Singh Ray Filters Pro Gallery

Georgian Bay at Sunset, Parry Sound, Ontario, Canada

I am pleased to announce, and honored to have been added to the Singh Ray Filters Pro Gallery. I have relied on Singh Ray filters for the last 25 years to get the job done and photograph scenes the way I see them. I never leave home with out taking them along. The above image was created at sunrise on the beautiful shores of Ontario’s Georgian Bay, near Parry Sound, Ontario. To control the dynamic range within this scene I used my Singh Ray 3-stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter. I much prefer to capture scenes such as this, in the field, the way I see it in one frame. This allows me the freedom to quickly process the image file later at the computer. Sure enough you could capture a few frames and blend the exposures in the digital darkroom, but would you not prefer to be photographing moments like instead of being stuck behind a computer blending exposures?

To save 10% on your next purchase of at Singh Ray Filters use the code “Andrew 10” at checkout.

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Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail

Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm @ 35 mm, ISO 100, f16 @ 2.5 seconds, Singh - Ray 3 - stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

One of my most favorite trails for landscape photography is the Georgian Bay Rugged Hiking Trail located in the town of Parry Sound, Ontario. The trail head can be found at the salt docks. This is a 5km linear trail that offers stunning scenery with each step forward along the rugged granite coastline. I am currently up on Horseshoe Lake and am planning another hike along the trail this week. The image featured in today’s post was created three weeks ago. The hike was rather difficult as I made my way out to this spot very carefully during a severe flare up of lower back pain – no pain no gain they say 🙂  All I took with me for the hike to ensure the lightest load possible was my tripod, camera body, one lens, and my trusty, never leave home without it, Singh-Ray 3-stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter. Now that my back pain has subsided I am good as new and ready for a longer hike along the trail.

Please do click on the image to see the larger sharper version.

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Lake Travers – Algonquin Provincial Park

Pre-Dawn Light on Lake Travers in Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm
ISO 100, f16 @ 8 seconds
Singh Ray 3-Stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

Towards the end of last week I spent several days up on the shore of Lake Travers in Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park. The first morning of my stay in the area provided the best conditions for daybreak imagery. The nights turned rather cool after this day and subsequently the heavy mist rising from the lake made visibility very poor, until the sun had rose high enough in the sky to burn off the misty conditions. The above scene was created at approximately 5:30 a.m. on the first morning. No less than half an hour later the sun still hidden by the horizon began to light the clouds hovering above the lake – as seen below.

Sunrise on Lake Travers in Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 19mm
ISO 100, f16 @ 1.3 seconds
Singh Ray 3-Stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter

After the sun had risen and the colors faded from the sky I jumped into the canoe and paddled out across the lake. After about an hour paddling about the perimeter of Lake Travers I turned to look over my shoulder (photographer’s must remember to do this – sometimes what is behind you is more interesting than the scene before you) and was more than impressed by the cloud formations. Using my Nikon 18-35mm lens with a Nikon Polarizing filter attached I composed the scene and created several varying handheld compositions. Each and every time that I create a handheld image, before clicking the shutter, I take a breath and hold it as this will often eliminate the risk of breathing from causing movement that may contribute to un-sharp images.

Cloud Formations on Lake Travers in Ontario’s Algonquin Provincial Park
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm
ISO 200, f8 @ 1/25 second
Nikon Polarizing Filter
Hand-Held Capture

On my very last night in the park the skies were so unbelievably clear I could not resist the temptation to experiment with photographing the starry night sky. I think night photography will become a bit of an addiction 🙂 I can’t wait to give it another go!

The Milky Way Above the Algonquin Wilderness
Nikon D800, Nikon 18-35mm lens @ 18mm
ISO 6400, f4.5 @ 30 seconds

Please do remember to click on each of the images to see the larger, sharper versions.

I am on the road photographing again next week, but promise to return with lots of images to share and tips too 🙂

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A Pile of Rocks on Cayman Brac

Sunrise on Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands

Just a short stroll down the beach from the villa I was renting on the Caribbean island of Cayman Brac, in the Cayman Islands was a small grouping of rocks at the water’s edge. Several mornings I made use of these rocks as foreground subjects as I strolled along the beach. Each of the images in this post were created on a different morning. Some mornings the skies were more impressive than others, but I believe it is always a best practice to go out regardless – if I don’t I am missing something.

My most frequently used filter for sunrise imagery is the Singh-Ray Filter’s Daryl Benson 3-stop Reverse Graduated Neutral Density Filter. Aside from polarizing filters, the graduated neutral density filters are a landscape photographer’s best friend. Some folks prefer not using these filters in favor of taking several, bracketed photos and either manually blending them or creating an HDR image with them. I prefer to create one image in the field, so I can spend less time at home on the computer. Using graduated neutral density filters allows me to do this easily.

Hope you like the rockpile 🙂

Please remember to click on each of the images to view the larger, sharper versions.

