Three recent images produced with a very well-traveled set of Singh-Ray Filters

As a Pulitzer-Prize winning photographer and frequent contributor to many leading news, travel and sports publications, Jay Dickman has literally covered the world.

"Most recently," says Jay, "I’ve had the great opportunity to travel with Lindblad/National Geographic Expeditions (eight ships in the fleet, traveling year-around, pole-to-pole) as the on-board National Geographic Expert, providing lectures and photographic input to the travelers aboard these amazing journeys. Three trips to the Antarctic, two to Baja, a couple to the Galapagos, the Dalmatian Coast, and -- the cherry on the sundae -- the ultimate trip “Around the World by Private Jet.”

"In this atmosphere, I get to combine my two passions: photography and teaching. Many of the trips are photographically driven; excursions to the shore are set at 'prime-light' time, providing not only the tremendous locations but also positioning the photographers onboard for the best light possible.

Landing recently on Port Lockroy in the Antarctic, we off-loaded our Zodiac rafts in rather inclement weather…mid-20’s and blowing snow and sleet. Making our way through the cabins of this 19th century British outpost, the weather started moving out (if you think your home location fits the old-saw, 'if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes,' the Antarctic takes this adage to the 10th power; one minute you are in sun and shirtsleeves, the next the temperature has dropped 25 degrees and you are fighting horizontal blowing snow and fog). On this small rock island, there are colonies of gentoo penguins. Rules of the road here dictate that visitors do NOT approach, touch or impede the progress of these residents. We are guests, and we are to respect the rules.

"The photo above was captured with the Antarctic Peninsula and its mountains as the background and a number of visually enticing gentoos close by. I moved within about 5 meters of the closest bird and sat. Penguins are curious and it didn’t take long for this one to shuffle up towards me, trying to figure out why I was there. The foreground was in the shade of the departing storm, the mountains in the background were basking in the sun…pretty but one of those impossible lighting situations for the photographer, as the dynamic range was too great for the camera to capture.

"I’ve been using Singh-Ray filters for several years, not willing to chance my images to anything less. From the LB Warming Polarizer to the Galen Rowell series of Graduated ND Filters, these filters are permanent residents of my camera bags. Although our eyes can see a tremendous dynamic range, the camera has a much more limited range. Looking at this scene, my eyes could take in the shadows as well as the detail in the sun-lit snow. With this fact in mind, I used a 2-stop, soft-step ND Grad filter that would place the demarcation zone over a broader area so the transition in density would not be noticeable.

"The one foreground penguin shuffled closer, the guy on the top left did a moment of sky pointing, giving the image a little more interest on that next layer, and the above image was made using my Olympus E3, 12-60mm lens @ 23mm, 1/250th of a second at f8 at 100 ISO.

"On another expedition to the Antarctic, we were incredibly fortunate to have visited Neko Harbor, one of the most stunningly beautiful bodies of water on the earth. Calving glaciers, icebergs, mountains, it’s the definition of sensory overload. These expeditions carry kayaks onboard the ship for those desiring a nearer experience to the frigid waters of the Antarctic. I’d gone out solo in one, and several of us were navigating towards a huge iceberg -- but not too close as these can roll quite unexpectedly and quickly. While one boat was passing in front of this behemoth, I used the Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer, turned not all the way to full polarization (the sky was intense enough without making it look false). I wanted to bring down the value of the sky while making the reflection a bit more pronounced. A couple of frames, and we paddled back to the ship. This time my camera was the Olympus E30, 12-60mm lens @ 17mm, 1/500th of a second at f4.4.

"Now let’s go about as far away as possible from Antarctica, both literally and figuratively, to the Pyramids of Egypt. Near the end of the Around the World by Private Jet trip, we landed in Cairo, Egypt, home of the famed Pyramids. Our stop here was in midday because we were moving through a number of locations.

"We’d gone to an overlook, where one can see all three of the Pyramids with a clean and unobstructed foreground. I was shooting the typical scenes, our group was scattered about, and our time had come to an end. As I was heading back to our vehicle, I saw this guy in his incredible headdress, offering to pose for photos for a fee. I ran up to him, asked him to just talk to a friend, and composed the image so there was no intrusion of cars or anything else which would detract from the timelessness of this image. Harken back to what time of day I’d mentioned earlier: midday. Not the best light for people photography, especially in the Egyptian desert. I only had a couple of minutes as our drivers were calling for us, so I decided to use my Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer -- again on the Olympus E30 and 12-60mm lens -- knowing that it would help provide saturation in the sky (a sand storm had moved through a short time before) as well as reducing the reflections on his skin. I had just enough time to make two frames before a caravan of buses and cars intruded on the road in the background; I was finished... but I was pleased with the results from the first two frames."

