depth look at DSLR modes, you’ll be an expert!

Article: Review: DSLR Camera Remote for iPhone.Control your Canon DSLR with Your Cell Phone

Is this $10 app for the Apple iPhone a wireless remote shutter release killer? Let’s touch the screen and find out!

Article: Product Review: Olympus E-30.Semi-Pro SLR with Built-in Creative Filters

The E-30 bears some resemblance to Olympus’ pro-level E-3 but combines some of the E-520 ‘s consumer-friendly features.

Article: Get Closer Close-Ups With A Tele-Extender.An alternative to macro, sort of

We continue our look at tele-extenders an how they can add versatility to your lenses in general, and macro photography capabilities in particular.

Article: Extend zoom lens range with a tele-converter.It's Almost Something for Nothing

Tele-converters, aka tele-extenders, are relatively small optical devices that fit between your camera body and lens, producing greater magnification and increasing the lens’ focal length.

Article: Product Spotlight: Rose Holder Clamp .A flower-friendly gadget

I used to just stick my flowers in a vase to photograph them.

Article: A Better Angle for Down-To-Earth Shots.Find the right angle with this finder

Using a macro lens lets you get close but achieving a pleasing composition requires a good look through the viewfinder. But sometimes you need help getting down.

Article: Product Profile: Adorama Macro Focusing Rail Set.Keep Flower Shots On Track With A Rail

Here's a way to gain more precise control over your camera's position when shooting macro.

Article: Put a sock on it.A simple, clever light modifier

If you’re using a professional studio flash the obvious choice for soft lighting is an umbrella and for most purposes that’s still the best choice.

Article: Product Spotlight: Reflector brackets and holders.An invaluable portrait accessory

You can always hold a reflector in one hand and your camera in the other and I have seen many photographers do this.

Article: Tripods: The ultimate image stabilization.No shaky shots. Guaranteed.

In this time of high-tech image stabilized and vibration reduction lenses as well as anti-shake capabilities built into cameras from Sony, Olympus, and Pentax, you might wonder if you even need a tripod? I think so. Let me tell you why.

News: 100 in 100: Tripods: the ultimate image stabilization.

(Editor's note: Thanks to the holdiay, we're giving you a "100 in 100" double feature today!) In this time of high-tech image stabilized and vibration reduction lenses as well as anti-shake cap

Article: Use fast lenses for low light.Wide aperture lenses can see more in the dark

Most lenses are designed to work under normal lighting conditions. In photographic terms, "normal" generally means outdoors. Normal lighting may work in overcast weather, shade of trees or buildings, or in brightly lit rooms with skylights and plenty windows, but the real world isn't always like that.

News: 100 in 100: Low Light & Night Photography.

Day 81: As the days get shorter, you will find it necessary to shoot in lower light—indoors as well as at night. This week, 100 in 100 explores ways to get the best quality images after the sun

Article: How do metering patterns work?.Unlocking exposure secrets

These days most digital SLRs offer multiple methods for metering the light in a scene. The most common method includes Multi-segment, sometimes called “matrix” or multi-zone metering.

Article: Do You Have The Blinkies?.How your camera lets you know your exposure is wrong

A very useful exposure tool found on some digital cameras is the highlight alert feature that my pal Barry Staver (www.barrystaver.com) calls the “blinkies” or “marching ants.”

Article: Film vs. Digital exposure, and Histograms.The ultimate tool for determining proper exposure

Correct exposure is critical, maybe even more so for digital capture than film, especially color negative film. That because the latitude (the ability to over or underexpose an image) is greatest with color negative film than for any other capture media.

Article: Understanding contrast in exposure.Unlocking an exposure mystery

Contrast is the difference in brightness between light and dark areas in a scene and can be a function of the subject matter, lighting conditions, or a little of each. Controlling contrast in camera can be a challenge.

News: 100 in 100: Understanding contrast in exposure.

Day 72: Contrast is the difference in brightness between light and dark areas in a scene and can be a function of the subject matter, lighting conditions, or a little of each. Controlling contra

News: 100 in 100: Understanding Shadows and Highlights.

(This week, we return to Joe Farace's ongoing series on exposure as Joe unlocks the mysteries of understanding how shadows and highlights work in the world of digital exposure.) Light has thr

Article: Understanding Shadows and Highlights.More exposure basics

Light has three major qualities: quality, quantity, and direction. As photographers seeking to master the art of exposure, seeing that light is the key to mastering the art of exposure.