Sunrise on Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands

Sunrise on Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands

Sunrise on Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands

Sunrise on Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands

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Agawa River Sunrise

Agawa River at Sunrise in Ontario’s Lake Superior Provincial Park

I arrived home from my jaunt to Ontario’s Lake Superior Provincial Park late Wednesday night. My brother Gregg, founder of WorkCabin, Canada’s largest eco-friendly environmental jobsite, accompanied me on the trip, which brought back memories of how we use to wander off deep into the forest to explore the woodlands around the family cottage near Parry Sound, way back in our early teenage years. On Wednesday morning the alarm clock rang out at 5:00 a.m. and I walked down to the Lake Superior shoreline to assess the skies for any possible sunrise opportunities. I could see some low-level, alto-cumulus clouds forming. These clouds are typically characterized by parallel bands or rounded masses, and when present have the potential to create stunning sunrise imagery. I decided it was best that we head over to the Agawa River to see if we could capture a couple of sunrise images before departing for home. The decision to head to the Agawa River was bang-on as the skies were on fire about half an hour after we arrived on the scene, well prepared for the action. Without a doubt this was the most beautiful sunrise I have ever witnessed. Now, if only a bull Moose could have been standing in the river.

To hold back the intense glow of the sunlit skies I used my Singh Ray 2-stop Graduated Neutral Density Filter on either my Nikon 24-85mm lens or my new favorite lens the Nikon 18-35mm attached to a Nikon D800.

The three images in this post represent the transitions in the sunrise, from it’s most intense glow to the moment the color began to disappear.

Please click on each of the images to see the larger, sharper versions and let us know which is your favorite of the three.

Agawa River at Sunrise in Ontario’s Lake Superior Provincial Park

Agawa River at Sunrise in Ontario’s Lake Superior Provincial Park

 

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Essential Landscape Filters

Jardines del rey, Cayo Santa Maria, Cuba

The image for this post is one that I photographed last February while on the Cuban island of Cayo Santa Maria in the Jardines del rey archipelago, a UNESCO World Biosphere. To accurately record the wonderful pink hue that was present above this large mangrove island, in pre-dawn light, I used my Singh Ray 3-stop reverse graduated neutral density filter. My Singh Ray filters are an essential part of my photo gear. I never head out the door with taking them along. To see how they have helped me capture some of my favorite landscape photos head over to Focus On Singh Ray Filters to see their blog post today that features the work of yours truly.

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Tiny Marsh Provincial Wildlife Area

Tiny Marsh at sunrise (3-stop reverse graduated filter)

On Friday morning I made a quick trip up to Tiny Marsh for some sunrise photography. Tiny Marsh, located just west of Barrie, Ontario, is one of my favorite destinations for sunrise photography and wetland wildlife images too. Don’t let the name fool you, this is a very large wetland. The wetland section of this location is 600 hectares in size and is surrounded by 300 hectares of forest and fields. It is managed, in part, by Ducks Unlimited Canada. This was my first visit to the marsh this year as I have been too busy to get here sooner. I often arrive long before sunrise to allow time to walk out across the wetland trails to be where I want to be when the show begins. It is always a pleasure to listen to the sounds of the marsh as it awakens with the new day. Black Terns, Pied-billed Grebe, Osprey, Trumpeter Swans, Least Bitterns, Otters and many other critters abound here.

I have begun to use a Singh Ray 3-stop reverse graduated filter for sunrise photos where the sun is just above the horizon. The reverse graduated filter does a wonderful job at holding back the bright sun as it rises above the horizon. This filter yields more pleasing results for these type of images as opposed to using an ordinary graduated filter.

Tiny Marsh at sunrise (3-stop reverse graduated filter)

While waiting for the sun to rise don’t forget to look over your shoulder. Often you will find some rather pleasing colors in the sky. For the image below I used a combination of a Singh Ray 2-stop soft edge graduated filter with a Singh Ray Color Intensifier. The original image was composed with some wild rice poking into the foreground. To include the cloud formation reflections I was forced to include them in the composition and then evict them later in post processing.

Tiny Marsh (Singh Ray 2-stop grad filter & Color Intensifier)

As I was walking out along the wetland trail towards my car, the sun was much higher in the sky and broke through an opening in the cloud cover producing rays of light that shone down on the wetland. For the image below I used a 2-stop graduated filter and a Cokin Blue and Yellow Polarizing Filter. I don’t particularly like using the blue and yellow filter, but do find that it has its place when used sparingly. Often when using this type of filter with digital capture some adjustment to white balance and color temperature is required. If you are interested in using this type of filter I would suggest you purchase the Singh Ray version (I keep putting it off, but need to replace the Cokin one with this one) which is called ‘Gold-N-Blue” and to use if effectively refer to Darwin Wiggett’s blog entry at Focus on Singh Ray Filters.

Tiny Marsh (2-stop grad filter & Cokin Blue & Yellow polarizer)

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