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 …
Using Singh-Ray Polarizers to enhance digital images for B&W image conversions
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Trip to Iceland proved to be a rich and inspiring experience
I have taken photo trips in Europe and the Mediterranean, but the biggest step yet has been my recent trip to Iceland. That had been a “dream” destination for a long time. The dream came true in June 2012. My goal for this trip was to explore the south coast, a part of the highlands and, if possible, the west peninsula. I had ten days there and the program was dependent on the weather. It turned out we were lucky …
Photographing Oregon’s Bandon Beach in Black and White with Gold-N-Blue Polarizer
What an incredible landscape; the sea stacks are of course the highlight, but I had a 7-foot high tide to contend with and… you guessed it… plenty of clouds. Two of the most popular sea stacks on the beach are known as ‘Wizard’s Hat’ and ‘Face Rock’ seen in the image above. Beaches can be beautiful places to sunbathe, but they can also be visually mundane. Bandon’s unusual sea stacks provide plenty of visual interest and story for a landscape …
Sharing some of my latest long-exposure images from recent trips
Since my last post, I have been on a number of trips and thought I’d share some images from them. Each of these long exposure images has something in common, the Singh-Ray Vari-ND and the Mor-Slo 5-Stop ND Filter. I was in the Sierras to attend the memorial of an old friend and mentor when I created this image. John was on my mind as I spent several days reminiscing about our times together and missing him. He loved the …
Tracing the Silver Bay landscape image from pre-visualization to post production
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. …
Capturing impressive infrared landscapes with the Nikon D-70 and an I-Ray filter
I became interested in landscape photography in 1997, when I was on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. I was in school learning about infrared film. I had done a bit of work with it, but I was eager to see what it would do in the lush forests of British Columbia. My mother and I traveled to the island for Christmas break and I spent some time shooting photos in various places. Of course, this was infrared film back …
Two-minute video demonstrates how a Graduated ND Filter balances the light
From his vast outdoor studio not far from Alberta, Canadian photographer and author Darwin Wiggett sends this unedited video showing how easy it is to balance the dynamic range between the sky and the foreground of this outdoor scene simply by using a Singh-Ray 2-stop hard-step Graduated ND Filter. “I shot the video using a Canon Rebel T2i and a Tamron 17-50 f2.8 lens. I shot the scene at 17mm. A Cokin P-Series filter holder was mounted on the lens …
The Essential Filters for Controlling Contrast in Digital Nature Photography
Originally posted in March, 2010, this article from Darwin Wiggett contains some truly fundamental information about using filters for photographers to learn or review. Each time award-winning photographer and author Darwin Wiggett writes about filters, he is sharing his own years of successful experience. His stories featured on this blog have become a trusted reference source for many visitors. Now Darwin discusses the essential filters for controlling the luminance or contrast range of digital images and offers us his perspective …
When to use Neutral Polarizers?