Article: Six scene modes you may actually want to use.Are scene modes useful? These are!

Some scene modes seem unnecessary, but I've used these, and find them very useful!

Article: DSLR scene mode secrets!.The easy way to good exposures

Scene Modes are Program mode on steroids. They turn the whole job of exposure over to camera's CPU to not only make all of the relevant exposure choices—and maybe even ISO and color balance settings--but is biased toward specific shooting conditions. The Scene Mode you choose may even automatically pop-up the built-in flash!

News: 100 in 100: Metering modes: Green or Program?.

Day 31: This week, Joe Farace takes an in-depth look at understanding digital exposure and the various metering and exposure controls on digital SLR cameras. Photographers, like skiers, can

News: 100 in 100: Metering modes: Tv, Av, or M?.

Day 32: Shutter priority—aka Time Value, hence the abbreviation—mode is ideal for photographing subjects in motion, such as sports and action photography. Selecting Tv on the camera’s Mode Dial

News: 100 in 100: The substitution metering method.

Day 20: When using the substitution method, you replace an object within the scene with an object of known reflectance, such as a Kodak Gray Card and take a reflected-light meter reading from th

Article: The substitution metering method.A useful exposure tweak

When using the substitution method, you replace an object within the scene with an object of known reflectance, such as a Kodak Gray Card and take a reflected-light meter reading from this object.

Article: Metering for the Brightest Object.Compensate for a misled reading

When taking a light meter reading from the highlight area within a scene, keep in mind that meters used thusly can produce the equivalent of medium gray and underexpose the image in areas of the scene that reflect less light.

News: 100 in 100: Metering for the Brightest Object.

Day 19: If you've read yesterday's tip, you've probably already figured out that this method asks you to take a light meter reading from the highlight area within a scene but if you remember how

News: 100 in 100: Metering for the Darkest Object.

Day 18: If the shadow areas of the scene are most important, you might be tempted just take a meter reading only from that area. If you do this, you could overexpose the image and cause total la

Article: Metering for the Darkest Object In A Photo.Coax details out of the shadows without blowing out the rest of the shot

If the shadow areas of the scene are most important, you might be tempted just take a meter reading only from that area. If you do this, you could overexpose the image and cause total lack of detail in some of the highlight areas.

Article: Metering for Brightness Range.Tweak your reading at the time of capture

Even with today's sophisticated DSLRs and many compact digital cameras, the ability to tweak the exposure at the moment of capture--and recognizing what tweaks you need to apply--can make or break your image's quality and content.

News: 100 in 100: Metering for Brightness Range.

Day 17: You can always put your DSLR in green mode and just point it at the subject and click. Many times this will produce an acceptable exposure. For those times when it doesn’t, you need to t

News: 100 in 100: Metering for the "correct" exposure.

Day 16: I'm always surprised at the number of people who don't care about correct exposure, using the already worn-out phrase, "I'll just fix it later in Photoshop." Where exposure is concerned,

Article: Metering for the "correct" exposure.Sometimes it's more of a judgement call

Even with today's sophisticated cameras, the ability to tweak the exposure at the moment of capture--and recognizing what tweaks you need to apply--can make or break your image's quality and content.

Article: Adorama Photographs America: Puerto Rico.Visiting the Island of Enchantment? Vamos a sacar fotos fantasticos!

Joe Farace flies out to the Caribbean and focus on the glorious American Isle of Puerto Rico.

News: Camera review: Olympus E-520.

The 10MP E-520 is slotted in Olympus’ product line between the compact and inexpensive E-420 and the pro-level E-3. It shares the compact size—but it’s not quite as small—as the E-420, along wit

Article: DSLR Review: Olympus E-520.Affordable Pro Quality Digital SLR

A sweet spot for photo enthusiasts?

News: 100 in 100: Uploading and ordering your book.

Level: Advanced/Pro Day 95: Today, Joe Farace wraps up his adventures in self-publishing a photo book by showing you how and when to hit the "print" button. When you think you are finished ad

Article: How to Publish an “on demand” photo book.Self-publishing books, thanks to the Internet and computer technology, has never been easier.

The geek term for printing one or more books only when you want them is “print on demand” and Blurb.com is one of the websites that lets you produce your own books in quantities as few as one.

Article: Self-Publishing A Photo Book as a Marketing Tool.When your publisher doesn't understand...do it yourself!

Self-publishing books, thanks to the Internet and computer technology, has never been easier. But this is no vanity press: If you have professional aspirations, self-publishing is a solid marketing tool.

