As the digital era has evolved and cameras are ubiquitous, there are more and more images of literally everything, to the point that sometimes people wonder if it’s possible to make a photograph that’s original. One of the reasons that I enjoy using Singh-Ray filters, such as the Mor-Slos and the Vari-ND is that I can transform what I see in front of me into my interpretation of it, rather than just a documentary-style image, while maintaining the highest possible …
“Cleanse your palette” Another approach to using solid neutral density filters
Solid neutral density filters – I use Singh-Ray Mor-Slo and George Lepp solid ND filters – have become increasingly popular the past few years. Their ability to increase exposure times from 1-stop to 20-stops (2x to, amazingly, more than 1,000,000x) helps to emphasize motion, thus adding a soft and ephemeral feel to moving elements such as waterfalls and clouds. However, there is another use for these filters beyond emphasizing motion, and that is to hide it. To soften detail. To …
The other day, I was asked to describe how I created this image…
I decided it would be easier to write a post here and create a video demonstrating the techniques. So let’s get started. The Set Up This image was created from 37 different images, created using the time lapse feature in my Fuji X-T1. If you do not have time lapse built into your camera, you can purchase a wired or wireless remote with time lapse capability for most camera bodies. The time lapse was set to continue indefinitely, with a …
Mastering the Art of Composition
Here a just a few brief tips for mastering the art of composition. Composition is the logical arrangement of elements so that their relationship is pleasing to the eye. The elements are things that make up the scene (e.g. lines, shapes, texture, patterns, colors, tones, light, etc.). Let’s be honest, some people seem to have an easier time with composition. They appear to be born with an artistic eye or, should I say, an inner vision. The rest of us …
Trip report: bad weather is good weather!
Recently I was leading a workshop for American Nature Photography Workshops in Arches National Park, and once again I was reminded of a photography truth; bad weather is good weather. Sure, it’s no fun when the forecast goes south after you have been planning your photography excursion for months. But the real question is what will you do with it? I think of bad weather as a unique opportunity to create original images. Especially if you have the tools to …
Black & white photography… it’s more than just color photography minus the color
Bay Bridge, San Francisco. Canon 5D MkIII, Canon 24-70mm @24mm, ISO100, f/16, Singh Ray Gold-N-Blue polarizer and Singh Ray 10 stop Mor Slo solid ND, WB 7600, 92 seconds All joking aside, I believe black & white photography is making a resurgence, with the development of better digital files and advanced software. But don’t expect an “Auto Awesome B&W” button in Lightroom or Photoshop any time soon! Color in a photograph is its own subject and the absence of color …
Along the Blue Ridge Parkway
Editor’s note: Nye Simmons is a long-time Singh-Ray friend and author of Best of the Blue Ridge Parkway, written with Nye’s photographer’s eyes, with photographers in mind. This handy paperback tells you everything you need to know to help plan a visit and make the most of your time. And Nye is the photographer for Blue Ridge Parkway Celebration, a coffee table book of images, poetry and prose, illustrating the many photo possibilities along the Parkway’s 469 miles. It had …
More than just a camera
Editor’s note: We’re pleased to welcome Mark Lissik, a longtime Singh-Ray shooter and acclaimed photographer and workshop leader, to our team. Be sure to take a look at his new pro gallery page on this site. No matter what your photographic abilities the challenge of keeping your creative level at its peak can be daunting and one I face every time I pick up a camera. It is all too easy to fall into a creativity rut where we tend …
Photographing the Yosemite, Part 2: Summer in the High Country
In the summer months at the Yosemite, it’s the high country for me. And you don’t need to get far into the wilderness to experience it. David Brower’s ice cream cone scenario often comes to mind as we leave Tuolumne Meadows on route to the Yosemite high camps beyond. The camps were built in the 1920’s mostly and remain one of my favorite locations for many reasons. There are six of them and they are some six to ten miles …
A bunch of little things add up to better images
A few years ago I was leading a workshop in Zion National Park when one of the attendees asked a question that really got me thinking. The question was “What one thing can an amateur like myself do, to get results like you?” Initially I was kind of surprised and yet upon reflection I wasn’t at all. We live in a world where we seek the quick fix, the magic ingredient, the shortcut. But on closer inspection we realize, there …