An introduction to ND filters and graduated ND filters -- and what's the difference?

Since we work with filters every day, and deal with so many experienced photographers, we sometimes forget that not all of our readers and customers are familiar with the basics of Solid ND (neutral density) and Graduated ND filters.

Apart from being a noted outdoor photographer and author, Rod Barbee is also a workshop instructor and is aware of the confusion some photographers experience when it comes to selecting and using Solid ND and Graduated ND filters, so we asked Rod to review the basics.

"At one of last year’s workshops," says Rod, "a client wanted to learn to use her new 'ND' filter. She'd been told that she needed a 'neutral density filter' to control the contrast in her landscape pictures. When asked which filter she had, she pulled out her brand new 'solid' neutral density filter. Oops. What she really needed to get was a graduated neutral density filter.

"If this sounds like it could happen to you, don’t feel bad. Confusing the terms solid ND filter and graduated ND filter actually happens with some regularity -- even among experienced photographers. Many people, workshop instructors included, refer to graduated ND filters simply as 'ND filters.' So when someone relatively new to outdoor photography is told they need to get a “2-stop neutral density filter” to control bright skies, they dutifully order a 2-stop solid neutral density filter. Ouch.

"OK, what is the big difference, you ask? Read on….

"Many solid neutral density (ND) filters are mounted in threaded rings just like many other optical filters so they can be quickly and easily mounted on the front of our lenses. They are dark grey in appearance and come in several different 'densities' that reduce the amount of light passing through the lens by a specific amount (from 1-stop up to 5-stops or more). The word 'neutral' in neutral density is important because it indicates the filter is completely neutral in terms of its color -- meaning it won’t affect the natural color of anything in your scene. . .so the blue sky stays blue, the grass stays green, and the yellow roses stay yellow."

Editor's Note: Singh-Ray offers the 5-stop Mor-Slo Neutral Density Filter in a ring mount (above), as well as our rectangular George Lepp Solid ND Filters in 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5-stop density to fit the Cokin P-size or Z-Pro filter holders.

"Now let's discuss what you can do with solid ND filters. Their purpose is to cut down the amount of light reaching your film or digital sensor -- which lets you keep your shutter open for as long as 30 seconds or more in broad daylight. Some uses for longer shutter speeds include blurring water in streams, waterfalls, and various moving subjects. You may also want to slow your shutter speed in order to stretch moving clouds across a sky, creating various zoom effects, and blurring the action of objects moving around a still object. In the photo of the seagull (above), I used an ND filter to achieve a one-second exposure which added some motion blur to the water.

"You can also use neutral density filters to control the amount of light needed to shoot at a specific aperture and shutter speed, as I did for this tulips-in-the-rain image (actually, tulips with a watering can). First decide on the aperture you need to get the pleasing blurred background you want and then choose a specific shutter speed that will show some motion in your moving subject. When the existing light level is too much to give you exactly that exposure, you can place an ND filter on the lens that will reduce the amount of light to a level that lets you use your predetermined exposure settings. Let's say you want f/4 at 1/8th second but at f/4, your camera gives you a shutter speed of 1/125th. Since you’re probably using your lowest ISO setting already, the only solution is to cut the amount of light entering the camera. A neutral density filter can do this (in this case, 4 stops of ND are needed).

"There are many creative things you can do with a set of neutral density filters. The photograph of a fishing boat in Newport Harbor on the Oregon coast was made by zooming the lens during a long exposure achieved by adding a neutral density filter. But you don’t need to buy a whole array of ND filters with various densities since Singh-Ray developed the variable ND filter that offers any density you need from 2-2/3 to 8 additional f-stops of density. Singh-Ray’s Vari-ND is my go-to filter whenever I want to get creative with my shutter speeds.

"Now let's briefly talk about the purpose of graduated neutral density filters (also often called 'ND Grads'). These are the contrast controlling filters used to reduce the transmission of light in only a part of an image -- such as the bright sky in a landscape. Professional quality graduated ND filters are flat, rectangular filters that are half clear and half dark. When properly positioned in front of your lens, the gradient area blocks just enough light from the overly bright areas in the scene to bring the light levels in the scene into a range our film or digital sensor can record. Many of the most dramatic scenes in nature involve a bright, beautiful dramatic sky at sunrise or sunset coupled with a compelling foreground. Often the range of light in a scene like this is beyond the ability of the film or sensor to capture all by itself. That’s where a Graduated ND filter comes in.