News: 100 in 100: Why You Should Self-Publish Your Photo Book.

Day 91: Self-publishing books, thanks to the Internet and computer technology, has never been easier. But this is no vanity press: If you have professional aspirations, self-publishing is a soli

Article: Why You Should Self-Publish Your Photo Book.Self-publishing books, thanks to the Internet and computer technology, has never been easier.

Most photographers dream of accomplishing two things in the publishing world: Having their work appear in National Geographic or other magazines and showcasing their photography in a coffee table book. I can’t help you with the first one but can with the second.

Article: What's an aspect ratio?.Why some print sizes cut off parts of your picture

Aspect ratio is the numerical relationship between the height of the image and its width, and is usually expressed with two numbers.

News: 100 in 100: Scan black and white in color.

Day 44: There are two big myths about making great scans: The first is that the process is so difficult that it’s beyond the capabilities of the average person. The second is that it is really e

Article: Scan Black And White In Color.Digitize film thoughtfully

There are two big myths about making great scans: The first is that the process is so difficult that it’s beyond the capabilities of the average person. The second is that it is really easy to make a great scan.

Article: Make a fake lake.Faux fun in Photoshop

One way to increase an image’s drama is to add environmental elements such as water.

Article: Digital infrared...in color?.Can you really fake color infrared digitally? Do you really have a choice any more?

Kodak Professional High Speed Infrared (HIE) film was a high-speed color slide film with moderately high contrast and was sensitive to light and radiant energy to 900 nanometers (nm) in wavelength. But it's gone now.

Article: Faux Infrared in Photoshop.Give conventional images the infrared look

Here’s a few tips, tricks and techniques that will let you convert conventional images into faux infrared photographs using various software tools.

News: Infrared filter guide.

Day 27: Is your digital camera capable of infrared (IR) capture? Point a TV remote control at the lens, push a button, and take a picture or look at the image on the LCD panel. If you see a poin

Article: Infrared filter guide.Your digital camera may already be IR-ready. All you need is the right filter.

Is your digital camera capable of infrared (IR) capture? Point a TV remote control at the lens, push a button, and take a picture or look at the image on the LCD panel.

Article: Digital Infrared Basics.Infrared photography is easier than ever, thanks to digital cameras.

Back in the days of IR film, you had to use special film and load and unload your camera in total darkness to reduce the damage of fogging.

News: 100 in 100: Photographing race cars at night.

Day 6: Races are not always run on bright sunny days--sometimes they race at night. Events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, some races in the American LeMans Serie

Article: How to photograph race cars at night.Races are not always run on bright sunny days--sometimes they race at night.

Events such as the 12 Hours of Sebring, the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona, some races in the American LeMans Series, and even local drag and oval track races include occasional night races.

Article: Tell your noisy images to shut up.Software grain-reduction strategies

No single noise reduction program or Adobe Photoshop-compatible plug-in is a perfect solution and while you may try hard, you may never achieve digital noise nirvana. But here's the good news...

News: 100 in 100: Tell your noisy images to shut up.

Day 2: No single noise reduction program or Adobe Photoshop-compatible plug-in is a perfect solution and while you may try hard, working through the many options, choices and sliders, the softwa

Article: On-Line Printing Guide.Someday My Prints Will Come

Even back in the old film days, you had two decisions about making prints: You can do it yourself, or have somebody else make them for you.

News: AIRC: Product Review: Olympus E-3.

The new Olympus E-3 is the flagship of its digital SLR line and combines speed of operation--from startup to capture—with live view and dust-reduction capabilities. It has body-integrated mechanica

News: 100 in 100: Large or Small Memory Cards?.

Day 78: Larger capacity memory cards let you store more images but also cost more leading to a debate about what's best option: Fewer, larger capacity cards or more, lower-capacity cards?...[Read

Article: Large or Small Memory Cards?.Depends on how many photos you want to risk losing at once

But if your memory card fails you, there are ways to rescue lost images!

Article: Get Rid of Digital Noise.Stop the visual static

Noise in digital photographs is the visual equivalent of static. Most digital cameras add some level of noise to images. In traditional photography the nearest equivalent is film grain. Digital noise is noticeable in high ISOs and is more visible in areas of uniform color, such as skies and shadows.

News: 100 in 100: Zoom in Adobe Photoshop.