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 …
Sunrise at Collins Landing, Eastham on Cape Cod, MA with Singh-Ray’s LB Color Intensifier
View PostHorsetail Fall
View PostEnchanted in the Enchantments
View PostValentine Food Photography
View PostA Boundary Waters Sunset with the All-in-One Filter
View PostUsing the Gold-N-Blue Polarizer
View PostTHE POWER OF THE POLARIZER
View PostThe Benefit of Using The Vinny Colucci Extended Grad Filter
View PostExpect The Unexpected
View PostTony 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 …
Capturing impressive infrared landscapes with the Nikon D-70 and an I-Ray filter
I became interested in landscape photography in 1997, when I was on Vancouver Island on the west coast of Canada. I was in school learning about infrared film. I had done a bit of work with it, but I was eager to see what it would do in the lush forests of British Columbia. My mother and I traveled to the island for Christmas break and I spent some time shooting photos in various places. Of course, this was infrared film back …
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 …
“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. …
Tips For Better Wildflower Images – Part 2
Tip #6 – Auto ISO Most new digital cameras are now offering Auto ISO. I find, when photographing wildflowers and fighting a relentless breeze, that this feature can save the day and really allow me to concentrate on my composition. I first tried this feature last March in the hills of southern Washington. I was working on a sunset shoot with some Balsamroot and Lupine. I had envisioned catching a sun star as the sun lowered on a nearby hill. …
Tips For Better Wildflower Images – Part 1
Editor’s note: It’s flower time in many parts of the world now, so we thought these tips from Don Smith might be helpful – here is part one. Don’s essential tools for shooting wildflowers include his Singh-Ray warming and neutral polarizers. Many photographers also choose our ColorCombo Polarizer for flowers. One way or the other, a polarizer is a must-have creative tool for this type of photography. Sony a7R II, Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm, f/22, 1/30th ISO 800. Spring is in full bloom and …
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 …
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 …
“All in camera, old school photography” with digital, part 2
This is the second article in my “All in Camera” series for the Singh-Ray blog. Today, I’d like to highlight the need to control white balance during image capture and discuss a valuable in-camera tool you might not currently be using that can help you with this – what I call the “Digital Rolls of Film” settings available in most DSLR cameras (“Picture Control” in the menu of Nikon DSLRs and “Picture Style” in Canon DSLRs). Let’s start with this …
Red Channel Graduated ND Filter Use
View PostMOMENTS
Waning Light at Black Sand Beach, Vik, Iceland. Sony a7RIV, Sony 24-105mm, f/14, 30 seconds, ISO 100, Singh-Ray 5-stop Mor-Slo ND French photographer Henri Cartier-Bresson by all accounts was the earliest pioneer of street photography and a master at capturing unique candid moments – later to be termed a “decisive moment.” He was also a co-founder of Magnum Photos. In 1952, Cartier-Bresson published a book of images that was titled in English, “The Decisive Moment.” It included a portfolio of …
Yosemite Moonbows
Moonbow and starry sky over Yosemite Falls, Yosemite National Park, California Yosemite National Park is a mecca for adventure and nature photography with its steep granite walls, lush meadows, alpine spires, and booming waterfalls. I’ve spent four decades exploring its unique features and it always feels like home whenever I return. But as with any well-loved location, it’s easy to find yourself in a creative quandary when it comes to seeking out new perspectives. With iconic landmarks around every turn, …
Photographing the Scottish Highlands with The Mor-Slo 10 Stop ND Filter
View PostSingh-Ray Landscape Filter Combo
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 Reverse Graduated ND Filter
Back in the days of film getting the right exposure in the field was a critical step, especially scenes where the dynamic range was greater than the contrast range of film. Scenes such as sunrise and sunset posed a challenge until Singh Ray and the late Galen Rowell pioneered Graduated Neutral Density Filters. These filters allowed photographers to control the dynamic range in a scene by selecting an appropriate filter density for the situation at hand. A Graduated Neutral Density Filter is darkest at the top of the filter, gradually fades toward the middle, with the bottom half …
Chasing Ansel
View PostNight Photography with Sony A7RIV and Singh-Ray Astro-Vision Filter
View PostThe Randall J Hodges Mountain View Filter
View PostRe-Imagining an Often Shot Location
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 …
The Benefit of Using The Vinny Colucci Extended Grad Filter
View PostExpect The Unexpected
View PostPhotographing a Still life with Singh-Ray’s LB Color Intensifier
View PostBlue Ice Islands in a River of Gold
View PostPlaying on the Beach with Singh-Ray Filters
Winter is my favorite time to photograph the beautiful beaches of the West Coast. Recently I was able to get out for a two-night adventure to Second Beach in Olympic National Park in Washington. Second Beach is one of my favorite beaches in the world, and I was incredibly excited to hike on it again. I was there to film a new episode of my video series “Out in the Filed with Randall J Hodges”. I was hoping for great …
Photographing Pinnacles National Park With IPHONE 11 Pro Max And Singh-Ray Cell Phone Neutral Polarizer!
