Maple Leaves on Fallen Redwood, Nisene Marks State Park, California Sony a7R, Sony 70-200mm @ 200mm, f/20, 4 seconds, 100 ISO, Singh-Ray Neutral Polarizer It has been my observation in teaching workshops for the past 10 years that there are two types of photographers: There are those whom I call the âtrophy hunters,â they have scoured the internet regarding the area they are photographing and are there to shoot the icons. Then there are those whoâll find their own twist …
A Resident Artist
Editorâs note: In our humble opinion, Chuck Kimmerle is one of todayâs 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 …
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 …
Singh-Ray filters: Essential tools for preserving photographic integrity
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 …
5 Reasons to Reject an Image
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 donât 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 …
Filters Still Have an Important Role in High-Quality Photography
I recently returned from a week in South Dakota and it was an exhilarating, wonderful experience. Iâd just switched to Singh-Ray 4×6 inch Galen Rowell neutral density grads from the âPâ size, so I was looking forward to trying out these larger filters with my usual hand-holding technique. Here is how I approach hand-holding ND grads; itâs quite an easy process, and best of all, it obviously doesnât require futzing around with a bulky filter holder. I often stack up …
Realizing my vision, with the help of my filters
Editor’s note: Doug is a full-time U.S. Coast Guardsman, which may have something to do with why most of his photos seem to contain water! An avid photographer who spends much of his time at sea serving his country, here he describes his transition from film to digital, with the help of Singh-Ray filters. We’re pleased to feature Doug’s work. My enduring love for creating photographs began at age 13, in a darkroom with my father. To say the least, …
Five + Ten + Fifteen + Twenty + Vari-ND = Perfect ND Kit
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 worldâs 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 …
Palouse Light
Itâs hard to explain rationally, but there are some locations for me where the light is just different â 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 Meyerowitzâs ground-breaking book Cape Light. Another area Iâd 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 …
Fall in New Hampshire – An Annual Color Riot
Our annual New Hampshire photography tour is one of our most visually stimulating workshops. Weâve been shooting and conducting workshops there for 15 years and really look forward to going back each year. Itâs also when I keep my Singh Ray filters close at hand. Clear, chilly mornings will be wet, creating a glow on the fallen colorful leaves patterns, which is always a great subject. However, the color can be dulled by the glare deflecting light away, resulting in …