"This pair of photos of Lake McDonald in Glacier National Park shows the subtle but important difference an ND grad can make. The shot at left was made without any filter, and the shot at right was made with a Singh-Ray 3-stop soft-edge Graduated ND filter. As you can see, my Graduated ND filter allowed my camera to capture the full tonal range in the scene that would otherwise not be possible. (Click the image to enlarge the comparison.)

"Both Solid ND filters and Graduated ND filters from Singh-Ray may take a little practice to use, but once you start using them, you’ll never leave them out of your camera bag. In my book, they're essential to every landscape photographer's success."

To check out what else Rod has to teach you, visit his website at www.rodbarbee.com to learn more about his upcoming workshops and ongoing writings.

Vari-N-Duo and 3-stop ND Grad capture the total magic of Death Valley before the storm

Although Brian Rueb got hooked on photography while in college, he says, "Once I was married and my kids started arriving, my photo bug all but vanished. Then came the digital SLR... and while the initial investment was big, there was no more buying $7 rolls of film or paying $8 processing fees to look at a bunch of images I didn't like. I got hooked again.

"In the past three years, I have been shooting more and more regularly. I still find, however, that photographing new places is a special challenge. I roll into a location hoping all the research done before departure will pay off and I'll be in the right places at the right times. Even when I am, the weather also has to cooperate. In the case of a recent last-minute trip to Death Valley National Park with fellow photographer Stephen Oachs, we had done the research, seen the storms in the forecast, and decided to roll the dice.

"With our crock pot cooking a pork roast in the car, we drove the 10 hours from San Jose to Death Valley National Park. On the way we discussed priorities for shooting locations and came up with our list: Mesquite Dunes, Badwater Basin, Devil’s Cornfield, the Racetrack and Zabriskie Point.

"Weather is such a key component to any good landscape shot. I'm almost always toying with a storm -- hoping to get to our location right before the storm, or right after. Of course I also hope, if we end up in the middle, that the storm won't be too lengthy. In this case, there was heavy rain in the forecast for Death Valley, so we knew the storm was a doozy.

"It was 82 degrees, sunny, and warm when we reached the valley floor…we could see the storm lingering on the horizon….waiting to descend. A brief stop to set up camp in Furnace Creek and we were off to shoot.

"Our first evening’s shoot was in the Badwater Basin (photo above), and by the time sunset was drawing near the storm had dropped into the valley. Our light and composition possibilities were fading quickly. Badwater Basin is a perfect spot to use Singh-Ray filters. The ground is very light, and with the dark storm approaching, I needed to balance out the scene. A Singh-Ray 3-stop soft-step Graduated ND filter worked perfectly. I combined it with the Singh Ray Vari-N-Duo filter so I could use its built-in LB Warming Polarizer to really warm up the ground and create some separation between the storm and sunset. If I had wanted to streak the sky, and create that sense of movement, the Vari-n-Duo’s ND filter would’ve allowed me a wide range of exposure options as well. I hand hold all my ND Grad filters and move them on longer exposures to help eliminate any shadowing the filter might cause. I’ve used a lot of other filters in my time and the Singh-Ray filters give me the truest and most accurate color and the highest level of control over my subject. This allows me to present an image almost exactly as it appeared when I was there. With the successful Badwater Basin shoot to brag about, we made an evening out of eating the pork roast.

"Our plans for the next morning would depend on the weather. If we woke to a windless, star-speckled sky we would head to the Mesquite Dunes, but if it was windy, we would head to Zabriskie Point to avoid geting caught in a sand storm out on the dunes. Sand storms are very tough on equipment.