In addition to his ventures with Lindblad/National Geographic, Jay currently hosts his own series of FirstLight digital photography workshops in locations around the world. "Just when I think I'm sick of spending so much time away from home, I do my drill -- I pick up that camera and the magic flows through me." To see more of Jay's magic, visit www.jaydickman.net or visit his workshop schedule at www.firstlightworkshop.com

Trying the LB Warming Polarizer, it didn't take long to appreciate the difference

Douglas Dietiker was raised in Western Washington enjoying the surrounding natural beauty. "Hiking, camping and traveling in the Pacific Northwest," says Douglas, "aroused my lasting love for this wonderful area. Photographing nature allows me to translate that love into an art I now share with others.

"I find using a polarizer to be almost a requirement when shooting in the rain forests along the west coast. Besides often being a damp environment, I find that many of the plants reflect the light even when there's no rain.. A polarizer certainly helps reduce such reflections. On a recent trip to the Redwood National Park, I brought an LB Warming Polarizer along with me just to try out. I placed it on my lens and never took it off, except for the brief time I mounted my 'regular polarizer' on the camera to compare the differences in exposure speed and viewfinder brightness. From then on, the test was over and the Singh-Ray went back on my lens for the remainder of the trip.

"When I studied my images later I found the color rendition was similar between the two filters, however the LB Polarizer was about a half stop brighter in the woods. I also think there is a slight edge in sharpness in my shots that I would like to attribute to the Singh-Ray filter. I found the extra brightness was a real bonus since light levels under the canopy of towering evergreens can be quite dark, even in mid-day. And of course, I always try to shoot there when there is some degree of cloud cover.

"I've included two images from the trip shot on two different days. The image above was made on the only day I had fog and mist to work with. As I was capturing the bridge photograph below, I half expected to see some Hobbits lurking about. In fact, I'm pretty sure I caught a glimpse of one through the corner of my eye.

"I expect my new LB Warming Polarizer will be really helpful as I do more of my shooting with Live View, which I am realizing will be a very useful feature. I was lukewarm about using it when I first got my D3x camera, but I find I am using it more and more. It really helps when I'm dialing in the polarization effect just before each shot. I can see the effect much better through Live View than through the viewfinder. During this last trip, I was setting up the composition through the viewfinder then switching to Live View to set the polarizer. It wound up being a great combination for me. It may not be how Live View was intended, but it works for me.

"I always admit to everyone," says Douglas, "that I go to the woods and the mountains primarily to enjoy the scenery and to enable others to do the same." You can enjoy more of his images by visiting his website.

Conveying the emotion within an image calls for conscious control of the colors and light

As Arizona landscape photographer Steve Kossack prepares to lead his annual Yosemite high-camp backpack and workshop across 60 miles of rugged high-altitude trail, he's again feeling the inner excitement. "Once again," says Steve, "I'm feeling that compelling urge to photograph the wonders of nature. I'm always trying for images that convey my emotional response to the scenes before me. I find that it's never easy to put emotions into words -- let alone a photograph! However it's the emotional moments and places that are so special for me.

"The Sierra Nevada mountain range is famous for what is often called alpenglow -- a time when a layer of blue and magenta bands forms in the twilight sky at high altitudes. On most days you can see alpenglow even on cloudless evenings. I have learned not to walk away from a Sierra sunset until well after the light has faded to almost complete darkness.

"In capturing the dramatic alpenglow above Cathedral Peak in Yosemite National Park, a couple of problems were solved by the use of my Singh-Ray filters. The most obvious challenge was the deep and dark shadow that the bottom of the composition presented. The trees added to this because they were an element that I thought would be most important. I’m shooting from a position above tree line! I needed enough shadow detail to tell this story. If I exposed for the highlights and let the shadow go where it might, I knew I’d have the deep rich color of the panorama but lose the detail in the shadow. The solution for the shadows was to use a 4-stop hard-step Graduated ND Filter. By taking a meter reading of the shadow area, I shot a series of manually bracketed frames, starting with the shadow exposure and then opening up one stop for each of four consecutive frames.