Day 53: While you can zoom during exposure if you have a DSLR and a zoom lens or with certain EVF cameras and compacts, many digital cameras don't let you zoom while the image is being recorded. Fo

Article: Zoom in Adobe Photoshop.It's never too late to add the zoom during exposure look

How to emulate a classic shooting technique after the fact.

Article: Slow Shutter Speed Action Panning.Show movement

A common newbie mistake when photographing sports is to use the fastest shutter speed to freeze action. That’s fine where there is a peak of action, as in basketball and baseball. The Sports mode on many cameras selects short exposures to stop movement.

News: 100 in 100: Slow Shutter Speed Action Panning.

Day 39: A common newbie mistake when photographing sports is to use the fastest shutter speed to freeze action. That’s fine where there is a peak of action, as in basketball and baseball. The Sport

Article: What is Bracketing?.Exposure basics quick tip

Whether shooting with a film or digital camera, one factor remains important: Correct exposure is critical and may be even more so for digital than film.

Article: Coping With Shutter Lag.Timing is everything

There are really two kinds of shutter lag: The first and technical definition is the amount of time that it takes from depressing the camera’s shutter release to when an image is saved onto a memory card. During that time, the camera determines proper exposure and focuses the lens.

Article: Zoom During Exposure.A dynamic shooting technique

One of the reasons for using the "zoom during exposure" technique is that it helps eliminate background clutter, but the main reason is that it's fun.

News: 100 in 100: Zoom During Exposure.

Day 11: One of the reasons for using the "zoom during exposure" technique is that it helps eliminate background clutter, but the main reason is that it's fun. Using a digital SLR makes it easier be

Article: Where's The Rest Of My Photo?.Why what you see may not be what you print

Have you ever printed a digital picture and you just knew that you captured the entire image, but somehow the file seems "cropped"? You are not alone.

Article: Transform backgrounds with Chroma-key.How I created a digital homage to 50's monster films

You can easily drop in any background when you shoot your subject in front of a Chroma-key blue or green screen. Here's how you can do it in Photoshop.

Article: How to create a toy camera look, digitally.Get the Holga/Diana look in digital cameras and your digital darkroom

The Holga camera was first made in Hong Kong in 1982 and uses 120 roll film because that was the most widely available film in China at the time. It’s name, disputed by some, purportedly comes from the Chinese phrase ho gwong meaning “very bright.”

Article: Using Lighting Modifiers.Studio Lighting Basics, Part IV

There's an old rule of lighting to keep in mind when working with the lighting equipment featured in this series: The closer and larger a light source is to a subject, the softer quality of that light becomes.

Article: What are Continuous Lighting Sources?.Studio Lighting Basics, Part III

When photographing people I've never been 100 percent comfortable using studio flash units. They are a necessary evil for making portraits when available light isn't available. An alternative is hot lights, or continuous lighting.

Article: What are AC and DC Packs and Heads?.Studio Lighting Basics, Part II

Some photographers think studio lighting equipment is too complicated and too expensive but it can be neither. Part of this misunderstanding is created by seemingly bewildering array of product types and their associated buzzwords. Here's a look at AC & DC Power Packs and heads

Article: What are Monolights?.Studio Lighting Basics, Part 1

When setting up a photo studio, you get to choose: Monolights, Power Pack kits, or Hot Lights. Let's look at what a monolight is and if it's right for you.

Article: Stress-free printing.What's PictBridge And How Do I Use It?

PictBridge's formal name is "Standard of Camera & Imaging Products Association CIPA DC-001 - 2003 Digital Solutions for Imaging Devices."

Article: Snapshooter Series: How to Use DPOF.Control your printer or photo lab from your camera!

Wait a second! What's DPOF?

Article: Portraits Without a Studio.It's amazing what you can do with 72 square feet of shooting space

Much of my portrait and fashion photography is done on location, but living in Colorado sometimes the models (and the photographer too) just aren’t in the mood for cold weather and snow. That’s when a studio comes in handy.

Article: Why You Need a Graphics Tablet. Tired of mousing around? Take this tablet, and see me in the morning

It’s time to give your mouse a rest and switch to a graphics tablet and stylus. Long considered the sole province of artist or designer, graphics tablets are also useful tools for the digital photographer. Why did I choose a stylus over a mouse? Keep reading.

Article: You may already be a winner!.How to grab the prizes in photo contests

You can use two different approaches for entering photo contests. The usual way is to submit your “favorite” pictures. You might even win, but the odds are definitely stacked against you. The best technique is to treat the contest you’re entering like any other competition.