"The morning was beautiful and perfectly calm. We drove to the dunes and hiked out to a more remote section to await the sunrise. Every so often the universe lines up perfectly for an amazing photo opportunity. This was just such a case. This is also when having the security of Singh-Ray filters pays off. Using the Vari-N-Duo and 3-stop soft-step ND Grad combination, I was able to dial in just the perfect amount of polarization to bring out the warmth of the sunlit dunes and not lose any of the amazing storm clouds that were starting to fill the valley. Without using filters, capturing a scene like this, with such harsh light would be nearly impossible. And because of the storm there were no other photographers in the dunes. It was pristine and amazing.

"With the morning shoot at Mesquite Dunes completed, we spent the rest of the day scouting locations and figuring out where to set up for our evening shoot. Death Valley truly is a landscape photographer's paradise. It’s quite overwhelming. The options are limitless as to where you can shoot and when the weather is as dramatic as it was during our visit, it’s simply stunning.

"For the evening shoot, we decided on the Devil’s Golf Course, a fiendish maze of salt crystals and mineral deposits that winds its way throughout the Death Valley floor. While we’d been fortunate to dodge the storm for the majority of the past two days, our luck was beginning to run out and the storm was really moving in. We were dodging rain drops as we set up our equipment. I chose a section of the valley where the clouds were breaking apart, and dramatic light was filtering through, illuminating the peaks in the background. I used the same combination of filters that I used for the other shots. I find that the polarizer in the Vari-N-Duo really helps the color and separation in cloud structures -- especially in such stormy conditions. The filter really helped those clouds above the peaks to stand out. The filter also gave the scene that other-worldly 'Lord of the Rings' feel, which was exactly how it felt to me standing there photographing it.

"When I first got into landscape photography, scenes like this would’ve overwhelmed me. I would’ve inevitably botched the entire shoot, coming home with only partially correct exposures. Using Singh-Ray filters has allowed me to capture the scenes I see as perfectly as I could have ever hoped. I have the type of color and exposure control in the field that would’ve taken me hours in Photoshop to duplicate. Now when I leave a shoot, I’m excited to go home and see the images on the big screen -- without dreading all the post-processing I would have to do.

"That shoot at the Devil’s Golf Course turned out to be the last one of the trip because the storm came in hard and heavy that night -- chasing us out at first light and ultimately washing out nearly every road in the valley. But for our day and a half it was total magic."

You can find more examples of Brian's photography on his website and his Flickr portfolio.

The busier the schedule, the more we learn to rely on our Singh-Ray filters

Nature photographer and author Joe Rossbach has been making a lot of tracks in his Mid-Atlantic homeland this winter. "I've been going all over," says Joe, "photographing from the coast to the mountains with my Singh-Ray filters. Much of January has been spent finishing up two book projects, running three private workshops and planning a photography exposition. I'm finding that I can work almost constantly. I'm also finding I can only make it out into the field on a few occasions to make new images, so it's become essential to return with the very best images from every trip.

"While finishing up shooting new images for my up-coming book, 50 Amazing Things You Must See and Do in the Greater D.C. Area, I only had four opportunities to get out and make the images needed for illustration. This of course called for a great deal of planning, a whole lot of luck and having the proper equipment to get the job done right the first time. Thanks to my Singh-Ray filters, I was able to fully express my creative ideas and capture the images I was shooting for. I would like to share the story behind a few images I made in January.

"Leaving my office in Annapolis on Monday afternoon, I drove 200 miles north into the Endless Mountains region of Northeast Pennsylvania with only two days to make shots of various frozen waterfalls in Rickets Glen State Park and the Loyalsock State Forest. I needed a shot of Adams Falls (above) in all its winter glory, so I strapped on my crampons and gingerly climbed down the ice covered trail and out across a treacherous ice covered rock to get in position to shoot the falls. The light was beginning to get high in the sky and I knew I only had this one chance to get my shot before the light streamed into the chasm and killed it. I wanted a nice long exposure to give the water that “cotton candy” look, so I selected my Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo and dialed in additional 5 additional stops of density to lengthen my exposure to 15 seconds. The other great advantage of using the Vari-N-Duo is the built-in Polarizer which allowed me to remove any glare from the wet rocks and record a rich and saturated image of Adams Falls.

