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 …
Tips for using your Mor-Slo™ 5-stop solid neutral density filter
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 …
“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 …
Where to next… and what should I bring?
For me, a lot of the fun of photography is picking which new area I want to go photograph. I’m spinning a virtual globe and searching for the next spot. Once I find that location, the real work begins looking for the spots I’ll visit when I arrive. A lot of that process is done prior to ever stepping off the airplane and actually seeing the place with my own eyes. Searching images, trail reviews and looking over Google Earth …
The long exposure as a creative tool
As a professional photographer, I’m always exploring creative techniques and how they can be used to create impact in my images. One of my favorite techniques is to use a long exposure to deliberately convey motion by creating a distinct contrast between moving and static elements in a scene. As exposure time lengthens, moving objects are transformed from sharp, static subjects into soft, blurred ones. If you can identify the movement patterns and direction of dynamic elements in your scene, …
Photoshop and six tools… with a video demonstration
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 …
5 reasons why you should be using a circular polarizing filter
The sun sets through fog as seen from Fremont Peak State Park, San Benito County, California (Sony a7R II, Sony/Zeiss 24-70mm, f/22, 1/10th, ISO 100, Singh-Ray Neutral Polarizer) If you are serious about your landscape photography, there is one filter that should be on each lens in your bag – a polarizer! Why? Well, that is what I will discuss in this article. But first you need to understand that the one filter that cannot be re-created in post-processing is …
My 3-stop reverse graduated ND filter. An essential tool for shooting sunsets.
Typical graduated filters are darkest at one end, and gradually lighten up along the length of the filter. These are essential for any landscape photographer’s kit, and are commonly used when the sun is above the frame, for instance in the late afternoon. They help balance the exposure of a bright sky and a darker foreground scene. The problem with this filter when photographing sunsets, is that the frame is typically brightest towards the middle, or top third, of the frame, meaning …
Photographing moving water
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 …
“All-in-camera, old school photography” with digital cameras, Part 1
“To Photoshop” or “not to Photoshop,” that is the question. Well, not really, but for an all-in-camera professional like myself, there really is no choice. I believe there is absolutely nothing wrong with Photoshop, Lightroom or any other post-processing techniques used to create images, as this is the accepted norm these days. In fact, I’m a fan of many professionals out there who post process their images and produce outstanding images using their post processing tools. I believe each individual …
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 …
Marco Crupi enjoys a quick trip down the Jersey Shore looking for something special to photograph
I like to go on short trips in and around my home in New Jersey. This past Father’s Day, I decided to head down the Jersey Shore for the weekend even though the weather forecast was calling for afternoon thunderstorms and showers. What a great call! My wife and I spent most of the day basking in the sun and enjoying the Spring Lake beach area. After several hours of relaxing on the beach, I decided to take a walk …
Explaining why LB Neutral Polarizer is almost always a good filter!
This is my part of the natural world, and I can feast on all the natural beauty around me for years to come. But there have been many more decisions I have made to assure success as an outdoor photographer — including the decision to use Singh-Ray filters. I’d like to talk a bit about the one filter that, as a landscape photographer, is almost always on my lens. That filter is the Singh-Ray LB Neutral Polarizer. Many photographers only …
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 …
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 …
Going to Olympic National Park and braving the threat of vampires, werewolves and heavy rainfall
From the time I started taking landscape images, there’s been something mysteriously drawing me to Olympic National Park, but it wasn’t the vampires and werewolves described in the Twilight books. The rugged Washington coastline with its craggy sea stacks and rough seas looked like just the place to make dramatic images. The only issue was the weather. When author Stephenie Meyer wrote the Twilight books, she picked the part of the lower 48 states with the highest annual rainfall. She …
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 …
Discussing what I’ve learned from previous trips
As I prepare for my fourth trip to Iceland — the third time I will be serving as a guide for other photographers — I’ve given a lot of thought to what I’ve learned to this point. I can also draw upon my previous experience leading workshops to almost every corner of this country. I’ve spent some time considering how I might improve on the way I shot these locations before, and how I’ll guide the other photographers to do …
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 …
Capturing the Ice and Fire of Icelandic sunsets
One of the most sought after locations for both travel and landscape photographers is Iceland — the land of ice and fire. Iceland is a Nordic island country bordered by the Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, plus the island is geologically active with many volcanoes, so the weather varies between different parts of the island. Generally, the south coast is warmer, wetter and windier than the north, and the central highlands are the coldest. As a veteran photographer from a tropical …
Taking the new Mor-Slo 15-stop ND Filter for an initial test shot
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 …
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 …
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 …
Visiting Denali National Park at just the right time to join the 30 percent club
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 …
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 …
Marco Crupi enjoys a quick trip down the Jersey Shore looking for something special to photograph
I like to go on short trips in and around my home in New Jersey. This past Father’s Day, I decided to head down the Jersey Shore for the weekend even though the weather forecast was calling for afternoon thunderstorms and showers. What a great call! My wife and I spent most of the day basking in the sun and enjoying the Spring Lake beach area. After several hours of relaxing on the beach, I decided to take a walk …