I decided to take a hike in Pinnacles National Park, which is located about 35 miles from my home along the east-side entrance of Highway 25. My main goal was to get in a good workout. I parked at the Western Visitor’s Center parking lot and headed up towards the Pinnacles High Peaks via the Condor Peaks Trail and returned down the Condor Gulch Trail. The total distance was 5.4 miles with an elevation gain of 1,591 feet. Besides water …
Singh-Ray Landscape Filter Combo
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 Randall J Hodges Mountain View Filter
View PostColorado Fall Color Road Trip
Fall is one of my favorite times in Colorado. The temperature cools down, fresh snow coats the mountain peaks, and yellow stands of aspens line the mountain valleys. Right now, I am in the middle of a fall roadtrip photographing some of my favorite locations in Colorado. Fall color is spectacular this year. Not only are the aspens vibrant, but the scrub oak is flaming red and orange. Whenever I head into the field, I always bring my Singh-Ray filters …
Taking the Tetons From “cool” to “Wow!”
This past June I was asked to assist in teaching a photography workshop to 5 combat-wounded veterans, most of whom had no previous experience with a digital SLR camera. This workshop was part of a series of programs for combat-wounded veterans run by Honoring Our Veterans (https://www.honorvets.org/), based out of Jackson, WY. The goal of HOV is to improve the quality of life for combat-wounded veterans by offering them activities that strengthen their physical, cognitive, emotional and social functioning. “It …
The Essential Filters for Controlling Contrast in Digital Nature Photography
Originally posted in March, 2010, this article from Darwin Wiggett contains some truly fundamental information about using filters for photographers to learn or review. Each time award-winning photographer and author Darwin Wiggett writes about filters, he is sharing his own years of successful experience. His stories featured on this blog have become a trusted reference source for many visitors. Now Darwin discusses the essential filters for controlling the luminance or contrast range of digital images and offers us his perspective …
Singh-Ray Landscape Filter Combo
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 …
Go 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 …
Re-Imagining an Often Shot Location
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 …
Waterfall Polarizer
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 …
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 …
Rediscovering My Origins with Singh-Ray Filters in Hand
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 …
Creeks and Waterfalls Captured all in Camera
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 …
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 …
Photographing Wildlife with Filters
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 …
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 …
“Cleanse your palette” Another approach to using solid neutral density filters
Solid neutral density filters – I use Singh-Ray Mor-Slo and George Lepp solid ND filters – have become increasingly popular the past few years. Their ability to increase exposure times from 1-stop to 20-stops (2x to, amazingly, more than 1,000,000x) helps to emphasize motion, thus adding a soft and ephemeral feel to moving elements such as waterfalls and clouds. However, there is another use for these filters beyond emphasizing motion, and that is to hide it. To soften detail. To …
More than just a camera
Editor’s note: We’re pleased to welcome Mark Lissik, a longtime Singh-Ray shooter and acclaimed photographer and workshop leader, to our team. Be sure to take a look at his new pro gallery page on this site. No matter what your photographic abilities the challenge of keeping your creative level at its peak can be daunting and one I face every time I pick up a camera. It is all too easy to fall into a creativity rut where we tend …
Why do you still use filters? Why not just bracket?