"I also realized that by doing this I would lose more of the rich color saturation with each step of increased exposure. Here the solution was to use the LB ColorCombo with the polarization set for a bit less than maximum effect to avoid over-polarizing and thus increasing the contrast. After all, my purpose here was to balance the exposure, cut the glare off the granite and enhance the green of the shaded trees. This capacity to enrich the greens makes both the LB ColorCombo and the LB Color Intensifier filters two of my favorite filters. Now with a fairly long exposure induced by the filters, I came away with the benefit of a slight blur in the clouds, lending a tranquil touch to the image.

"On the banks of the Tuolumne River in early morning light the emotional attraction for me was seeing the steam rising off the river. The challenge was to find the angles that would offset, yet not overpower the subtleness of the setting. Once I found the lines that led into and out of the composition, the proposition became how to capture the colors. I set my exposure for the highlights and then opened up 3 stops using a 3-stop hard-step ND Grad. This gave me an exposure in the foreground that still rendered the right side of the bank almost in silhouette. I needed this contrast to set it all off. Next was adding the LB ColorCombo, carefully avoiding too much of the reflection in the water.

"These final two images were both captured along Merced Lake in Yosemite National Park, which is the second lake from the headwaters of the Merced River. The quiet seclusion of this high alpine setting, with deep granite walls falling sharply into the lake, create a setting as tranquil as any I’ve experienced.

"When I set up the image on the left it looked somewhat sterile through the viewfinder, however it was anything but when I surveyed the scene. What I was missing was the slight movement of the water in the foreground. I knew that a long shutter exposure was needed. The Vari-ND enabled me to extend my exposure just enough, and I also used my trusty LB Color Intensifier to step up the color saturation. As I increased the exposure I came closer to the glow of highlights that I liked but I was losing the one color that was most important to me. Green! The LB Color Intensifier is my usual choice to solve this problem.

"As I was shooting this image, the lake's surface was almost white-capped as the result of a strong wind. A 30-second exposure -- made possible by using my Singh-Ray Vari-ND -- changed the water's surface into a lovely gloss. Stacking the ColorCombo and then a 3-stop soft-step Graduated ND brought the exposure range into better balance and enhanced the green of the trees while holding back the glow of the granite. These steps resulted in a perfect rendering of the fallen tree in the foreground. By applying conscious thought to the choice of my filters and the way I use them, I have acquired a much better 'feel' for the way they will work in the field."

Steve and his unique approach to landscape photography are now featured in a new 100-minute DVD being released this week by Master Photo Workshops (Directed by Gregory McKean.) The new DVD, entitled "Every Picture Tells A Story," provides an in-the-field workshop experience packed with helpful information and clearly demonstrated techniques. You'll find more info on Steve's website or just order your copy today.

Adding the finishing touches to the waters of Vermont

In recent years, Montreal-based nature photographer Rob Servranckx has headed south to northern Vermont for the first half of his June vacation. "For four dawn-to-dusk days, I'm the co-instructor for a photo workshop conducted by Gustav W. Verderber. Many don't understand that, for me, this is not work. It's an opportunity to do and think photography in beautiful locations. It's also fun to share ideas and images with other photographers and to see their reaction when they discover how Singh-Ray filters can improve their images.

"The Green Mountains in northern Vermont include many spectacular waterfalls, beautiful landscapes and magnificent lakes, making it a fantastic area for outdoor photography. I can't imagine going to our workshop without demonstrating how my Singh-Ray filters -- especially the Gold-N-Blue Polarizer and Graduated ND filters -- can help them.

"I find the Gold-N-Blue especially useful to enhance woodland waterfalls and streams surrounded by deep green foliage. For these first two images, I used it to insert a subtle touch of gold in the specular highlights and glaring reflections on the wet rocks and still water, and to gently warm up the deep green foliage. Under cloudy conditions (the only time I shoot waterfalls!), using this filter is enough to slow down the exposure time to about half a second, just about a perfect shutter speed to start blurring the water while holding some detail and texture in the highlights. By adding just a light touch of gold in images like these -- it keeps the image looking very natural.”

