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My National Geographic Expedition to Iceland, Greenland and the Northwest Passage

In Action Shots, Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Jay Dickman

Editor’s note: Longtime Singh-Ray shooter and National Geographic and Pultitzer Prize winning photographer, Jay Dickman, takes us through some wonderful images he shot during an expedition he led this past August. You might be surprised to know that these were all taken with the Olympus E-M1 mirrorless four-thirds camera. And, of course, with Jay’s Singh-Ray Galen Rowell neutral density grads, polarizers, Vari-ND and Color Intensifiers, the latter a filter that rarely comes off his lenses. Keeping up with the mirrorless …

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Disguised as a wandering landscape photographer to capture New York City

In Action Shots, City/Urban, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Sean Widker

Los Angeles, It was a big sprawling city even in those days. One block looked like the next. I don’t have any photography to speak of from those days because I always felt that nature was elsewhere. I’ve never looked back and, through my photographic travels and workshops, I’ve been treated to some of the most beautiful and scenic locations imaginable. The National and State parks throughout the American West are my home and photographic focus. Nevertheless, I recently had …

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Water in Motion

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography by George Wilson

I have chosen to “document” the Florida landscape in black and white infrared photography since 2008. Now, 11 years into this project, I have completed 75 images that I believe capture the spirit and beauty of my adopted home state. I have always been a fan of Black and White photography, my first SLR images were captured on plus-x film forty years ago. The contrast of light to dark, focused and unfocused and the textural contrasts dictate how the viewer …

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Choosing the Right ND Filter

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

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 …

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Jump into infrared… without the commitment

In Black & White, Infrared Photography by Kate Silvia

Are you intrigued by infrared photography? Those etherial images where green trees turn white as if draped in snow, and blue skies become black as night? Well, I was… enough to convert a small point and shoot camera to try it out. While this won’t be a post on how to convert or how to process…that’s a whole class or two…I do need to tell you a couple things before I move on. There’s a couple ways to get into …

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Polarizers, how they work, when and how to use them…

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Polarizing Filters by E.J. Peiker

Editor’s note: This is an updated article on polarization that E.J. originally wrote for the Singh-Ray blog several years ago. The spring and summer are definitely times you want to have your polarizer with you, so we thought this might be helpful. Polarizing filters are one of the most misunderstood areas of photography that I encounter while teaching and moderating online technical forums on photography. It seems that only flash photography is more misunderstood in my classes and workshops. There …

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Tips for using your Mor-Slo™ 10-stop solid neutral density filter

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, ND Filters by Singh-Ray Staff

Editor’s note: This post is the second in a series on using solid neutral density filters, arguably one of today’s most popular creative tools for photographers. Singh-Ray pioneered the development of these filters and now offers a choice of  5-, 10-, 15- and 20-stop Mor-Slo filters. We’re often asked, “Which lens filter should I have in my bag?” but that clearly depends on the types of effects/images you are looking for, the time of day and the lighting conditions. You …

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Photoshop and six tools… with a video demonstration

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Post-Processing, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

Editor’s note: We are huge admirers of Cole’s work and have always wondered how he processed his memorable B&W images. Here Cole describes his process – and illustrates it with the video included in this article. Cole uses the Singh-Ray Vari-ND variable neutral density filter and our Mor-Slo 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-stop solid neutral density filters to help create many of his images. A friend and I were recently discussing how I process my images. I was trying to …

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Black & white photography… it’s more than just color photography minus the color

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Alec Johnson

Bay Bridge, San Francisco. Canon 5D MkIII, Canon 24-70mm @24mm, ISO100, f/16, Singh Ray Gold-N-Blue polarizer and Singh Ray 10 stop Mor Slo solid ND, WB 7600, 92 seconds All joking aside, I believe black & white photography is making a resurgence, with the development of better digital files and advanced software. But don’t expect an “Auto Awesome B&W” button in Lightroom or Photoshop any time soon! Color in a photograph is its own subject and the absence of color …

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Oregon – Five “Before” and “After” Long Exposure Images

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

Editor’s note: We’ve been huge fans of Cole’s tremendous black & white work for years – and have often wondered what his images looked like out of the camera, before he applied his unique conversion and processing vision. So we were delighted when Cole sent us this post. I’ve had a number of people ask if I’d do some more “before” and “after” shots. So here are five from my recent Oregon trip. All are long exposures created with my …

