Lightning storms capture the attention of just about everyone. Bolts catapulted through the sky are spectacular to view and dangerous to be too close to. While most prefer to view grand shows of lightning from the safety of their abodes, some of us chase the radar in pursuit of the perfect scene against the perfect storm. Though lightning contrasts dramatically against the night time sky, my preference is the appearance of lightning at dusk. The lightning becomes a part of the …
The Story Behind “Melting Giants”
I was photographing in Nova Scotia when someone told me that Newfoundland to the north had icebergs. I have always been fascinated with icebergs (I think most people are) and so I decided that my next trip would be hunting icebergs in Newfoundland. I say “hunt” because I was warned that icebergs were unpredictable and inconsistent. One year you may see many and the next year…none. You just have to go and hope that you’ll be lucky. I prepare for each …
The “Five-Stop Effect”
If you have thumbed through the pages of a photo magazine recently, chances are good you have seen the stunning effects created by ND filters. My palms start sweating when I see puffy clouds streaking across the sky. I know these clouds will look magical when I shoot at slow shutter speeds from 1-4 minutes using my 10- and 15-stop Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filters. Honestly, I look at clouds differently now knowing what transformative effects I can create using these filters. …
Using the reverse graduated neutral density filter
I’m a firm believer that if you do as much as possible in the camera when you capture an image, it will lead to the best image. Even if we love post-processing work, getting the best exposure on an image allows us to use our software as a creative tool – not a “fix-it” tool. That’s why I carry a complete selection of Singh-Ray filters for the types of shooting I do. Different filters help me in various tough lighting …
Using Mor-Slo Solid ND Filters
As a professional photographer, I came from the film days. We had to control as much of our creative vision as possible in the camera. Whether it was exposure, depth of field or motion, we did all of that through our cameras. In most cases, we used external filters to help us control the environment in which we photographed. Now, in the age of digital, we find we have tons of control once we hit the computer and software. Does …
“All-in-camera, old school photography” with digital cameras, Part 3
In this third installment, I’d like to drill down further into the “Digital Rolls of Film” process that I rely on, show you a few images and explain the filters and settings I used to create each image entirely in the camera – with less than one minute each of post-processing time! Silver Falls in Golden and Silver Falls State Natural Area in Oregon. F/22 @ 1 sec. -1 stop Exposure Compensation, ISO 50, 67mm with Singh-Ray LB Circular Warming Polarizer. …
Some tips and techniques from the “Last Frontier”
Editor’s note: We are pleased to welcome Jeff Schultz to our blog. Jeff has lived in Alaska for close to 40 years and conducts workshops and custom tours to many of his favorite locations throughout the state. Canon 5D Mark III with 16-35mm f4 lens at 19mm, f9 for 4 minutes ISO 400. Singh-Ray Mor-Slo 10-stop ND Filter and 3-stop, Hard-edge Galen Rowell ND Grad. Filter It! Being an old-school film photographer, I’ve always maintained that making the image the best I …
Capturing the image you envision
Photographers now have more powerful tools available to them than ever before. Exciting new sensor technologies already up to 50+ megapixels. Lenses that can resolve the finest detail. Huge advances in the digital darkroom, such as the ability to easily blend multiple images using luminosity masks. With all these advances, where do filters fit in? In my photo tours and workshops I often hear “I can do that later in Photoshop.” Photoshop is certainly a powerful tool, but it can’t …
Capturing a special moment at the Taj Mahal
The Taj Mahal was built in 1631 by Shah Jahan, as a testament to the love he felt for his wife, Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child, Gauhara Begum. The ivory-white marble mausoleum is built in a combination of Persian and Mughal architecture. The tomb contains both the false sarcophagi in the main chamber, as well as the actual tombs of Mumtaz Hahal and Shah Jahan, which are in a lower level of the building. The …
For stronger foregrounds, try taking a bug’s eye view!
Editor’s note: Don’s technique for capturing and processing this image is also a great way to solve the challenge of combining a very long exposure for one element of a scene with the need for a faster exposure to avoid motion in another part of the scene. Sony a7RII, Sony/Zeiss FE 16-35mm, f/16, 8.5 minute exposure (separate exposure on foreground – explained below), 100 ISO, Singh-Ray 15-stop Mor-Slo solid neutral density filter. Back in my college days at San Jose …