“When using the Gold-n-Blue Polarizer on a digital camera, a magenta cast is introduced, but it is very easy to correct for this and get the white balance just right. After shooting my images in RAW mode, I select the white-balance eyedropper in my RAW converter software, place it on the white water, click once... and voila! A perfectly color-balanced image. Another method is setting my camera's custom white balance in the field with the filter on the lens -- it gives me the same results, and allows me to preview the corrected settings on my camera's LCD in the field.”

"One of my favourite destinations during our workshop is Willoughby Lake in northern Vermont. This beautiful lake with pristine waters was carved by glaciers a long time ago. These glaciers created high, fjord-like carvings, with steep cliffs and a deep bowl where the lake formed. There are so many compositions here –- I could easily have spent 2 or 3 days in this one place alone. I really like this composition of the lake, with the skeletal-looking roots reaching towards the skull-shaped rock. This contrasts nicely with the lush greens of the forest and the aqua-colored waters. But the bright cloudy sky was making the exposure a little tough. By very carefully placing my Singh-Ray 3-stop hard-edge Graduated ND filter to follow the edge where the mountain meets the sky, I was able to darken the sky sufficiently to get a great exposure."

You can see more of Rob’s work on the Sojourns In Nature web site and on their blog.

From sunrise to sunset, the LB ColorCombo is always ready to brighten your outlook

Here's the third of three parts from Daryl Benson recalling his recent two-week visit to Japan. This time we see two distinctly different but equally impressive images of the two-story Tahoto Pagoda on the tiny island of Miyajima.

"Sunrise and sunset are always favourite times to photograph," says Daryl. "It’s rare, however, that I’ll shoot the exact same location at both of these times. Most subjects are usually positioned to catch either the morning or evening light best. However, on this little island there are not a lot of places to go. After photographing sunrise at the floating Torii Gate, which this island is famous for (see last week's post), I ended up returning to a lookout that had provided a nice view of this pagoda surrounded by cherry trees in full blossom. I had, in fact, photographed this same pagoda at sunset the previous evening as the light was really enriching the pagoda’s colors. By shooting with the aid of my Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo Polarizer, I captured the whole scene snapping with intensity and contrast.

"When I returned the next morning, I wasn’t expecting the pagoda to be nearly as interesting in the late morning light. The sun was getting higher, harsher and had lost most of its early morning warmth. When I got to the lookout it was exactly as I expected, although many of the cherry tree blossoms were glowing from the backlight. There was a fair bit of haze, which was mostly pollution from the nearby city of Hiroshima, just across the bay. I couldn’t see much of the hillside behind the pagoda. I was looking almost directly into the sun, so I didn’t expect much color boost from the ColorCombo Polarizer but I thought it might cut a little bit of haze. So I pulled it out of my pocket and had a look. To my surprise it did both jobs beautifully! It cut through enough haze that I could make out more detail in the background hills and I could see the colors intensify. Polarizers perform their best magic when directed at a 90-degree angle to the light source. But even when shooting 180 degrees from the sun or directly into it, there will still be some surfaces that are at 90 degrees to the light, from your point of view, and will therefore block the polarized light reflections. The color intensifying effect produced by this filter works regardless of the polarization, but it's most pronounced when the polarizer is working at maximum effect.

"I was careful to shade the front of the filter during the morning shoot as the camera was pointing almost directly into the rising sun. The blending of color enhancement and a polarizer in one filter makes this filter a favourite tool. I often carry it in my shirt pocket, pulling it out just to visually check a scene. After more than 25 years of shooting, I understand well enough the concept of how light works. However, I’m surprised often enough that I try to never prejudge anything until I actually see it."

Now that Daryl is back home in Alberta, Canada, we're guessing that he'll soon be posting many more images from his trip to Japan. You can check his impressive website here.

When it comes to shooting ghosts, the Singh-Ray Vari-ND is the right choice

"Colorado photographer Cole Thompson is dedicated to creating strong black and white images that command attention. Here are three of Cole's most recent fine art images to prove the point. "I’ve just returned from England," says Cole, "where I created these images with my Vari-ND filter. I love this filter because it gives me the ability to create images that match my vision, and in many cases it allows me to create images that would not be possible with a solid (non-variable) ND filter.

