After 5 full months on the road, he's still "chasing the light" across North America

Canadian outdoor photographer and naturalist Ethan Meleg says, "This week marks five months that I've been on the road. With spring fast approaching, the pace of the trip -- and time spent shooting -- is increasing. The last couple of days, in particular, have been exhausting, with far too much driving. I have just returned to southern California to have some gear serviced. Leaving northern California and Oregon was hard; my time there was far too short. Photographing in the coastal old-growth redwood forests of northern California was a dream for me... few places have left me in such awe. My mornings spent wandering those forests were truly spiritual experiences. The sunbeam photo above was taken in Redwood Forest, Jedediah Smith Redwoods State Park, with my Canon EOS 1Ds III and 24-70/2.8 lens mounted with a Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer. The exposure at ISO 200 was 2.5 seconds @ f/18.

"During these first months, much of my time was spent photographing the ecosystems of the arid southwest. Craving a change of scenery, I decided to veer west and north for a quick tour along the Pacific Coast. I was so impressed by the coastal scenery and diversity that I ended up wandering all the way from southern California to northern Oregon. Those many miles of driving were rewarded with some great photo opportunities.

"One of the most fun subjects, both to photograph and watch, were elephant seals on the beaches near San Simeon. Elephant seals are remarkably charismatic animals and I won't soon forget watching their antics! During winter, the massive bulls divide their time between loafing around, fighting off rival males or mating. What a life! This photo of a bull that has just lost a fight and had to retreat to the water's edge, is one that I pre-visualized after several days spent observing and photographing the seals. It was also taken with my 1DsIII with a 24-70/2.8 lens. I used a Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer and 3-stop hard-step ND Grad along with my 580 EXII flash for a little fill light at 1/60 second @ f/10.

"At Point Reyes, I realized I was shooting seascapes in a place that was hallowed ground for legendary photographer Edward Weston. A recent storm had blown these kelp stems on shore, providing a perfect foreground element for this sunset photo. I don't know how Weston survived without Singh-Ray filters! I used my LB ColorCombo Polarizer and handheld my 2 and 3-stop hard-step ND Grads (4x6" size) in front of the lens along with mirror lock-up and a cable release; The exposure was 25 seconds @ f/18.

"If I had to pick a favorite spot along the coast, it would certainly be the forests of old-growth redwoods in northern California. I'd spend mornings walking among the majestic groves of redwoods and my evenings out on the rocky coast, watching the sunset over the rugged shoreline. This fourth photo (below) was taken at sunset near Redwood National Park with the 24-70/2.8 lens and LB ColorCombo Polarizer and 3-stop hard-step ND grad. It was exposed for 25 seconds @ f/16. Although my time in this area was far too short, those were some of the most magical days of photography in my life.

"On this 18-month trip, I will be out photographing pretty much every single day -- often in new places, under varied conditions, or with species that I have never shot before. I have learned to rely on Singh-Ray filters for almost every landscape photo I make and increasingly for many wildlife images. The filters are absolutely critical to my success in creating dramatic images of the places and species I've found during this journey.

"By the way, I had a chance to check out Galen Rowell's Mountain Light Gallery in Bishop, California. What a treat to see all those big images, many the result of his use of Singh-Ray filters. Wow! I still can't imagine any better way to live!"

To keep up with Ethan on the road, be sure to stop by his website and blog.