"A week later, I found myself leading a Winter Photography workshop in Blackwater Falls State Park in the mountains of West Virginia. The conditions this year were remarkably good for landscape photography. By the time I made the drive up into the mountains and arrived at the lodge, it had snowed well over 12 inches in less that 3 hours. When I got up early the next morning, over 20 inches of fresh snow was on the ground. The amazing thing was that the streams and rivers had not yet frozen over and were raging and foaming with wild water. I started out shooting at a small mountain stream called Shays Run. After managing to climb and butt-slide my way down the steep terrain and out to a rock perch in the stream, I was able to line up a beautiful composition. My Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer removed the glare from the water and warmed up the scene by removing the unwanted blue cast from the snow covered trees.

"The following week, I was in my office going over the final book preparations with co-author Ian Plant when we decided we needed to scrap an entry and replace it with another. The new entry was assigned to me to write and although I promised Ian I had images from Cape Henlopen which I could easily supply, the truth was that I was not completely thrilled with those images and felt compelled to get down to the beach and shoot a few more before I had to have the text and images ready for layout in two days. So I packed up my gear and flew out the door to make the drive to the Delaware shore, camp overnight and have a go at getting some nice light at sunrise. As luck would have it, I was treated with a beautiful and soft pink glow in the morning sky. The waves would rush in and come up the beach pretty far and after they washed out the sand became like a mirror and reflected the sky perfectly. I needed to get out and get the shot before the next wave washed on shore and ruined the image. The light was only going to last so long, so I used my LB Warming Polarizer to saturate and darken the sky. Knowing that there was a 3-stop difference in the brightness of the sky and the beach, I also used my Singh-Ray 2-stop hard-step Graduated ND to keep the sky from washing out in the image. Because I was shooting with a 14mm lens, I made good use of the larger 4x6-inch grad which allowed me to handhold it and avoid getting any vignetting from a filter holder.

"This last shot is an example of creative exploration. While leading a private workshop at the end of the month on Cape May on the New Jersey shore, I scouted out an old fishing pier that jutted out in the ocean. While my client and I were on the beach waiting for sunset, I mounted my Nikon 80-200mm lens on my D-300 and zoomed in to fill up the frame with the piling and water. The sun peeked out of the clouds for just a few minutes and illuminated the piling in warm soft evening light. I knew I wanted a very long exposure so the water would be soft and look like paint strokes on a canvas. Stopping down to f/22 and using the lowest ISO setting on my D300, I was still only able to get a 1-second exposure. This was long, but not nearly long enough the create the effect I was looking for. I knew I needed an exposure of at least 30 seconds or longer. I reached into my bag and pulled out my Singh-Ray Vari-N-Duo. Dialing in an extra 6 stops of density accomplished two things. First, I did not need to set my aperture to f/22 any longer and was able to shoot at f/14 which provides much better resolution at the setting than stopping all the way down and, second, the added 6 stops of density allowed me to shoot the image at 30 seconds and capture the effect I was going for."

Joe's new book 50 Amazing Things You Must See and Do in the Greater D.C. Area is available to pre-order, and we'll have information on Joe's other new book soon. In the meantime, tap into his blog or his website for more motivation.

Jet-skiers' efforts to steal this scene prove no match for the Singh-Ray Vari-ND

In a previous blog story from New Zealander Colin Southern, he wrote "I like to think of myself as a typical photographer... a perfectionist bordering on obsessive/compulsive. I like to work with the very best equipment (including Singh-Ray filters) so that most of the limitations I have to struggle with are my own." Here's a good illustration of how a Singh-Ray filter helped Colin control an unusual situation.

"This tranquil image illustrates one of those 'snatching victory from the jaws of defeat' occasions... it was the third day in a row that I'd returned to this location hoping to secure a winning shot. On the first day I shot a variety of compositions and analysed them that evening. On the second day the clouds just didn't want to cooperate, but everything was looking great on the third day. Well, almost everything...

"On the first two evenings, I shot from a new walkway built over a small portion of shoreline -- but on my third visit I arrived earlier so I though I'd check out the scene from under the walkway. A few quick test shots confirmed that under the walkway was going to be the better composition, but then I noticed the tide was on its way in. Since I actually shoot in the sea quite often, I carry chest high waders as "standard shooting equipment" -- but as I watched the tide, I knew it was going to be close.