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 …
Discussing what I’ve learned from previous trips
As I prepare for my fourth trip to Iceland — the third time I will be serving as a guide for other photographers — I’ve given a lot of thought to what I’ve learned to this point. I can also draw upon my previous experience leading workshops to almost every corner of this country. I’ve spent some time considering how I might improve on the way I shot these locations before, and how I’ll guide the other photographers to do …
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 …
Discovering Singh-Ray ND Grads and the ColorCombo
I mainly wanted to feature the most well-known springs, lakes and forests — recording their changes in the different seasons. Since I was living in Southern Oklahoma at that time, I did several trips to the park during different times of the day. Finally, the chosen images were published in a twenty-six-page portfolio in the March/April 2013 edition of Oklahoma Today. In order to follow the specific guidelines from the editor, I needed to be sure to make all my adjustments in the …
Timing a spontaneous visit to the South Carolina Lowcountry perfectly
I just can’t work without my LB Warming Polarizer. For example, during my January photo trip to the ‘Boneyard Beach’ area in South Carolina’aLowcountry, my filters were essential to capturing the fantastic light. Most of my photo trips involve extensive planning and several days to adequately document the area, but this was a more spontaneous adventure. I just decided to take a gamble based on an optimistic weather report and favorable tide information. I drove about 5 hours through the …
Using the Singh-Ray ColorCombo with ND Grads to control the complete picture
When I realized I’m living in one of the world’s most scenic areas. I am now striving to promote nature conservation through my outdoor photography, and I am also discovering the benefits of using Singh-Ray filters for optimum results when shooting landscapes. I first discovered the importance of using Singh-Ray Graduated ND filters (ND Grads) to produce landscape images with just the right balance between nature’s bright skies and shadowy foregrounds. More recently, I’ve discovered that my Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo is equally …
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 …
Explaining the very important advantages of the Singh-Ray LB Polarizer
For the most part, the students don’t exactly know what a polarizer does so they’re not at all sure when to use it. I start by explaining that Singh-Ray offers four different polarizers; two ‘standard’ types, the LB Warming Polarizer and LB Neutral, as well as the Gold-N-Blue and ColorCombo Polarizers. (Each of these filters is fully described on the Singh-Ray website.) Since my personal choice for about 85% of my images is the ColorCombo, that’s the filter I demonstrate …
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 …
Adventures in Costa Rica’s rain and cloud forests
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 …
How I Found My Vision
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 …
Take a look back at a great year with Singh-Ray filters
Dawn at Hanalei Bay, Kauai, Hawaii Canon 5DMKIII, 24mm, 6 minutes, f/16, ISO 100, Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo Looking back at 2013, I was fortunate to photograph incredible landscapes from Eastern Utah to Hawaii and many places in-between. Of course, my Singh-Ray filters were always with me and are an integral part of my success. During my Kauai Workshop this past June, I had my group on location at Hanalei Bay for first light. I love the soft hues of early morning …
Looking for the locations that may become icons for future photographers
Steve Kossack now lives in Las Vegas, Nevada, which enables him to reach many of the most iconic natural wonders in the American West within just a few hours of driving. “What I have found amazing is how differently I respond to a scenic area after exploring it many times. This is especially true for those locations I have explored to the point that I wonder if I have exhausted all their visual possibilities. Of course the landscape does not …
For a change of pace, shoot ABOVE the surface of Hawaii’s coastal waters
To follow the ventures of nature photographer Jon Cornforth over the past couple of years, you would need a boatload of scuba and underwater photogear. “Photographing the lives of all the various whales and other underwater wildlife has demanded almost all my time and attention. But there are those brief occasions when I have time to use my Canon 5DmkIII with Zeiss lenses and Singh-Ray Filters to capture some impressive scenes above water. Here are four recent examples. I photographed …
Shooting the beauty of Kauai Island from a helicopter, Capturing a more revealing perspective
Kauai is the oldest of the four main Hawaiian Islands and it is, without a doubt, one of the most beautiful and charming places I’ve ever been. During a recent anniversary trip to Kauai with my wife, I made a half-hearted commitment to keep the camera out of the way for the most part (much easier said than done in such a beautiful part of the world!). To not shoot from the helicopter, however, was never an option. If you’ve …
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 …
Visiting NYC with Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filters to shoot very long exposures
Living in Colorado, I don’t always have opportunities to do urban photography, so when I get a chance to go back east, I always bring along my creative filters. When I was in New York City for the Photo Plus Expo, I brought my two newest filters, the Singh-Ray 5-stop and 10-stop Mor-Slo filters. The image above is a good example of how these filters let me capture very long exposures even in broad daylight. Singh-Ray Mor-Slo filters are a …
Using Singh-Ray polarizers to enhance hot air balloon images in Albuquerque’s early morning light
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. …
Photographers of all ages and stages of mobility should bring their cameras to the American West
I love to show other folks what I think is available to see and visit without straining their budget or their back. Born and raised in Ohio, I have long since adopted the life we photographers have in Colorado and the American West. For the many photographers who don’t live out here, however, I would advise you to come visit us soon. Bring your camera, a sturdy tripod and all your filters. The photos I’m including here are intended to …
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 …