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A Resident Artist

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Chuck Kimmerle

Editor’s note: In our humble opinion, Chuck Kimmerle is one of today’s truly outstanding black & white photography artists. Our thanks for this reflection on the residency he just completed in Joshua Tree National Park, along with some of the extraordinary images he created during that time, with a little help from his Singh-Ray Vari-ND, Galen Rowell grads and LB neutral polarizer. Taken with Singh-Ray LB neutral polarizer I was getting a bit apprehensive. It was my second day of …

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Rediscovering My Origins with Singh-Ray Filters in Hand

In City/Urban, Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by E.J. Peiker

I was born in 1960 in Augsburg, Germany, just 15 years after World War II destroyed significant parts of this historic city. Augsburg’s origins go all the way back to two decades BC. It has survived the Roman Empire, the Dark Ages, Medieval Times, the Crusades, the Renaissance, the Industrial revolution, two devastating World Wars, and now the Technological Revolution. The city’s population is just a bit over a quarter million today, about 60,000 people more than when I lived …

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Capturing a special moment at the Taj Mahal

In City/Urban, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters by Jay Dickman

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 …

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5 Reasons to Reject an Image

In City/Urban, Equipment & Technique by Jay Goodrich

With the age of digital photography now becoming a mainstream part of society, how do you decide what photos are good to keep and what ones should be thrown in the trash? While we need reasons to reject an image, we don’t necessarily want to form a hypothesis of rules. If you ever take a workshop with me you will quickly realize that I choose to disregard rules in almost every aspect of my life and my photography. And I believe …

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Disguised as a wandering landscape photographer to capture New York City

In Action Shots, City/Urban, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Sean Widker

Los Angeles, It was a big sprawling city even in those days. One block looked like the next. I don’t have any photography to speak of from those days because I always felt that nature was elsewhere. I’ve never looked back and, through my photographic travels and workshops, I’ve been treated to some of the most beautiful and scenic locations imaginable. The National and State parks throughout the American West are my home and photographic focus. Nevertheless, I recently had …

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Series of dramatic architectural studies reflects constant search for fresh ideas

In City/Urban, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

For the past two years, I’ve been working on a project that combines my love for architecture and photography. Called The Fountainhead, after the Ayn Rand novel, this series features images of skyscrapers that have been dramatically distorted to give them a very modern and futuristic look. Rather than transforming these images by using Photoshop, however, I resorted to a much more ‘old-school’ technique that enabled me to visualize and capture the final images in my digital camera. I photographed …

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Tips for using your Mor-Slo™ 5-stop solid neutral density filter

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, ND Filters by Singh-Ray Staff

Editor’s note: This post is a little different from our regular feature articles by leading photographers using Singh-Ray filters. Instead, it is a response to numerous inquiries we’ve received for tips on using solid neutral density filters, arguably one of today’s most popular creative tools for photographers. Singh-Ray pioneered the development of these filters and now offers a choice of  5-, 10-, 15- and 20-stops. We’re often asked, “Which should I have in my bag?” but that clearly depends on …

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A bunch of little things add up to better images

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Darrell Moll

A few years ago I was leading a workshop in Zion National Park when one of the attendees asked a question that really got me thinking. The question was “What one thing can an amateur like myself do, to get results like you?” Initially I was kind of surprised and yet upon reflection I wasn’t at all. We live in a world where we seek the quick fix, the magic ingredient, the shortcut. But on closer inspection we realize, there …

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Singh-Ray filters: Essential tools for preserving photographic integrity

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Richard Thompson

Editor’s note: Singh-Ray shooter Richard Thompson recently published his first hardcover book, “Visions of Michigan,” featuring his outstanding photography in Michigan’s upper and lower peninsulas, accomplished using Singh-Ray filters. To find out more about his book or order a copy, visit Richard’s website. When I’m on the road traveling, I always give special consideration to my surroundings and try to be attentive to circumstances that will best portray the places I’ve come to photograph. With outdoor photography, it’s ephemeral moments …

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Five + Ten + Fifteen + Twenty + Vari-ND = Perfect ND Kit