"I set up my gear and waited for sunset as the water inched higher and higher. I adjusted the straps on my camera bag several times to keep it out of the water. Now if all of this isn't tricky enough, things got a whole lot more complicated with the arrival of six 'young gentlemen' (I use the term loosely!) and a jet ski -- which they proceeded to ride through my field of view and generally stir up the water with their 'colourful antics.' It's possible they meant no trouble, but I could hear shouts of 'get the camera man' and later a small boulder was dropped from the walkway above so as to land about 3 feet away (splashing salt water over the expensive bits about 8 inches above the waterline) -- so it was rather hard to give them the benefit of the doubt!

"Meanwhile, the composition and color in the sky were looking great -- but the water was a mess. I was planning on an exposure of just a few seconds, but with the stirred up water conditions, that just wasn't going to work. That's when my Singh-Ray Vari-ND came to the rescue! A few tests revealed that a 60-second exposure could work well -- so that's what I used.

"In this final image it all came together nicely -- the extended exposure combined with the stirred-up sea water gave the water a wonderful texture that complemented the shot perfectly -- which just wouldn't have been possible without the long exposure. So here's to the Singh-Ray Vari-ND -- together we scored one for the good guys."

Editor's Note: It's also worth pointing out that the Vari-ND can be used to eliminate people or cars or jet-skis passing through your frame because they will often fail to register when using extremely long exposures. (See this entry for more details.)

You can enjoy many more scenes of Colin's beautiful countryside just by visiting his gallery images which are now posted at www.pbase.com/cjsouthern. You can also contact Colin at the Cambridge in Colour Forum if you have any questions or comments.

Roving nature photographer checks out the scene in Joshua Tree National Park

Last October, Canadian outdoor photographer Ethan Meleg began to live his dream: "Taking off and traveling North America in a van for a year and a half -- spending every day chasing great light and discovering new landscapes. I can't imagine any better way to live!" Here's Ethan's second update since then.

"After a quick return trip back to frigid and snowy Ontario for some assignment work, I’m glad to be back in the warm southwest. While I was gone, my VW camper van went into a shop in Tucson for some major mechanical work, which I hope will ensure that we can both make it through the rest of the trip. I must admit I’ve been a bit hard on it -- treating it like an off-road vehicle. Why are so many of the best photo locations at the end of brutally rugged roads?

"I’ve spent the last couple of days in Joshua Tree National Park -- a vast place in southern California that has far exceeded my expectations. The desert landscape is dramatic with its piles of smooth boulders and twisted Joshua Trees. The only downside is that the weather conditions have been difficult for photography. In lighting situations like this I rely on filters more than ever to salvage a shoot. It could be a decade before I make it back here again, so I certainly want to leave with at least a few hallmark images. On my way into the park from the south, I stopped at the amazing Cholla cactus patch you see above. The sun was peeking over a bank of dark clouds, which made for dramatic backlight. For all these images I used my EOS 1Ds Mark III with a 17-40mm lens. I combined my Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer with a 4x6-inch 2-stop, hard step ND Grad that I handheld in front of the lens. This exposure was 1/20 @ f/22 with the ISO set at 200. I also used my mirror lock up and cable release.

"I camped at the Jumbo Rocks campground, which is a dream for landscape photography. You can walk from your campsite and find endless photo opportunities. The sky went fairly white at dusk, so I used my trusty Gold-N-Blue Polarizer to bring additional color and life to the image.

"I was so enthused photographing around Jumbo Rocks that I kept working well after sunset. This photo of the moon through a Joshua Tree was taken in dark conditions. I handheld a Singh-Ray 2-stop hard-step ND grad (4x6-inch size) to balance the 30-second exposure throughout the scene. With my other hand, I subtly illuminated the foreground plants with a small LED flashlight I keep handy in my camera bag in case I get lost in the dark.