"I had two goals for this trip: first to photograph the ruins of Stonehenge in Wiltshire, England (above), and second to begin a new series of images entitled “The Ghosts of Great Britain.”

"I use the Vari-ND for a variety of effects. For the Stonehenge photo, a 30-second exposure created movement in the clouds, creating an image that draws you in. Another benefit of the long exposure was that the tourists who wandered into the scene, were rendered invisible.

"The next two images are part of the “The Ghosts of Great Britain” series. The second photo was made at the remains of Old Sarum Castle which was built late in the Eleventh Century. The third photo shows Old Wardour Castle which is three centuries newer -- but still lacking indoor plumbing.

"For these images, I used similarly long exposures for a completely different purpose, to create ghosts in my images. In my previous ghost series created at Auschwitz and Birkenau, I used unsuspecting tourists as my ghosts, but in this new series I wanted more control. To do this I used my 13-year-old daughter, wearing a white sheet and carefully orchestrated motion to create a different kind of ghost, a single ghost with more definition.

"I love dark images, contrasty images and images with motion; the Vari-ND makes all this possible. My style relies on dark images with bright subjects. It's this contrast that creates an image that can really jump out at you, so when I go shooting, I'm looking for these types of scenes. The Old Wardour Castle image, for example, appears to have been shot at night, but it was a 30-second daytime exposure. The key is that I knew in advance what I wanted the image to look like."

To learn more about Cole's workflow and see additional images in his latest series, visit his website and blog.

For softer, muted colors, hitch up your Gold-N-Blue Polarizer to the Vari-ND

Following his recent two-week visit to Japan, Daryl Benson sent us a number of fine images along with notes on how he used his various Singh-Ray filters during the trip. Part one of his report discussing the LB Warming Polarizer was posted on June 16. This time he explains how he captured these luminous images of the famous Torii Gate (above) and Meoto Iwa -- aka The Wedding Rocks -- using the Singh-Ray Vari-ND and Gold-N-Blue Polarizer together.

"Birds don’t see air, fish don’t see water, and we don’t see time," says Daryl. "I find the concept of visually experimenting with time fascinating. Cameras can record the passage of time in ways our eyes can’t. We see time in about 1/30-second slices. That's good to remember if you ever want to photograph something in motion so that it appears in the photo with the same degree of motion as how you saw it. Photography, however, can record the passage of time anywhere from fractions of a second to many hours. It’s always interesting to see the world in new ways, which is why I enjoy using strong Neutral Density filters to extend my exposure times during daylight hours, creating images that have a look very different from what we’re used to seeing. These two images were shot right at sunset using both a Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter and Gold-N-Blue Polarizer together. This combination helped me emphasize the colors as well as create a long 30-second exposure that transformed the chaotic churn of the incoming tide into a smooth surface that softly reflected the subjects.

"To use these filters together, first attach the Vari-ND to the lens and then thread the Gold-N-Blue to the front of the Vari-ND. Depending on how much neutral density you dial in, the scene can become very dark when looking through the viewfinder. By cupping my hand over the top of the camera to shade the viewfinder, while pressing my face closely into the camera, I'm able to create as much of a light seal as possible. I allow my eye some time to adjust to the low light -- usually several seconds -- and I am then able to see the composition and dial the Gold-N-Blue to whatever color I want. I make sure to cover the viewfinder if I'm using the in-camera meter to determine exposure. With so much ND in front of the lens, stray light entering the camera through the viewfinder can seriously throw off the camera's meter.

"I find that using my Gold-N-Blue Polarizer with the Vari-ND delivers soft muted colors with somewhat reduced contrast -- a look I find is often visually exciting. I’ll often bring the contrast back up a bit using Levels in post-production."

We'll soon be posting Daryl's final story with more images from his Japan trip, but you can also find more on his website.

Working with the 5-stop Mor-Slo ND filter is "pure fun" when you're in Maui, Hawaii

Kevin McNeal tells us, "One of the best things about getting to shoot on a tropical island is the ocean." And for this Pacific Northwest photographer, shooting in Maui this past month was as good as it gets. "One of the first things I ask myself when choosing a place to visit is how unique are the beaches? I have to admit there is nothing I like more then waiting for the sun to go down as I stand in the surf with tripod in hand and my feet feeling the water rush against me. I enjoy the chance to translate the beauty and power of the ocean into a meaningful image for my viewers.

