Utah Hills, created with the Singh-Ray 15 Stop Mor-Slo Filter After years of experimentation and trying various ND filter combinations, I have assembled what I believe to be the world’s perfect ND kit. It consists of the following Singh-Ray filters: 5-stop Mor-Slo in 82mm 10-stop fixed ND filter in 82mm 15-stop fixed ND filter in 82mm 20-stop fixed ND filter in 82mm Vari-ND in 82mm Step up rings on each of my lenses so they all can use 82mm filters …
Using Singh-Ray Polarizers to enhance digital images for B&W image conversions
I find the light in New Mexico to be magnificent almost everywhere I go. So when I arrived in Albuquerque and found that the surrounding National Parks were closed, I quickly decided to explore the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. And I am really glad I did. See my blog story from November 3. But after a full day of balloon watching, we moved on to the historic area of Taos, New Mexico. I was really anticipating this visit to the UNESCO …
I-Ray Filter shoots serious infrared images without destroying the Nikon D-800
If you have opened a photography magazine lately, chances are you have seen an infrared (IR) image in one form or another, IR photography has seen a recent resurgence of popularity, largely because digital IR is so much easier than the notoriously tricky handling, shooting, and processing of traditional IR film. I do have to admit I like the look for certain scenes. But here is the catch. You have to convert one of your expensive digital SLRs to shoot …
Recording the dramatic beauty found along the North Shore of Lake Superior
My favorite combination of on-camera filters starts with the 10-Stop Mor-Slo ND filter on my Canon 24-70mm f/2.8 lens. This is a very sharp lens. I add the Gold-N-Blue on top of that, and then use some combination of 4×6 Graduated ND filters. My favorite is the Reverse ND Grad. Sometimes I just need the Gold N-Blue Polarizer, which was used in the above panorama from the Temperance River, about a mile above Lake Superior. This next image was shot …
Tony Sweet demonstrates the use of three Singh-Ray filters he describes as essential to his art
In a time when many photographers believe that hardware filters are passé, there are still three types of filters that I use as often as I did back when I was a film photographer: the solid neutral density filter, the infrared filter (used on my unconverted cameras), and the always important graduated ‘split’ neutral density filters. Let’s start with the Solid Neutral Density filter I’m now using. It’s the new 10-Stop Mor-Slo ND filter from Singh-Ray. Extremely long exposures cannot …
Trip to Iceland proved to be a rich and inspiring experience
I have taken photo trips in Europe and the Mediterranean, but the biggest step yet has been my recent trip to Iceland. That had been a “dream” destination for a long time. The dream came true in June 2012. My goal for this trip was to explore the south coast, a part of the highlands and, if possible, the west peninsula. I had ten days there and the program was dependent on the weather. It turned out we were lucky …
Photographing Oregon’s Bandon Beach in Black and White with Gold-N-Blue Polarizer
What an incredible landscape; the sea stacks are of course the highlight, but I had a 7-foot high tide to contend with and… you guessed it… plenty of clouds. Two of the most popular sea stacks on the beach are known as ‘Wizard’s Hat’ and ‘Face Rock’ seen in the image above. Beaches can be beautiful places to sunbathe, but they can also be visually mundane. Bandon’s unusual sea stacks provide plenty of visual interest and story for a landscape …
Sharing some of my latest long-exposure images from recent trips
Since my last post, I have been on a number of trips and thought I’d share some images from them. Each of these long exposure images has something in common, the Singh-Ray Vari-ND and the Mor-Slo 5-Stop ND Filter. I was in the Sierras to attend the memorial of an old friend and mentor when I created this image. John was on my mind as I spent several days reminiscing about our times together and missing him. He loved the …
Tracing the Silver Bay landscape image from pre-visualization to post production
I thought I would offer a basic case study explanation of how this image of Silver Bay was created from the pre-visualization stage to the final post production steps. My basic motivation to create this image was to test an idea that’s reflected in many landscape photographers’ work. I’m referring to the idea that the photographer can control where the eye of a viewer first enters the image and the path that the eye follows while looking at the image. …
Capturing impressive infrared landscapes with the Nikon D-70 and an I-Ray filter
I became interested in landscape photography in 1997, when I was on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. I was in school learning about infrared film. I had done a bit of work with it, but I was eager to see what it would do in the lush forests of British Columbia. My mother and I traveled to the island for Christmas break and I spent some time shooting photos in various places. Of course, this was infrared film back …