"My next destination is the San Bernardino Mountains, where I’ll be trying to see -- and hopefully photograph -- my first ever Lewis’ Woodpecker. This is assuming that the snow doesn't hinder my travels into the mountains. I woke up this morning to heavy snowfall in Joshua Tree. After trying my luck at finding the woodpecker, I’m going to explore my way up the California coast to photograph coastal scenery and wildlife. I’ve always wanted to see the California coast and can’t wait to smell the ocean air."

We should add that Ethan has just won honorable mention in the Images of the Year contest on Naturescapes.net. "It's a photo I took at the Subway in Zion National Park a couple of months ago using the LB ColorCombo. I think it may be the best photo I've shot this trip." To follow Ethan's adventures more closely, you can also bookmark his website and blog.

Photographer gets to know his Gold-N-Blue better after it captures his first Grand Canyon sunrise

Following a number of intense years in college and medical school in Arizona, Jarrod Mosier decided a year or so ago to buy a camera as a creative release. Last September, Jarrod posted his first story and images on this blog highlighting his impressive progress as a landscape photographer. "After about 500 disappointing pictures," Jarrod recalled, "I took my photos to a local shop and asked the man what I needed. He said I needed three things: photoshop, to shoot in RAW, and graduated neutral density filters. He recommended Singh-Ray filters as the top of the line."

Fast forward to last week. Jarrod now enjoys using a number of Singh-Ray filters, but he's still toying with his Gold-N-Blue Polarizer and his latest camera. He says, "I have had my new Canon 5D Mark II for about a month but been too busy to get out and shoot. There is a particular shot in Flagstaff that I've had in mind and so I planned to go up there. I drove up from Tucson to Flagstaff with this one image in mind and fully determined to get it. Turns out, it had been raining the previous 2 days which melted all the snow. On top of that, the mountains were covered with clouds and would not come out. Needless to say, the first day was a bust. The next day, I woke up at 4:30 in the morning to try for a sunrise shot. Again... it rained. I was so frustrated I looked at my watch and decided I could try the Grand Canyon. It is about 75 miles to the south rim and I thought I might be able to make it up there before sunrise.

"So I drove up there, and got there about 30 minutes before the sunrise and set up along one of the overlooks. I had never been there before and didn't have time to scout. As the predawn light started to pick up I noticed...you guessed it, complete obstructive cloud cover! I sat there anyway and waited for some luck. Sure enough, I get my first Grand Canyon image.

"Great sunburst, but boring colors because of all the clouds and cold light. I put on my Singh-Ray Gold-Blue Polarizer and got the second image seconds later. I could not have been happier. Landscape photography can be very frustrating in that your best shots can be complete luck while you are out trying to get a completely different image!

"But then I showed someone my 'final' Gold-N-Blue shot and they referred me to Darwin Wiggett's story on the Singh-Ray blog, Getting 'what you see' with the Gold-N-Blue. The story describes his easy-to-apply method of using the Gold-N-Blue to create images that look like they did when originally viewed through the filter.

"When I applied the gray eyedropper technique to various points in the image as Darwin Wiggett describes, I found that it took away a lot of the warm tones that I liked in the original picture. So I'm sharing the original 'no filter' file (1), the Gold-N-Blue polarizer file that I initially liked so well, (2), and finally a Gold-N-Blue polarizer file after I had applied the dropper-tool color balancing technique to make the clouds a neutral gray (3), and at the top of this story is a "final" combined picture which I like the best.

"I plan to continue working with and learning from the Gold-N-Blue," says Jarrod. "It's an exciting creative tool and Darwin Wiggett's method will help me set the 'reality' baseline on which I can then explore even more of my creative options."

You can see more of Jarrod's expanding portfolio by visiting his web gallery.

Landscape and wildlife images taken with your long lenses need Singh-Ray filters, too

Western landscape photographer Steve Kossack remembers it well. "When Singh-Ray introduced the LB (lighter, brighter) filter series, it meant that I could begin using these new filters in shooting situations where I would not have before. Because the new LB Warming Polarizer transmitted 66% more light than Singh-Ray's previous polarizer -- requiring only 1-1/3 more f-stops of additional exposure in most cases -- I began using it much more frequently, even in low light. More recently, we've been blessed with digital cameras capable of capturing top-quality images at much higher ISO settings -- which makes it even easier these days to achieve proper exposures with a polarizer on my long lenses.