"When trying to capture such images, the challenge is to combine the natural elements into some kind of visual order. For example, I look for patterns within the chaos of crashing waves to find something that speaks to me. One way which I try to do this is to combine the warm tones of the sun with a colorful sky. This can be tricky and takes some pre-visualizing where you want to be when the sun meets the horizon and how this will enhance your composition. To accentuate the warmer colors in the foreground as well as the sky, I use a rather unlikely filter -- the Singh-Ray Mor-Slo 5-stop Neutral Density filter. By reducing the light that reaches the camera’s sensor, I am able to greatly extend the length of my exposures. By extending these twilight exposures, my images tend to gain more color saturation.

"I've adopted this technique as a result of my own experiments with various Singh-Ray filters -- looking for a filter that enhances the warmer tones of an image in a realistic, natural-looking manner. Although I was also pleased with the results achieved with my Gold-N-Blue Polarizer, it can’t give me enough density -- as measured in terms of f-stops -- to achieve the really slow exposures I now look for. So my best option is to put on the Mor-Slo 5-stop ND filter to block the light as the setting sun is still above the horizon. I really like the way it highlights the rocks in the foreground. If I had tried to shoot this with just a polarizer I would have had blown the highlights on the sun. But by using the Mor-Slo ND at just the right time I was able to effectively capture both the sun and the reflected light off the foreground rocks.

"I often will go for two different types of images when shooting at the ocean. Both include trying to convey motion and a sense of depth in the image. The magic of the ocean is in the movement and patterns. And patience is needed to see how this relationship works between the landscape and the ocean. First, I will convey motion in the image by shooting a half-second exposure where the water is blurred. Then I will try creating a longer exposure from five seconds to several minutes. Both shutter speeds create different types of images although equally interesting. The Mor-Slo ND blocks enough light out even with the sun at the horizon to capture a long enough exposure of several seconds. With other filters you have to wait several minutes after the sun is set to get a long enough exposure to achieve the added saturation.

"The value of my Mor-Slo filter really became clear to me while shooting in Maui since I was able to start shooting earlier. This gave me extra time to shoot and try different compositions. Often it is not the first composition that works, but the effort leads to a better result later as we begin to really look. Twilight in most places I have photographed can last anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour. Maui, on the other hand would only last ten to fifteen minutes, making the advantage of having the Mor-Slo even more beneficial.

"For me, there's been great value in experimenting with my different Singh-Ray filters under various lighting conditions. That's how I've discovered that my Mor-Slo ND is not just for shooting waterfalls. The added color gained by using the filter can give images that extra impact we're all shooting for."

You'll find many more examples of Kevin's impressive fine-art photography when you stop by his website.

LB Warming Polarizer chosen to show this famous symbol of Japan in the right light

When Daryl Benson returned recently from two weeks in Japan, he sent a number of images taken with his Singh-Ray filters. Rather than try to choose between his always impressive photos, we're going to run his report in several parts, each focusing on a different type of filter used. Here's his first story about capturing Japan's most familiar landmark with the LB Warming Polarizer.

"It didn’t even seem like a conscious decision," says Daryl, "I just instinctively reached for my LB Warming Polarizer. The morning light was illuminating Mount Fuji from the side and at this angle (looking 90 degrees from the light source) I knew the polarizer would darken the sky and cause the snow-covered peak to pop out. And so did the cherry blossoms in the foreground and -- after adding a kick of fill-flash -- the contrast was even more pronounced. Because Singh-Ray's LB Warming Polarizer allows more light to pass through, I could go with a smaller aperture here and get the depth of field I needed, while still allowing sufficient light from the flash to come through the filter and smaller aperture.

"Conditions were awesome that morning. A rare, perfectly clear sky over Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms at their peak and no wind. Once confident that I had captured the first shot, I began wishing that a wind would come up. With longer exposures, half a second or more, and fill flash you can often get interesting results with subjects in motion. The micro-second burst of electronic flash illuminates and freezes the foreground subject while the wind moves it around during the remaining exposure creating a ghosting effect that can be quite dramatic. I thought for a second of shaking the tree branches to create some movement, but after doing a quick count, I dismissed that idea. The ten other photographers standing shoulder to shoulder under this same tree would probably kick the crap out of me. I had gotten to this location well before 5:00 am only to find scores of photographers already lined up under every bloomin’ cherry tree! Most were Japanese and I suspect they had scouted out their compositions days ahead just waiting for the perfect morning. I relied heavily on a favourite technique to be there when conditions were just perfect... dumb luck! Despite the hyper-crowded location I was able to find a couple nice compositions of Mt. Fuji through the cherry blossoms. Mainly by standing back a little further and shooting over everyone’s heads.