In Black & White, Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

Utah Hills, created with the Singh-Ray 15 Stop Mor-Slo Filter After years of experimentation and trying various ND filter combinations, I have assembled what I believe to be the world’s perfect ND kit. It consists of the following Singh-Ray filters: 5-stop Mor-Slo in 82mm 10-stop fixed ND filter in 82mm 15-stop fixed ND filter in 82mm 20-stop fixed ND filter in 82mm Vari-ND in 82mm Step up rings on each of my lenses so they all can use 82mm filters …

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10 Myths People Have About Professional Photographers

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Don Smith

I have had the good fortune to make a living with my camera for the past 40 years. I picked up my first camera at age 13 and have never stopped being fascinated with creating images. During my teen years, I had absolutely no desire to be a professional photographer. I loved sports and was absorbed in the world of snow ski racing. Every year, without fail, I would round up my friends and see the latest Warren Miller ski …

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Using Singh-Ray Polarizers to enhance digital images for B&W image conversions

In Black & White, Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by amit Kumar

I find the light in New Mexico to be magnificent almost everywhere I go. So when I arrived in Albuquerque and found that the surrounding National Parks were closed, I quickly decided to explore the Albuquerque Hot Air Balloon Fiesta. And I am really glad I did. See my blog story from November 3. But after a full day of balloon watching, we moved on to the historic area of Taos, New Mexico. I was really anticipating this visit to the UNESCO …

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Taking the new Mor-Slo 15-stop ND Filter for an initial test shot

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Brian Rueb

I would go as far as to say it saved my trip! The way the 10-stop neutral density filter expanded my creativity was beyond my expectations. I love this filter, but imagine my surprise when I came home one day and saw the 15-stop Mor-Slo filter sitting there on my counter (insert exploding head noises here). As soon as I saw THIS little gem, I was eager to find the time to get out and play with it. When I’m …

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Never be caught without Your Graduated ND Filters

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Adam Barker

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; …

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Explaining how to determine correct exposures for long exposure images

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

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 …

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Tracing the Silver Bay landscape image from pre-visualization to post production

In Black & White, Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Alec Johnson

I thought I would offer a basic case study explanation of how this image of Silver Bay was created from the pre-visualization stage to the final post production steps. My basic motivation to create this image was to test an idea that’s reflected in many landscape photographers’ work. I’m referring to the idea that the photographer can control where the eye of a viewer first enters the image and the path that the eye follows while looking at the image. …

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Patience Rewarded

In ND Filters, Post-Processing by George Wilson

Patience is a virtue – or so I was told growing up. So, what is the obsession with rushing through our photography– just to upload it to Instagram, Facebook, Flickr in hopes of getting lots of “likes” and favorites”? Will they really matter 100 years from now? What portion of our work will still exist when we pass on? Harsh to think about, yes, but it is reality. What do you wish to be remembered for at the end of …

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Heaven’s Kiss

In Polarizing Filters by Don Smith

When artists discuss inspiration, oftentimes the conversation involves muses. Webster defines muses as: (Verb) to muse is to consider something thoughtfully. As a noun, it means a person — especially a woman — who is a source of artistic inspiration. In mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences. Today, a muse is a person who serves as an artist’s inspiration. Often filmmakers talk about a certain actor being a muse — meaning the actor inspired …

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Defining your Infrared Photographic Vision

In Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography by George Wilson

First of all, finding my own photographic style was one of the most challenging things I have done in my photography career. Secondly, it has changed and morphed as I have aged and become more deliberate in how I capture my images. I have also heard people using photographic style, photographic vision and photographic message synonymously in conversations. In my opinion, they are different, but yet dependent upon one another. My photographic vision depends upon the message I want to …

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Re-Imagining an Often Shot Location

In Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography, ND Filters, Water Features by Don Smith

Valley View, Merced River and Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California. Sony a7RIII, Sony 24-105mm, f/16, 30 sec., ISO 100, Singh-Ray Vari-N-Trio Recently in past weeks, good friends Ron Modra and his wife MB came out to California for a visit. On Wednesday, I drove them to Yosemite National Parkand met up with another good friend/photographer Gary Hart. Fortunately for us, Glacier Point Road had just opened. We were treated to a thunderstorm sky and had a great …

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Water in Motion

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography by George Wilson

I have chosen to “document” the Florida landscape in black and white infrared photography since 2008. Now, 11 years into this project, I have completed 75 images that I believe capture the spirit and beauty of my adopted home state. I have always been a fan of Black and White photography, my first SLR images were captured on plus-x film forty years ago. The contrast of light to dark, focused and unfocused and the textural contrasts dictate how the viewer …

