New photography school will show students how filters can help improve their images

Five short years ago, Stephen Oachs began seriously pursuing his interest in photography. Since then he's become a fully qualified and successful professional who has earned many photo credits and awards. "What I've learned about photography," he says, "has been acquired the hard way -- from a lot of trial and error, visiting various photo websites and reading books. Following the growing success of my workshops, I recently decided to open the Aperture Academy in Campbell, California in November. This will be a place to display my work and offer a variety of educational opportunities for every level of photographer -- from beginning students to advanced photographers. The staff includes a talented group of professional photographers with both the photographic know-how and the teaching talent to go with it.

"I've often been asked, 'How do you achieve such fine landscape images?' My answer is always the same. I've learned to use the right equipment and get as much information as possible about my intended location before I go there to shoot. I've also learned that I can capture images with Singh-Ray filters that I could never accomplish with post processing. That's an important part of what we'll be teaching every student.

"We know there are many aspiring photographers who buy their new digital SLR and get seriously bitten by the photo bug. After weeks or months of shooting, however, their results still aren't quite what they want. Their images are not as colorful, the lighting is not as balanced, and when they try adjusting images in their computer they often lose the true natural look of the original scene.... it's become unreal. What's more, they've spent more time editing images at their computer than they have making them in the field.

"What can these aspiring photographers do? A few options exist. One is to do a lot more research and keep up with their Photoshop practice until their methods become more efficient....which can take months or years of more trial and error. Or they can dramatically reduce their learning curve by taking a workshop with photographers who have already crossed those mine fields, done the research, and learned from those mistakes. We bring to our workshops considerable experience both in the field and behind the computer. By far the most intriguing concepts for students are the proper use of filters in the field and how to post process the resulting images efficiently.

"When workshop participants find that using a few filters also cuts down the time they need to spend on the computer in post processing, they get even more excited to learn about filters. Filters will allow a photographer to do a number of incredible things to improve even the toughest scene. Singh-Ray LB Polarizing filters will cut glare in streams and lakes and let you reveal the rocks on the bottom to add interest to a composition, something you could never achieve in post processing. On the flip side, a turn of the polarizer brings out reflected colors in the sky to create better exposure balance and color saturation in the image. I particularly enjoy showing students how neutral density (ND) filters -- especially the Vari-ND -- can help them extend exposures and create glossy, ethereal ocean scenes and add a sense of rush to that waterfall image. Here again we're revealing effects unattainable in software applications. Just as important are the various Singh-Ray Graduated Neutral Density filters which will help balance the tricky lighting situations one often finds, especially at sunrise and sunset. Learning to use all of these filters takes practice and experience. I've seen a growing interest from photographers at all levels who want to learn how to use all these filters."

The three images featured with this story are some of Stephen's recent work: the top image was captured using a Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo at Oneonta Falls on the Columbia River Gorge in Oregon. For the view of the iconic coastline at Bandon, Oregon, Stephen used the Singh-Ray Mor-Slo ND filter along with his 2-stop, soft-step ND Grad. To capture the image of Mossbrae Falls in California, Stephen improved the light balance by turning his 3-stop, soft-step Graduated ND filter upside down. How's that for a twist?

Why not stop by his new website www.apertureacademy.com to see more of his outstanding images and find out about courses and workshops to be offered. We'll look forward to more blog stories and images from Stephen following the opening of his new photo center.