I figured there would be some great opportunities, though, in such a beautiful tropical setting. Although I spent a lot of time trying to decide what photo gear to take, my Singh-Ray Filters were at the top of every list I made. While we were in Bali, there was a lot of entertainment activity going on. Surf company Rip Curl was there hosting the Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang Beach; as excited as my kids were to surf, I …
Visiting Navajo Country and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon with LB Polarizers
We were blessed with fantastic clouds, sunrises, and sunsets every morning and night, resulting in some of the best photographic opportunities I have had since moving to Arizona 18 years ago. As leader of the workshop, however, capturing great photographs is secondary to providing individual attention to the students. However, while everyone was busy firing away, I was able to take a number of photographs that I am very happy with. On the first morning, we were guided by our …
10-Day Tour of Scotland fulfilling a life-time dream
While I was anticipating beautiful scenery, I did not expect it to be so overwhelming. There was some rain, but what would the Scottish Highlands be without the rain, fog, and dramatic clouds? After a few days in Edinburgh to get over the jet lag, we rented a car and sped off to the town of St. Andrews. For those of you who are not avid golfers, St. Andrews is the birthplace of the sport and home to the greatest …
Marking my first decade as a nature photographer with eight-day trip to the Canadian Rockies
I was 19 and determined to become a nature photographer as well as a studio artist. Last May, I graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts — concentrating in Photography — from the University of Alabama at Birmingham. I am now a fine arts graduate student at the University of Texas at Arlington expecting to graduate in 2014. As I have advanced in my studies, I have remained undecided on my future career path to becoming a professional nature photographer. …
Explaining how I create colorful images at twilight with the Gold-N-Blue Polarizer
Once the sun drops below the horizon, many photographers pack up their gear and go home. However, for those of us who have a Gold-N-Blue handy, twilight can present some great opportunities to capture a most magical light. Unfortunately, the color that presents itself during these twilight hours is often not long enough, nor strong enough, to permit us to photograph for very long. For me, this is where the Gold-N-Blue pays off. During twilight, the Gold-N-Blue dramatically increases the …
Running into a scene that’s got everything except good light, Time for Plan B
I often find wonderful compositions that prompt me to set up my camera and then wait for better light. And then wait some more. Sometimes it’s the weather that isn’t quite right, but just as often it’s the color or quality of the light that isn’t working for me. Every serious photographer has experienced the frustration of spending a lot of time and treasure pursuing an exciting image that’s just not happening the way we visualized it. Or maybe we’ve …
Capturing this dreamy image of Allegheny State Park at first light with the Vari-N-Duo
I proposed to my wife there and we have been taking our children there every chance we get. Because I am very busy with my photo business, Allegheny Park is our place to wind down and enjoy life. Do I still bring my camera along? Absolutely! I make sure to pack light. My travel kit includes a Nikon D700 full-frame D-SLR, 24-70mm f/2.8 and my 70-200mm f/2.8 VR, tripod and my Singh-Ray filters. I use a couple of Graduated Neutral …
Visiting Joshua Tree National Park to commune with the ancient boulders
It was the first time I had visited since 1987 when my wife and I went camping there. Coincidentally, our trip occurred right after U2 had introduced their new album “Joshua Tree,” and I remember listening to it non-stop as we sunned ourselves on the large round boulders at the park. The music and that location are positively and indelibly intertwined in my memory. Each time I hear those songs, I am transported back in time. So it was with …
Discovering the pleasures of shooting skyscapes
I have specialized in wildlife photography since 1995 and focused primarily on the ‘big-five’ African animals. Then recently I realized there are so many great landscape photographs yet to be captured everywhere we go. As a result, I bought a polarizer and some ND grads from a popular filter company, but I was never pleased with the results. Seeing some of Darwin Wiggett’s photographs was the turning point for me — I saw that he uses Singh-Ray filters, so I …
To capture the most dramatic lighting effects at sunrise and sunset, aim right for the sun
This area is my home and my part of the natural world, and I never feel a lack of impressive subjects. Perhaps my favorite subject is the sun itself, especially when I’m shooting at sunrise or sunset. I love to shoot directly at the sun to achieve dramatic lighting effects. I’ve found that two kinds of Singh-Ray filters are essential for such photos — my Galen Rowell ND Grads and my LB Neutral Polarizer. Whenever I’m shooting at the sun …