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Jump into infrared… without the commitment

In Black & White, Infrared Photography by Kate Silvia

Are you intrigued by infrared photography? Those etherial images where green trees turn white as if draped in snow, and blue skies become black as night? Well, I was… enough to convert a small point and shoot camera to try it out. While this won’t be a post on how to convert or how to process…that’s a whole class or two…I do need to tell you a couple things before I move on. There’s a couple ways to get into …

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I-Ray Filter shoots serious infrared images without destroying the Nikon D-800

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography, Landscapes, Scenes & Scenarios by Tom Bol

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 …

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Singh-Ray Landscape Filter Combo

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters by Tom Bol

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 …

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Go With The Flow

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes by Russ Bishop

(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 …

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Two Must-have Filters for Traveling Photographers

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters, Water Features by Jay Dickman

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 …

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Choosing the Right ND Filter

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

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 …

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Heaven’s Kiss

In Polarizing Filters by Don Smith

When artists discuss inspiration, oftentimes the conversation involves muses. Webster defines muses as: (Verb) to muse is to consider something thoughtfully. As a noun, it means a person — especially a woman — who is a source of artistic inspiration. In mythology, the Muses were nine goddesses who symbolized the arts and sciences. Today, a muse is a person who serves as an artist’s inspiration. Often filmmakers talk about a certain actor being a muse — meaning the actor inspired …

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When to use Neutral Polarizers?

In Polarizing Filters by Tom Bol

One of my most used filters is the polarizer.  Simply put, this filter transforms flat, dull scenes into beautiful photographs.  Polarizers add contrast and saturation into landscapes.  And I love how a polarizer cuts through water glare, revealing what is beneath.   If I am headed to western Colorado to photograph fall colors, I will bring a selection of polarizers.  Brilliant stands of yellow aspen framed against a deep blue sky is one of my favorite landscapes, and a polarizer helps …

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My National Geographic Expedition to Iceland, Greenland and the Northwest Passage

In Action Shots, Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Jay Dickman

Editor’s note: Longtime Singh-Ray shooter and National Geographic and Pultitzer Prize winning photographer, Jay Dickman, takes us through some wonderful images he shot during an expedition he led this past August. You might be surprised to know that these were all taken with the Olympus E-M1 mirrorless four-thirds camera. And, of course, with Jay’s Singh-Ray Galen Rowell neutral density grads, polarizers, Vari-ND and Color Intensifiers, the latter a filter that rarely comes off his lenses. Keeping up with the mirrorless …

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My approach to wildflower photography

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Adam Barker

It’s mid-August, which means depending on what neck of the woods you call home, wildflower season could very well be at its peak. Of all the seasons and natural events I enjoy shooting, wildflower season sits at the very top of the list. It is exciting, dynamic and fleeting. Capturing five-star wildflower landscapes is no easy task. Read on for some simple tips on how you can maximize your time in the field shooting wildflowers this year. 1. Do Your …

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How I Found My Vision

In Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

Our thanks to Cole for sharing his thoughts on a subject that is rarely discussed with such insight. The Angel Gabriel Why do I focus on Vision so much? It’s because I believe that Vision is what makes an image great. It’s what makes the difference between a technically perfect image and one with feeling. It’s what makes your images unique. Great images do not come about because of equipment and processes, but rather from Vision that drives these tools …

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Experience the world through the eyes of an eight-year old

In Landscapes, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Jay Goodrich

I believe there are very few creatures on this planet more majestic and powerful than the Alaskan Brown Bear. Most either fear it or think of it as a cute and cuddly being akin to the Teddy Bear. After being allowed to visit with them many times, I believe they are creatures that transcend both sides of that spectrum. This animal possesses great power to defend itself while simultaneously displaying great care for its young. The last few summers I …

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Never be caught without Your Graduated ND Filters

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Adam Barker

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; …

View Post

Explaining how to determine correct exposures for long exposure images

In Corporate/Commercial, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

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 …

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Wet weather failed to dampen a well-planned visit to Olympic National Park

