Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer and Graduated ND Filter Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer and Graduated ND Filter I think to fully explain how I arrived here, I am going to have to take you back to where it all began. I grew up in the proverbial ‘center of the universe.’ Exactly 30 miles from the GWB (George Washington Bridge linking New York and New Jersey for you non-east coasters) Exit 52 off of Interstate 80. Nature existed there, but has greatly …
Using the Mor-Slo 10-stop in Scotland
Barren, rocky, mountains floating in the mist, the ruins of historic castles, and rugged coastlines — I wanted to see it all. Once I began my career in landscape photography, it wasn’t a matter of if I would finally make it to Scotland… only when. This past summer, after a couple marvelous weeks in Iceland, my travels took me to Scotland to spend three weeks scouting for upcoming Aperture Academy workshops. I had done my research, and spent months on-line …
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 …
Field report on Singh Ray’s incredible 15-stop Mor-Slo ND
After several chats with Bob Singh about my need for such a filter, I was really pleased to receive one that I could test. There’s just one word to describe this filter — Wow! Less than a year after Singh-Ray’s introduction of the 10-stop Mor-Slo ND filter, here comes another technical breakthrough for all of us who work in Long-exposure Land. Many more logical photographers might ask why Singh-Ray’s 5-stop and 10-stop Mor-Slo filters are not enough? Why can’t we just …
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 …
Never be caught without Your Graduated ND Filters
Several weeks ago, I left my house in a hurry in hopes of capturing some late-light images up a local canyon here. Don’t you fret—I was fully clothed! I arrived at the location and began setting up my equipment. Suddenly I was flabbergasted to realize I’d forgotten my filter pouch. All of a sudden, I felt incredibly naked. No…worse. I felt…powerless. Not a good feeling. Sure, there are a few alternative techniques to simulate some effects of filters out there; …
Strive to make fine art landscapes that are a lot more than realistic
When Don Smith switched from a 20-year career as sports photographer to dedicate himself to landscape photography, he adopted the philosophy that fine art images should do more than simply recreate reality. “The major theme in my workshops is the importance of seeing the finished image in my mind as I click the shutter. As Ansel Adams used to teach, we need to go on and visualize the finished image in our mind while we’re composing the scene in our …
Scott Fisher’s very brief trip to Iceland was nevertheless rewarding
As a professional video producer/editor based in Boston, Scott Fisher has also taken on landscape photography as a serious hobby to help him learn more about framing and exposure. “I realized a few years ago how using filters would step up my game as a landscape photographer. I have always used neutral density filters in my video work so I was a bit embarrassed that it took me so long to start using them in my still photography. “I currently …
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 …
Explaining how to determine correct exposures for long exposure images
An acknowledged master of long-exposure photography, Cole Thompson shares his techniques for finding his “correct” exposure, and extrapolating that to dramatically longer exposure times. Getting the correct exposure when using one or more neutral density filters can be challenging. I use up to 18 stops of ND with exposures ranging from 30 seconds to 8 minutes. At first finding the correct exposure was very frustrating and my images were often underexposed and I’d have to resort to guessing at the …