More and more digital shooters are discovering how they can create dramatic, impactful black & white images with a variety of Singh-Ray filters, including the Mor-Slo, Vari-ND, Color Intensifier, Gold-N-Blue Polarizer, ColorCombo Polarizer and Graduated NDs.
Here’s what some pro photographers have said regarding the use of Singh-Ray Filters for black & white photography…
Cole Thompson
Black & White Photography w/ Vari-ND & Mor-Slo
“To create my long exposure images, I use a Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter and stack a second 5–stop or 10-stop Mor-Slo fixed ND filter on top of that. I always use a Vari-ND for long exposures for two important reasons. First, I can open up the Vari-ND for easier composing. At 18 stops, it’s almost impossible to see anything. With the Vari-ND, I can allow more light to enter the viewfinder so I can compose the image and then I stop down for the exposure. The second Vari- ND advantage is that I can use the variable feature of the filter to adjust my exposure instead of using the aperture. This allows me to set my aperture I want to control depth of field.” ~ Cole Thompson
Tony Sweet
Black & White Photography w/ a 15-stop Mor-Slo & Very Long Exposures
“There’s just one word to describe this filter… wow! In harsh daylight with slowly moving clouds, 5 or 10 stops may not be enough to achieve the effect I’m looking for. The 4-minute exposure above was made in late morning on Clingman’s Dome in the Great Smokies. Those who shoot a lot of long-exposures know that 4-minute and 2-minute exposures can look completely different. 15 stops let me shoot at f14 for greater sharpness and still be able to get longer exposure times.” ~ Tony Sweet
Chuck Kimmerle
Black & White Photography w/ a 10-stop Mor-Slo & Neutral (ND) Polarizing Filters
“When capturing a fleeting moment in time, the filters I place between my subject and my camera have to be perfect. Anything less is unacceptable. Singh-Ray filters provide me with the level of exceptional optical quality I demand.” ~ Chuck Kimmerle
Alec Johnson
Black & White Photography w/ the Gold-N-Blue Polarizer
“When color is an important feature of the subject, I shoot in color. But when heavy clouds soften the light and create a nearly monochrome landscape like Bandon Beach, I immediately begin to shoot for black and white. The Singh-Ray Gold-N-Blue Polarizer works much like the color filters that photographers once used with B&W film. One of the magical results produced by this filter is the additional depth and dimension it gives my subject matter. As I view the image above, I can really feel a three-dimensional quality to the twin stacks that I’m able to achieve only when using the Gold-N–Blue.” ~ Alec Johnson
Loscar Numael
Black & White Photography with the LB ColorCombo
“Not only is the LB ColorCombo an indispensable tool for my color photography, it’s also my go-to filter for B&W. It allows me to achieve consistent tonality – and by cutting reflection and glare, smoother tonal transitions. The color intensifying feature of the ColorCombo gives me better separation of tones in post processing – and the polarizer in the filter adds drama. And, although it’s not as dark as the Mor-Slo ND filters, the amount of light the ColorCombo reduces is perfect for introducing long exposure effects.” ~ Loscar Numael
Keep Reading to Learn More About Black & White Photography with Singh-Ray Filters
Imagination
Water in Motion
Choosing the Right ND Filter
Jump into infrared… without the commitment
Polarizers, how they work, when and how to use them…
Tips for using your Mor-Slo™ 10-stop solid neutral density filter
Photoshop and six tools… with a video demonstration
Black & white photography… it’s more than just color photography minus the color
Oregon – Five “Before” and “After” Long Exposure Images
A Resident Artist
Five + Ten + Fifteen + Twenty + Vari-ND = Perfect ND Kit
Using Singh-Ray Polarizers to enhance digital images for B&W image conversions
I-Ray Filter shoots serious infrared images without destroying the Nikon D-800
Recording the dramatic beauty found along the North Shore of Lake Superior
Tony Sweet demonstrates the use of three Singh-Ray filters he describes as essential to his art
Trip to Iceland proved to be a rich and inspiring experience
Photographing Oregon’s Bandon Beach in Black and White with Gold-N-Blue Polarizer
Sharing some of my latest long-exposure images from recent trips
Tracing the Silver Bay landscape image from pre-visualization to post production
Capturing impressive infrared landscapes with the Nikon D-70 and an I-Ray filter
How to use long exposures to create mystical black and white images