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Marco Crupi

The next day, I met up with Dustin, a photographer buddy of mine from the Sacramento area. We jumped on the Bainbridge Ferry and headed to the Port Angeles and Olympic National Park area. Driving from the ferry to Second Beach in a heavy downpour, I wasn’t at all confident that I could capture any images. From the parking lot, we hiked about a mile through mud, rain and flimsy wooden bridges to reach Second Beach. What a sight! As …

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Adventures in Costa Rica’s rain and cloud forests

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Fabrizio Tessaro

What would be different about this particular trip, was that — despite the incredible photographic opportunities presented by Costa Rica’s vast biodiversity of wildlife — my focus would be on capturing landscapes of the rain and cloud forests of Monteverde. Our journey would also include a brief jaunt into the northern tropical dry forest area of Guanacaste and Santa Rosa National Park. Finding strong compositions within the tropical rain and cloud forests is challenging. Simply put, these forests are busy. There …

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Fleeing the Canadian winter and discover all the warmth Cuba has to offer

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters by Dale Wilson

We booked a one-week foray to Cuba in search of palm trees, turquoise waters, great music and an endless stream of piña coladas. This was to be a family holiday, and I’m sure I am not the only photographer who has discovered they cannot diligently shoot while on vacation. As a compromise between my own impulses as a photographer and my respect for the notion that this would be a family holiday, I decided to take just one small carry-on …

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On the narrowest trails in the most faraway corners of the world

In Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios by Nevada Wier

Believe me, my filters are important. In particular three kinds of Singh-Ray filters go with me everywhere. There’s a Hi-Lux filter on each of my lenses, and I also carry a 77mm LB Warming Polarizer and a 77mm Vari-ND filter. Each one of these filters is essential and fits neatly in my camera bag that I have to carry around all day. I keep a Hi-Lux UV filter on each lens because I want the best possible glass between my …

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Patience Rewarded

In ND Filters, Post-Processing by George Wilson

Patience is a virtue – or so I was told growing up. So, what is the obsession with rushing through our photography– just to upload it to Instagram, Facebook, Flickr in hopes of getting lots of “likes” and favorites”? Will they really matter 100 years from now? What portion of our work will still exist when we pass on? Harsh to think about, yes, but it is reality. What do you wish to be remembered for at the end of …

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Photoshop and six tools… with a video demonstration

In Black & White, Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Post-Processing, Scenes & Scenarios by Cole Thompson

Editor’s note: We are huge admirers of Cole’s work and have always wondered how he processed his memorable B&W images. Here Cole describes his process – and illustrates it with the video included in this article. Cole uses the Singh-Ray Vari-ND variable neutral density filter and our Mor-Slo 5-, 10-, 15- and 20-stop solid neutral density filters to help create many of his images. A friend and I were recently discussing how I process my images. I was trying to …

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The other day, I was asked to describe how I created this image…

In Equipment & Technique, Post-Processing by Denise Silva

I decided it would be easier to write a post here and create a video demonstrating the techniques. So let’s get started. The Set Up This image was created from 37 different images, created using the time lapse feature in my Fuji X-T1. If you do not have time lapse built into your camera, you can purchase a wired or wireless remote with time lapse capability for most camera bodies. The time lapse was set to continue indefinitely, with a …

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Some tips and techniques from the “Last Frontier”

In Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Special Events by Jeff Schultz

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 …

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Palouse Light

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Special Events by John Barclay

It’s hard to explain rationally, but there are some locations for me where the light is just different – with a special quality unique to that area. One place that qualifies is Cape Cod, whose light is described in photos and words in Joel Meyerowitz’s ground-breaking book Cape Light. Another area I’d definitely nominate for the extraordinary quality of its light is the Palouse, an approximately 4,000 square mile area in Northeast Idaho and Southwest Washington, about 30 minutes south …

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Using Singh-Ray polarizers to enhance hot air balloon images in Albuquerque’s early morning light

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Special Events by Ernesto Santos

There is no doubt that New Mexico is blessed with a multitude of dramatic natural areas and inspiring historical architecture, but what really stirs the soul of this photographer is the magnificent light to be found in the state. This is particularly true of the northern areas around the Sangre de Cristo and Sandia mountain ranges. During this most recent visit, I found all the national parks to be closed, but nobody had been able to turn off the light. …

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Visiting Denali National Park at just the right time to join the 30 percent club

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Special Events by Steve Kossack