"Although more and more outdoor photographers now realize they can improve their landscape images by using polarizers, not so many consider the importance of polarizing their long-lens images. One lesson I learned years ago is to always polarize any lens that's 300mm or longer. Even with the high quality of today’s lenses, I find there's frequently a loss of contrast unless I use a polarizer. I may not always see the benefit of using the polarizer while I'm in the field, but I do see it in the final print. Since I have always considered my Canon 300mm 2.8L IS to be my finest lens -- I also have the 500mm f/4 IS and borrow a 600mm for wildlife use -- I like to shoot with it just as often as possible. But it wasn't until I realized I could up-grade my standard Canon drop-in polarizer with Singh-Ray's three polarizers that I found the right answer. I now have the LB ColorCombo, LB Warming Polarizer and Gold-N-Blue Polarizer mounted in Canon Polarizer drop-in filter holders that have the little wheel on top that lets me quickly rotate the polarizer with finger tip control. Since I began using these three drop-in filters, I can’t imagine a time when I didn’t!

"The not-so-typical landscape above of the Navajo power plant at dawn was captured during one of our Landmarks of the Southwest workshops. It is at once magical, mystical and sinister! Shooting with a 600mm lens -- even from a more than a mile away -- would have brought the plant too close and revealed the plant for what it is, cold steel and all business. Choosing the shorter Canon 300mm 2.8L IS, however, gave me more of a panorama of the scene and hid the nasty details. The Gold-N-Blue drop-in not only captured more of the warm glow to the lights but the filter factor was also a bonus making for a longer exposure which produced the desired effect.

"As we watched the elk herd cross Yosemite's Madison River in the pre-dawn light, I took off with Canon 600mm f/4L IS attached to the Canon 1Ds MKIII with and Black Widow gimble mount on a Gitzo 1348 tripod over my shoulder. I also had with me a Canon 1.4 extender and my drop-in filters in my vest pockets. Wow, makes me tired just to think about it now! As the herd moved, I’d stop, set up, shoot and then move along with them. Using an ISO between 400 and 800 I was able to stop most of the motion in the low light by shooting with the lens wide open. As the light increased and the elk moved into and around the river a huge problem ensued. The reflected light from the river was like a spot light! The glare was almost blinding as I searched for an angle that would decrease its intensity. While doing this I realized that I was also helping myself by finding a 90-degree-to-the-sun shooting angle where I could block more of the glare from the reflecting sunlight. After finding the right location, I inserted the 52mm ColorCombo drop-in, focused on the river, turned the orientation of the filter to decrease the reflected light as much as possible and then dialed it in the highest ISO I thought appropriate. With only a filter factor of 1-3/4 stops there was not much downside and plenty of up for its use. Now I simply waited for the elk.


"This duck pond was set up prior to the ducks' arrival on the scene. Schwabacker Landing in the Grand Tetons is a natural just after sunrise. The stillness of the setting was serene in the morning glow, and I was struck by the out-of-focus backdrop that the wide open aperture was providing. The fact that reflection of the sky was not as pronounced as it might have like led me to choose the Gold-N-Blue drop-in and reposition the camera for a stronger polarized effect. I shot several frames before the ducks suddenly appeared. The downside is that there is no direct light on them but the upside is that the beautiful reflection, which was my focal point after all, was broken up by them. 'Oh...' I exclaimed to no one in particular as they approached, 'Cue the ducks!'


"This otter image was also improved by using my drop-in ColorCombo. These guys are faster than lightning and their most attractive behavior is usually in groups. To make matters worse, they were playing on the distant bank of the Snake River across from our shooting position. This required the use of my 1.4 extender on the 600 f/4 lens which meant giving up a full stop of light that in turn slows the auto focus considerably. My solution was to manually focus on one otter and wait for it to stop in some sort of pose. I knew from previous experience that otters, for some reason, all come to a stop for a split second at intervals. I just needed to anticipate one of those split seconds! I also figured at this juncture in my shoot that if I were to capture what I was looking for, maybe a slower shutter speed would be OK. As you might expect, I shot a lot of single frames but not as many as I might have just firing the shutter as one does in fast action sequence. The result was a pleasing soft background with a nice patch of saturated green grass, and yes, the otters are cute as they can be.

