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Heaven’s Kiss

In Polarizing Filters by Don Smith

When artists discuss inspiration, oftentimes the conversation involves muses. Webster defines muses as: (Verb) to muse is to consider something thoughtfully. As a noun, it means a person — especially a woman — who is a source of artistic inspiration. In mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences. Today, a muse is a person who serves as an artist’s inspiration. Often filmmakers talk about a certain actor being a muse — meaning the actor inspired …

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MOMENTS

In ND Filters by Don Smith

 Waning Light at Black Sand Beach, Vik, Iceland. Sony a7RIV, Sony 24-105mm, f/14, 30 seconds, ISO 100, Singh-Ray 5-stop Mor-Slo ND French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson by all accounts was the earliest pioneer of street photography and a master at capturing unique candid moments – later to be termed a “decisive moment.” He was also a co-founder of Magnum Photos. In 1952, Cartier-Bresson published a book of images that was titled in English, “The Decisive Moment.” It included a portfolio of …

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Photographing Pinnacles National Park With IPHONE 11 Pro Max And Singh-Ray Cell Phone Neutral Polarizer!

In Polarizing Filters by Don Smith

I decided to take a hike in Pinnacles National Park, which is located about 35 miles from my home along the east-side entrance of Highway 25. My main goal was to get in a good workout. I parked at the Western Visitor’s Center parking lot and headed up towards the Pinnacles High Peaks via the Condor Peaks Trail and returned down the Condor Gulch Trail. The total distance was 5.4 miles with an elevation gain of 1,591 feet. Besides water …

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Re-Imagining an Often Shot Location

In Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography, ND Filters, Water Features by Don Smith

Valley View, Merced River and Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California. Sony a7RIII, Sony 24-105mm, f/16, 30 sec., ISO 100, Singh-Ray Vari-N-Trio Recently in past weeks, good friends Ron Modra and his wife MB came out to California for a visit. On Wednesday, I drove them to Yosemite National Parkand met up with another good friend/photographer Gary Hart. Fortunately for us, Glacier Point Road had just opened. We were treated to a thunderstorm sky and had a great …

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The Lo-Down On Using Neutral Density Filters

In Equipment & Technique, ND Filters by Don Smith

Recently I posted this image on my social media sites of a sunset at Bandon Beach in Bandon Oregon while teaching a co-workshop with Gary Hart along the Oregon coast. Questions immediately came in on how I went about figuring out my exposure?  What is the proper way to use a neutral density filter? WHAT IS A NEUTRAL DENSITY FILTER? First off, for those of you who don’t know what a Neutral Density filter is, here is a simple definition: …