Not since my 45 RPM record collection dominated my life during the 50’s and 60’s have I been as interested in gathering information and experiencing a subject in as much detail as I now give to our National Parks system. The parks and the landscapes they present were the reason I returned to school in the 80’s to learn the art of photography, but I had no idea I would spend so much time in them. The green of the …

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Tribute to the 4th of July

In Equipment & Technique, Scenes & Scenarios, Special Events, UV Filters by Joe DiMaggio

I am one of the luckiest people in the world. Many of my friends are artists whether they be painters, writers, poets, musicians, photographers or what have you. What’s the term that is used — starving artists. Every once in a while I tend to complain and moan about the state of the union. Several friends have reminded me if I don’t like the state of the union I can go somewhere else. To be honest, I’ve been lucky enough to …

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Two Must-have Filters for Traveling Photographers

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters, Water Features by Jay Dickman

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 …

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Photographing Wildlife with Filters

In Equipment & Technique, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters, Wildlife by Vinny Colucci

I have a large selection of various Singh-Ray filters.  Filters, to me, are about controlling light. When we think of using filters, most of us are thinking landscape photography. It just so happens that controlling light with filters is equally important when photographing wildlife. I use two filters when photographing wildlife: the Singh-Ray Polarizing Filter and the Hi-Lux Filter. Both have their value in different situations and both are necessary to optimize the image quality. There are two types of …

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Capturing a special moment at the Taj Mahal

In City/Urban, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters by Jay Dickman

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 …

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Tribute to the 4th of July

In Equipment & Technique, Scenes & Scenarios, Special Events, UV Filters by Joe DiMaggio

I am one of the luckiest people in the world. Many of my friends are artists whether they be painters, writers, poets, musicians, photographers or what have you. What’s the term that is used — starving artists. Every once in a while I tend to complain and moan about the state of the union. Several friends have reminded me if I don’t like the state of the union I can go somewhere else. To be honest, I’ve been lucky enough to …

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Fleeing the Canadian winter and discover all the warmth Cuba has to offer

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, Portraits, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters by Dale Wilson

We booked a one-week foray to Cuba in search of palm trees, turquoise waters, great music and an endless stream of piña coladas. This was to be a family holiday, and I’m sure I am not the only photographer who has discovered they cannot diligently shoot while on vacation. As a compromise between my own impulses as a photographer and my respect for the notion that this would be a family holiday, I decided to take just one small carry-on …

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Re-Imagining an Often Shot Location

In Equipment & Technique, Infrared Photography, ND Filters, Water Features by Don Smith

Valley View, Merced River and Bridalveil Fall, Yosemite Valley, Yosemite National Park, California. Sony a7RIII, Sony 24-105mm, f/16, 30 sec., ISO 100, Singh-Ray Vari-N-Trio Recently in past weeks, good friends Ron Modra and his wife MB came out to California for a visit. On Wednesday, I drove them to Yosemite National Parkand met up with another good friend/photographer Gary Hart. Fortunately for us, Glacier Point Road had just opened. We were treated to a thunderstorm sky and had a great …

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Waterfall Polarizer

In Polarizing Filters, Water Features by Bryan Hansel

The Singh-Ray Bryan Hansel Waterfall Polarizer When photographing waterfalls, one of the popular looks is to make the water look silky. On the waterfall workshops I teach, it’s the most sought-after effect to learn. Photographers love the look and being able to achieve the silky look brings a smile to a photographer’s face. The look also changes the emotional impact of your shot. With the silky look, the image feels more peaceful and calming which is one of the emotions …

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Two Must-have Filters for Traveling Photographers

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters, Water Features by Jay Dickman

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 …

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Creeks and Waterfalls Captured all in Camera

In Equipment & Technique, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Water Features by Randall J. Hodges

I love shooting creek and waterfalls. I love hiking along creeks and rivers listening to the magical sounds of the flowing waters as they drown out the rest of the world leaving me in the moment along the beautiful forest trails of the Pacific Northwest. I do most of this type of shooting in the spring or fall, and I prefer overcast skies for balanced light, giving me awesome colors and crisp white waters. My second choice would be shade …

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The Story Behind “Melting Giants”

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Water Features by Cole Thompson

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 …

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The “Five-Stop Effect”

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Water Features by Tom Bol

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. …

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Photographing moving water

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Water Features, Wildlife by Robert Clark

