I photograph a lot of landscapes, and many times filters will transform the shot into something special. I’ve always tried to create my work in the field, not later in post-production, camera craft is very important to me. I just returned from photographing in Sedona for a week, and filters were invaluable there. I was teaching a workshop with my wife, we had a great group, and filter use became a popular topic in the field. During class I mentioned …
The Black and White Florida Landscape – Palmetto Prairie
View PostPrayer, Meditation, and Singh-Ray – Joe Dimaggio
View PostGo With The Flow
(Singh-Ray LB Color Combo) Wildflower abstract, Tehachapi Mountains, Angeles National Forest, California Previsualization is an often used term in landscape photography – the process of researching a location, determining the perspective through lens selection, framing, and forming a solid image in your mind’s eye before ever arriving at a scene or tripping the shutter. Ansel Adams referred to it often as “the ability to anticipate a finished image before making the exposure”, and it was a favorite expression of other …
Two Must-have Filters for Traveling Photographers
Travel is becoming harder these days, especially for the globe-trotting photographer. Packed planes, clients that want you to fly coach, lessening overhead space in addition to many airlines charging for what was once a given on flights, that space over your seat in which to place your gear. Over the past years, I’ve been working on reducing my “footprint” of gear, you can read my blog piece, “Traveling Light” to further explore that idea of minimizing to maximize. Having said …
Choosing the Right ND Filter
I assist with the occasional photo workshop (John Barclay Photo Tours) and I am seeing something that bothers me. Participants are coming with a 10-stop ND filter and wanting to do 30-second or longer exposures. There’s always disappointment when they learn this filter will only give them a few seconds. I’m not claiming that I’m an expert, but I do shoot a lot of long exposures and would like to share my thoughts on choosing the right ND filter. This …
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. …
Working with a Polarizer in Namibia
Light isn’t always light. We often have those times when the light is pouring through the particulate matter of an urban landscape, the “stuff” in the air warping the air molecules into a huge “soft box.” Those early and late “golden hour” moments provide that magical light all photographers love to find – and use. Sometimes however, the light provided is less than perfect, or the sky hovering over the landscape is too “blown out” (too bright to be able …
Is There a Perfect Aperture for Landscape Photography?
The sun sets into Pacific Ocean fog as seen from Fremont Peak State Park, elevation 3,169 feet, Gabilan Mountain Range, California. Sony a7RII, Canon 11-24mm, f/16, 1/4th, 100 ISO. How often do you think about your aperture choice? There is an old saying amongst photojournalists: F/8 and be there! Many amateur landscape photographers seem to think f/16 is the popular choice. If one thinks about maximizing depth-of-field, then their thinking is correct. But when should one use f/22? Is that …
