Joe Farace

Gang Of Four Thirds

Almost four years ago, Olympus announced its Four Thirds system at a press conference
that was greeted, to be polite, with mild apathy. At a packed press conference
at this year's PMA, Olympus proved me wrong by announcing a Four Thirds
system alliance supported byproduct...

It may surprise some readers to discover that the CCD was invented at Bell Labs in 1969, a fine year for wine, songs, and cars--think of the awesome Plymouth Road Runner. CMOS is a little older, having been developed in 1948. While curmudgeonly writers and editors patiently wait for this...

Aside from how to pronounce my name, the main question readers ask is about the workflow I use to process image files. I find it’s convenient to work with two desktop computers, often at the same time, with a laptop computer used on the road and for testing new software. A Mac Pro handles my daily work with an iMac tasked for e-mail and research but also as a live backup when problems occur with computer number one. The iMac also runs Microsoft Windows 7 using Apple’s Boot Camp. Since my laptop is used for experimentation, and that’s where you’ll find the latest OS and imaging software, I don’t store anything critical on it.

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.