"I eventually left the crowd behind and strolled further around the lake looking for other compositions with Mt. Fuji. I soon came across this beautiful weeping willow in fresh spring leaf and used the exact same technique as with the cherry blossoms, my Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizing filter and fill-flash. I had this tree completely to myself, not a soul around. Japan’s funny that way."

We'll have more from Daryl's recent adventure over the next few weeks. You can see more fine images from Japan and learn more about Daryl's photo books and related projects at his website.

When it's time for visual refreshment, look into the Gold-N-Blue and Soft-Ray filters

Living in Knoxville, Tennessee, enables outdoor photographer Nye Simmons to take full advantage of his proximity to Smoky Mountain National Park. For more than 25 years, he's been photographing and writing about the park. He's also the co-author/photographer of several photo books, including The Smoky Mountains Photographer’s Guide and Great Smoky Mountains Wonder and Light.

"Until recently, I have mostly followed a set routine when photographing," says Nye. "Once I identified a promising location, I tried to determine the best conditions for taking a photograph, often returning to the location just as a gardener checks his crop. I selected a film that I felt would best match the subject. Then I chose the Graduated Neutral Density filters that would help rebalance the light within a dynamic range my film could record. To reduce unwanted glare and improve color saturation, I would also frequently use my LB Polarizers. As you can tell by now, I have tended in the past to capture more literal interpretations of the scenes before me, trying always to avoid 'special effects.' I have viewed the world I photograph differently at different ages and nowadays I tend to try some new things –- experiment more with new techniques. I'm no longer as enamored of 'big sky' scenes –- the grand landscape -- nor am I as devoted to always scouting, previsualizing, and being there at the decisive moment. I now venture often into more introspective and more intimate landscape imagery, though I will never pass up a grand scenic.

"In that same light, the two Singh-Ray filters I want to discuss here -- the Gold-N-Blue and the Soft-Ray Diffuser -- are not intended for literal interpretations, they are for exploring new visions. I believe many of us "literal" photographers who find our vision beginning to expand might find these filters very helpful and challenging.

"The Gold-N-Blue Polarizer is perfect whenever you're facing drab light and/or dull weather conditions, yet feel the need to make an interesting image nevertheless. This filter's surprising color shift -- from gold to blue and back again -- will take effect wherever there is polarized light reflecting from your scene -– water, wet rocks, shiny leaves, open sky – you name it. I came upon this first scene last fall while hiking in the Narrows in Utah's Zion National Park. The seep behind the box elders was attractive, but lacked impact. My hunch that the wet seep would polarize into blue paid off, adding greater color contrast as well as shape and content. The box elders and other foliage took on a slightly different color that was neither better nor worse to my eye, just different.

"I love fog -- can’t get enough -- but fog is elusive and often fleeting. When the fog doesn't show up for work, the Soft-Ray Diffuser filter provides some of that same soft atmosphere and ambience, and helps to turn bare shapes and hard edges into something more gentle and inviting. In the right hands and eyes, the Soft-Ray can turn mundane scenes into magical works of art, often adding a sense of mystery to the landscape. Adding glow to wildflowers is a snap, and depth of field becomes less of an issue as does wind. Perhaps these images aren’t going to change the world, but you can see how the Soft-Ray might be helpful in your own image making. Post processing varies the effect; a simple move with the highlight levels slider varies the intensity of the effect. Increasing contrast adds snap and reduces the 'fog' intensity.

"Are these filters for you? That’s a tough one. If you're looking for new fields to conquer, the Gold-N-Blue and the Soft-Ray should find a place in your arsenal at some point, but like exotic spices, they should be used skillfully and judiciously for best results."

Nye Simmons has been widely published in regional as well as national publications, books, posters, calendars, and exhibits. He is also a staff member of Mountain Trail Photo group. More of Nye’s images may be viewed on his website.