Like most photographers, I used less expensive lenses and accessories when I began photographing nature subjects 40 years ago; I pushed them to the max to deliver the best results they could offer. My first filters were probably as good as my lenses, but as I moved to Canon’s top-of-the-line pro gear, I also upgraded my filters to Singh-Ray. It made no sense to buy the best lenses available and top themm off with a cheap filter that undermined the lens quality.
As photographic technology has progressed, Singh-Ray has expanded its filter lines to meet new demands and solve new problems. When shooting with transparency film, there were no second chances to improve images in the computer; they had to be as good as possible in the camera. The graduated ND filters (named to honor the late Galen Rowell), helped to control contrast in situations where HDR capture would be used now, but the graduated ND is still the go-to solution in situations where the subject is moving against a bright background. Polarizing filters have long been essential tools for film and digital photography; over the years I’ve used the entire Singh-Ray line, from the basic polarizers to the newer ColorCombo Warming Polarizer.
Notwithstanding the power of post-capture photographic technology, serious photographers use a variety of filters to help capture the best image achievable as well as to attain images not otherwise possible. My camera bag today contains the Vari-ND, the Mor-Slo 5, 10, and 15-stop filters, and the LB ColorCombo Polarizing filter. This filter group works exceptionally well in my home environment, the State of Oregon, with its abundant waterfalls and dramatic coastal landscape.
When I have new creative ideas, such as capturing extremely long daylight exposures, I’ve looked to Singh-Ray filters to help achieve them. As I move more deliberately into video capture, the Singh-Ray ND filters allow me to maintain wide-open apertures to control shallow depth of field. I can’t predict how my photography will change in the future, but I expect Singh-Ray will be a part of it. Because every time I’ve upped my game, so has Singh-Ray.