Moving water – waterfalls, rivers, streams and surf – often presents unique challenges to the landscape photographer. The most common way to capture images of moving water is to use a slower shutter speed. But how slow should the shutter speed be? The answer largely depends on the effect you are looking for in the final image. I normally divide my approach to shooting moving water into these three desired effects: Silky Milky Textural The silky effect is generally a …

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New creative interpretations with slower exposure times

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Water Features by Ellen Anon

As the digital era has evolved and cameras are ubiquitous, there are more and more images of literally everything, to the point that sometimes people wonder if it’s possible to make a photograph that’s original. One of the reasons that I enjoy using Singh-Ray filters, such as the Mor-Slos and the Vari-ND is that I can transform what I see in front of me into my interpretation of it, rather than just a documentary-style image, while maintaining the highest possible …

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Photographing Wildlife with Filters

In Equipment & Technique, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, UV Filters, Wildlife by Vinny Colucci

I have a large selection of various Singh-Ray filters.  Filters, to me, are about controlling light. When we think of using filters, most of us are thinking landscape photography. It just so happens that controlling light with filters is equally important when photographing wildlife. I use two filters when photographing wildlife: the Singh-Ray Polarizing Filter and the Hi-Lux Filter. Both have their value in different situations and both are necessary to optimize the image quality. There are two types of …

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Random thoughts….

In Equipment & Technique, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Ed Heaton

Ramblings from the White Mountains Just wrapped up a photography/camping trip to the White Mountains of New Hampshire – and spent a lot of time roaming the White Mountains in exploration of the abundant photo opportunities. They are spread out, but so are many of the iconic areas, so this was nothing new to us. There were numerous waterfalls in the area and, if you head down to the Lakes Region, you’ll find countless lakes and reflections. I have two …

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“All-in-camera, old school photography” with digital cameras, Part 3

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Wildlife by Randall J. Hodges

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. …

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When the great becomes commonplace

In Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Tony Sweet

I remember years ago, after submitting images for an article, a phone call from my editor. “Please… no more slot canyon shots. Please….” I was disappointed, but I understood. For several years after the slots got “discovered” by people with their new DSLRs, slot canyon and desert southwest images were all over the internet. That’s when the handwriting was on the wall, from what I could see. Images that were previously inaccessible to all but the most dedicated photographers and requiring specific, finely …

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Photographing moving water

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Water Features, Wildlife by Robert Clark

Moving water – waterfalls, rivers, streams and surf – often presents unique challenges to the landscape photographer. The most common way to capture images of moving water is to use a slower shutter speed. But how slow should the shutter speed be? The answer largely depends on the effect you are looking for in the final image. I normally divide my approach to shooting moving water into these three desired effects: Silky Milky Textural The silky effect is generally a …

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Pursuing subtle

In Landscapes, Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Mark Lissick

In this age of “in-your-face” visual imagery we have come to be enamored by explosive vibrancy. Images are designed with easily categorized subjects allowing the viewer the ability to quickly digest the visual message and then move on. In the realm of artistic endeavor this is becoming almost formulaic. While some fantastic images are the result, such design structuring can stifle one’s imagination. Creativity does not thrive in a box. Images that limit the viewer’s choices leave little for interpretation …

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What grabs your attention? That’s what your picture should be.

In Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Don Smith

“When Forces Collide,” Big Sur Coast, California, Sony a6000, Tamron SP 150-600mm @900mm, Sony LA-EA4 adapter, f/11, 1/1000th sec., 800 ISO I work with a lot of amateur photographers. There are times we are on location when I get the question, “so what are we shooting here?” Sometimes the answer is rather obvious, but oftentimes it’s not. As an instructor, these are the times I seize to really teach. My first response is to not hand it to them on …

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Photographing the Yosemite, Part 2: Summer in the High Country

In Equipment & Technique, Landscapes, ND Filters, Polarizing Filters, Scenes & Scenarios, Wildlife by Steve Kossack

In the summer months at the Yosemite, it’s the high country for me. And you don’t need to get far into the wilderness to experience it. David Brower’s ice cream cone scenario often comes to mind as we leave Tuolumne Meadows on route to the Yosemite high camps beyond. The camps were built in the 1920’s mostly and remain one of my favorite locations for many reasons. There are six of them and they are some six to ten miles …

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