My grandmother still handwrites letters. My mother still makes all her desserts from scratch. When we make pasta, I still grate the cheese by hand. I also use filters when I take photos. What do all of these things have to do with one another? I’ll tell you. I’ve used filters for most of my twenty years in photography. A Singh-Ray polarizer was the first filter I ever purchased, once I saw how it enhanced images, and provided some much …
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 …
Capturing landscape images with tilt-shift lenses and ND Grads
As I’ve matured my photographic techniques, I have gravitated to Canon’s line of tilt/shift lenses. These lenses afford me the sharpness and detail that I’m looking for when I’m capturing landscapes that I want enlarged to the fullest extent. Besides tilting these lenses to maximize focus, I also employ the shift to capture three images and then stitch them in Photoshop. This combination allows me the very detailed, large files that I need for my work. Of course, since image …
Trip to Iceland proved to be a rich and inspiring experience
I have taken photo trips in Europe and the Mediterranean, but the biggest step yet has been my recent trip to Iceland. That had been a “dream” destination for a long time. The dream came true in June 2012. My goal for this trip was to explore the south coast, a part of the highlands and, if possible, the west peninsula. I had ten days there and the program was dependent on the weather. It turned out we were lucky …
Capturing the alpine drama with two Singh-Ray filters
During that time I’ve gone through more than a few cameras and lenses, transitioned from film to digital, and mastered the digital darkroom. Through it all my vision has been the common thread driven by my passion for the natural landscape — and during that time, Singh-Ray Filters have played a significant role in helping me translate and preserve my unique view of the outdoor world. For example, the image above, which was made in Dusy Basin, Kings Canyon National …
Sharing some of my latest long-exposure images from recent trips
Since my last post, I have been on a number of trips and thought I’d share some images from them. Each of these long exposure images has something in common, the Singh-Ray Vari-ND and the Mor-Slo 5-Stop ND Filter. I was in the Sierras to attend the memorial of an old friend and mentor when I created this image. John was on my mind as I spent several days reminiscing about our times together and missing him. He loved the …
The “motion” in emotional water images created by stretching exposures to the limit
I believe that long exposures and water are a natural match. Portraying water as fluid seems so much more natural to me. My Singh-Ray Vari-ND lets me easily explore exposures of varying durations by simply adjusting the density from about 2 stops up to 8 stops, or anywhere in between. My strong attraction to long exposures came about because of water. I was intrigued by the way moving water looked at different exposures; a 1-second image looked so completely different …
My National Geographic Expedition to Iceland, Greenland and the Northwest Passage
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 …
A perspective on filters… I’ve got hiking boots that cost more than most of them!
We welcome Singh-Ray’s most prolific blogger back to our new blog! Steve shares his perspective on using filters and setting priorities when it comes to the quality of your images. Each of my Singh-Ray filters is actually among the least expensive elements in my photo gear. Not only do I have hiking boots that cost more than most of them, almost everything I’m carrying does, from my backpack to my camera gear. And pound for pound, they deliver the best …
Tracing the path to the home of dreams
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 …
Experience the world through the eyes of an eight-year old
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 …
Sharing some of my latest long-exposure images from recent trips
Since my last post, I have been on a number of trips and thought I’d share some images from them. Each of these long exposure images has something in common, the Singh-Ray Vari-ND and the Mor-Slo 5-Stop ND Filter. I was in the Sierras to attend the memorial of an old friend and mentor when I created this image. John was on my mind as I spent several days reminiscing about our times together and missing him. He loved the …
Capturing a number of well-earned images of the residents of Salisbury Plain
I can not adequately describe how mind-blowing my visit was with these adorable king penguins. After spending a week sailing in horrendous seas with terrible weather, I finally arrived at my dream photography destination. Upon landing, most of the king penguins were somewhat skittish, but these guys walked right up to greet me! Oh, boy. It was cold, too. The fresh snow on the normally rocky beach, however, helped make this already dramatic scene even more photogenic. In order to photograph this spectacle, I …
Going to Bali with my family and camera — a memorable time was had by all
I figured there would be some great opportunities, though, in such a beautiful tropical setting. Although I spent a lot of time trying to decide what photo gear to take, my Singh-Ray Filters were at the top of every list I made. While we were in Bali, there was a lot of entertainment activity going on. Surf company Rip Curl was there hosting the Rip Curl Cup at Padang Padang Beach; as excited as my kids were to surf, I …
Reflections of this year’s visit to the splendors of Glacier National Park
Sometimes I wonder whether success in any creative art is more dependent on the singer or the song? That is to say, is it really the photographer or the place? Over the years, I’ve come to realize excellent outdoor images can be made almost anywhere at any time. Nevertheless, that rationalization fades from memory when I find myself surrounded by the awesome grandeur of our nation’s National Parks, and one in particular. Although it’s in a remote location, Glacier National …