"From previous experience, I can assure you the color saturation and contrast in each of these images were improved by using one of my drop-in polarizers. Considering the heavy cost of my long lenses -- as well as the heavy lifting they require in the field -- I realize that investing in Singh-Ray drop-ins was a relatively easy way to get even better images."

To see hundreds more of Steve's distinctive outdoor photographs, or to learn about his workshops and instructional videos, visit his website.

To upgrade your drop-in polarizer, you'll need to ship the drop-in polarizer that fits your lens to Singh-Ray along with payment for the LB Warming Polarizer glass plus $50 custom mounting fee ($260 + shipping). This service is also available for our Gold-N-Blue Polarizer ($240 + shipping), or LB ColorCombo ($420 + shipping). For more information, call Singh-Ray at 863-993-4100.

Former "gear-head" continues to recover and provides photographic evidence to prove it

"It's been almost a year since we posted Jamie Fullerton's first story on this blog, Confessions of a young gear-head and how he found his way to photographic freedom. (link) As a public service, we're releasing this illustrated progress report on his battle with gear obsession. Here's the story in his own words.

"Last year, I discussed the downward spiral of gear obsession and my determination to stop worrying so much about the contents of my camera bag. Well, almost a year has gone by since I downsized a ridiculous amount of photography gear into something more sensible. I've kept at it even still and have come back to tell you more about how things are at present.

"Upon releasing myself from the crushing weight of so many camera bodies, lenses, tripods and other nonsense, I noticed immediately that I was a lot happier out there in the field! The quality of my worked improved vastly in a short amount of time. I say this with little ego and with a certain amount of added time and experience. However, it is perfectly clear to me that during this time I was not burdened by so many choices in the camera bag. I know it seems silly to consider such a thing a problem, owning too much nice gear, but trust me when I say that it matters.

"Looking back upon a year of what I consider to be my finest work so far, I realize that the majority of my images were made with three lenses providing focal range of 17mm to 200mm. Most of my personal favorites were created using filters in the field rather than in the digital darkroom. The important bit here is that I have begun to develop my own personal vision and style.

"This year yielded several successful images. Over the summer, I visited Crested Butte for a week of shooting from sunrise until sunset with photo instructors Charles Needle and Mark Johnson. From autumn until the start of winter, I enjoyed several trips to Rainier National Park. Some of my favorite images from this fall were created at Chinook Pass. Looking back across the year, I notice the very beginning of what could be referred to as style or vision. What I see and how I like to see it finally has begun to show in my work. I feel now that I have a certain degree of control over the final image. Again, with as little ego as possible, I chalk some of it up simply to spending time making images. Another important bit involves creating the image in my head before clicking the shutter.

"What changes did I make this year that contributed to my increased success in the field? I narrowed down my kit to a mere four lenses, two SLR bodies and a tripod. However, I added a number of Singh-Ray filters to my existing collection.

"An LB ColorCombo complements my LB Warming Polarizer for times when I want to intensify color without affecting color temperature. I discovered the power of the Daryl Benson Reverse ND Grad while shooting a sunrise at Chinook Pass with standard Singh-Ray ND Grads. Wanting to try something new, I purchased a 5-Stop Solid ND Filter for shooting longer exposures.

"Knowing what lenses work for my creative vision, I find myself reaching for a Singh-Ray filter more often than for a different lens. My Singh-Ray filter collection now tallies up to six and weighs less than my lightest lens.

"Did I mention that I can finally tolerate the weight of my camera bag? Must be all the time spent at the gym...

As a point of reference, here's a quote from Jamie's previous confession last April: "But seriously, folks... there's nothing on my wish list. I am, for the first time, completely satisfied with my gear. I have no cravings. I have no itches. I have no credit card debt! And most importantly, I'm free to spend more time photographing in the field."

You can find a more extensive version of this report on Jamie's website and blog along with many more interesting images.