Singh-Ray Filters helped him capture the unique nature of Volcanoes National Park

With very little active lava currently flowing in Volcanoes National Park, outdoor photographer Joel Addams decided to focus on the old textures and 'lavascapes' that have formed during the past several hundred years on the southern side of Hawaii’s Big Island. “I found it similar to the desert landscapes back home in Utah," says Joel. “The textures and treeless areas are overwhelmingly black. The cracks and the ropey formations in the old lava provide easy foreground anchors and leading lines as far as the eye can see. The park was established in 1916 and has been honored as a World Heritage Site since 1987."

Joel has been photographing on the islands since June of last year, mostly on Oahu, and he was excited to see the variety of climates and landscapes of the Big Island through his lens. “People on Oahu continually urged me to start photographing on the Big Island of Hawaii, knowing that 14 different climate zones gave the island an unparalleled variety of photographic opportunities in such a small space. Volcanoes National Park on the southern side of the island was my favorite, but little did I realize that it was on the 'windward' side, meaning that it catches most of the rain sweeping in from the east. The park's rainforest, dry tropical forest and desert climates are all easily accessible via a network of well maintained trails.

"Before any shooting starts, it's necessary to have good rain protection for yourself and your equipment. The first day I was out, I just couldn’t stop shooting. My camera was fine inside its protective cover, but I was soaked to the skin within minutes. After six days of shooting, I read somewhere that the national park received over seven feet of rain per year. On the positive side, there was always hope the clouds would come and go.

“As I mentioned in a previous Singh-Ray blog story, shooting in Hawaii calls for the frequent use of a Reverse ND Grad filter. Volcanoes National Park, with its flat terrain and horizons resulting from the leveling effects of the lava, offers yet another opportunity to use this filter. The shot below at sunrise is a perfect example of the dramatic differences with a steady, hand-held Reverse Graduated Neutral Density filter. Don’t forget to properly expose for the foreground first and then place the filter in a holder attachment or “hand-hold” it in place. Using the hand-held technique allows me to quickly move the filter to any position necessary to fit the skyline. (click the image below to see the "before and after")

"In addition to the flat lava skylines, I was intrigued by the unique new challenge of photographing a black landscape. I shot for several days, approaching the dark tones of the lava in a very straightforward manner. I simply tried to keep them black. One day as the rain was pouring down, however, I searched for some new approach to the endlessly black and rather drab views. Suddenly, the black shiny lava reminded me of the black pearls I had seen while traveling in other countries. I remembered seeing a hue of blue in the pearls and pulled out my Singh-Ray Gold-N-Blue filter to see the effects.

“I was fascinated by the brilliant blues and golds that shimmered off the wet lava. To me, the black was actually enhanced by colors, as if they naturally exuded that spectrum of light anyway. A simple twist of the Gold-N-Blue filter, and I could chose not only the hue of the lava, but also the intensity. The filter was so interesting that I decided to shoot a series of images of lava in sort of a study on texture. Everywhere I went over the next few days, I would try the Gold-N-Blue filter, sometimes coupled with an ND Grad filter to hold back the light in the sky.

“Here again, Singh-Ray has developed filters that result in very little, if any, post-processing and give me the satisfaction of crafting a well-balanced photograph in-camera. While my arsenal of ND Grad filters, LB Warming Polarizer, and LB ColorCombo were all very helpful within the green world of the nearby jungles, it was the Gold-N-Blue that made my experience with Volcanoes National Park extraordinary. I realized that I had discovered a new solution for future applications."

Joel is now back home shooting the winter season in both northern and southern Utah. He continues to exhibit his work, and will teach a four-part series of day-long courses in Moab, Utah, and Zion National Park in 2010. You can also find Joel's report on his recent trip to Haiti as part of the Utah Hospital Task Force by visiting his website.