It was the first time I had visited since 1987 when my wife and I went camping there. Coincidentally, our trip occurred right after U2 had introduced their new album “Joshua Tree,” and I remember listening to it non-stop as we sunned ourselves on the large round boulders at the park. The music and that location are positively and indelibly intertwined in my memory. Each time I hear those songs, I am transported back in time. So it was with …
Relying on Singh-Ray Mor-Slo filters to render ocean landscapes with a timeless calm
We were lucky enough recently to make a trip to the coastline of California and more specifically to the Big Sur region. Anytime I am shooting ocean landscapes, my Singh-Ray filters play a big part in creating the mood I’m shooting for. My current favorite is the 5-Stop Mor-Slo ND filter. My favorite shooting technique for ocean landscapes is to use the 5-stop Mor-Slo to produce very long exposures that dramatically enhance the mood of the image. For example, others …
Discovering the pleasures of shooting skyscapes
I have specialized in wildlife photography since 1995 and focused primarily on the ‘big-five’ African animals. Then recently I realized there are so many great landscape photographs yet to be captured everywhere we go. As a result, I bought a polarizer and some ND grads from a popular filter company, but I was never pleased with the results. Seeing some of Darwin Wiggett’s photographs was the turning point for me — I saw that he uses Singh-Ray filters, so I …
To capture the most dramatic lighting effects at sunrise and sunset, aim right for the sun
This area is my home and my part of the natural world, and I never feel a lack of impressive subjects. Perhaps my favorite subject is the sun itself, especially when I’m shooting at sunrise or sunset. I love to shoot directly at the sun to achieve dramatic lighting effects. I’ve found that two kinds of Singh-Ray filters are essential for such photos — my Galen Rowell ND Grads and my LB Neutral Polarizer. Whenever I’m shooting at the sun …
Used the same Singh-Ray filter for every image in this story. Can you guess which filter?
Then about 3 years ago my wife started running marathons, and I would tag along to explore each new city and take photos. When I submitted some of my marathon images while applying for credentials, I was asked if I would photograph the entire marathon from a creative point of view. That’s when my travel photography business was born. I covered about 12 marathons this past year and it looks like it will be even more next year. Every marathon …
Disguised as a wandering landscape photographer to capture New York City
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 …
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. …
Reviewing the basics of Graduated Neutral Density Filters in the Digital Age
Nowadays, my photography is still a passion that I pursue both as a doctoral graduate in biology and as a frequent photo workshop leader. While the magical effect of a polarizer is nearly impossible to recreate in image editing software, there are now all kinds of computer-based ways of replicating the effect of ND grads in post-production. In fact, many software packages offer built-in ND grad ‘effects’ that can easily be applied to images. We also have HDR software techniques …
Steve Kossack’s new location moves him closer to his two favorite national parks
I’ve just visited two of my most favorite National Parks now that they are closer than ever, When I first moved to the deserts of Arizona ten years ago, I considered Page AZ but did not move there. Instead I went a couple of hundred miles south to the small town of Cottonwood, about 100 miles north of Phoenix. For more than a decade, Phoenix served as a terrific base for conducting my various photo workshops throughout the western states. …
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 …