New eBook – Advanced Filters for Digital Nature Photography

Note: To see all future ebook releases, please visit us over at oopoomoo.com

Samantha and I have just released our latest eBook on Advanced Filters for Digital Nature Photography.

This eBook continues where our last eBook, Essential Filters for Digital Nature Photography, left off and introduces photographers to advanced filter techniques that lead to creative imagery often impossible to replicate in software.

Learn how to use in-camera filters to create unique and desirable effects. Darwin and Samantha cover the Gold-N-Blue and Blue/Yellow polarizing filters, the 1.5 stop hard-edge grad filter for reflection photos, the Daryl Benson reverse ND grad filter, and specialty ND filters like Lee’s Big Stopper and Singh-Rays trio of Vari-ND filters.

Learn how to correct colour casts caused by filtration in post-production, see why a 1.5 stop ND grad is the solution for perfect reflection photos, discover why the Daryl Benson reverse ND grad is an essential filter for prairie and desert photography, and be creative by using ND and Vari-ND filters to ‘paint with time’. Finally, Darwin and Samantha show you the creative power of combining two or more of these filters for expressive and creative photography. The eBook costs $10, is 49 pages long and is available here.

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Upcoming Camera Store Seminars

Samantha and I are doing three seminars for The Camera Store in Calgary, Alberta. Below are the dates and the topics we are covering – click on the titles for more information:

The Complete Photo – Sat April 16, 1-3 PM

In this 2-hour seminar, Darwin and Samantha will show you how they approach a scene, distill the scene to the essence of the subject matter, and finally edit and process the resulting images. Darwin and Samantha will explain how to develop your personal style and creativity and will explain how to determine what images are worth keeping. Learn how personal vision affects how they choose their subject and how they portray and present that subject to their viewers.

Basic & Advanced Filters for Creative Digital Nature Photography – May 28, 2011, 1:30-3:30 PM

Think there’s no place for filters with digital nature photography? Think again! Discover which four filters are an essential component of every nature shooter’s photographic arsenal.

Capitalize on the benefits of filters and learn how to create evocative imagery while saving time in post-production. You will also find out which filters deliver effects that can’t be replicated in software no matter how talented you are behind the computer. Learn advanced techniques using multiple filters and add polish to your in-camera captures. And finally, learn how to build a filter system that will grow with you, no matter what gear you use.

There will be filters and filter systems on hand for you test out for yourself. Come and see why filters are critical tools even in the age of HDR and complex software processing.

The Tilt-Shift Lens Advantage for Outdoor and Nature Photographers – June 11, 1-4 PM

Discover why Tilt-Shift Lenses are the hottest lenses in nature and landscape photography. With Tilt-Shift lenses, dSLR photographers gain all the advantages of lens movements so important in large format landscape photography. Learn the benefits of tilting for precise control over depth-of-field and shifting for awesome perspective correction. See how Tilt-Shift lenses can open up the world of panoramic and stitched image photography without need for specialized accessories. Darwin and Samantha explore how Tilt-Shift lenses can be used creatively in the quest for the perfect nature photograph. Spend one hour in the classroom learning the theory and practical applications and two hours in the streets of Calgary exploring the use of Tilt-Shift lenses in real word scenarios. A limited number of Canon and Nikon Tilt-Shift lenses will be on hand to try out. Sign up early; space is limited.

 

©Darwin Wiggett

B+H has the Cokin Z-Holder in Stock

Many people have asked me where to get the Cokin Z-Pro holder to use on full-frame cameras to hold filters. In Canada I usually send people to The Camera Store but they are presently out of stock. I just found out that B+H photo in New York has gotten a fresh shipment of Z-Pro holders in ($60) so head over there if you want one for Christmas.  Don’t forget to buy the correct adapter ring for all your lenses. And if you want to know exactly what filters we use and recommend for digital nature photography be sure to check out our new eBook on Essential Filters for Digital Nature Photography.

Cokin Z-Pro holder on the left, Cokin P-series holder on the right

 

Review of Singh-Ray’s Vari-N-Trio Filter

Over on the Singh-Ray blog I just published an article entitled Singh-Ray’s Trio of Variable Density filters: Which one is Right for You? In this article I show how each of the three variable ND filters perform when shooting the exact same scene. If you ever wondered about which variable ND filter is right for you, then this article will help you decide.

©Darwin Wiggett

Six Silly Uses of the UV Filters

Well… in the ‘how to make a fool of yourself‘ department, Samantha and I present the goofy video below. We really think that UV filters are a complete waste of time so if you want some ideas of what to do with all your old UV filters then watch on!

And if you want something a little more serious and instructional about filters then check out our new eBook,  Essential Filters for Digital Nature Photography over at Visual Wilderness.

 

 

The Daily Snap- September 30

©Darwin Wiggett

I had fun at the Paint Pots trail in Yoho National Park in British Columbia. I set up the Canon G11 on a tripod and used the built in ND filter to give me longer exposures while people walked through the scene. People close to the camera blurred a lot, while those further away blurred a little. This is a combo of three shots with people in different positions. I am the foreground person walking through the scene while I set the G11 to 2 second self-timer.

ND Filter Tests

I am in the middle of extensive comparison testing of five different ND filters. These filters allow very long exposures in bright light so you can play with ‘painting with time’ effects, where anything moving in the scene becomes an ephemeral blur. The five filters I am testing are three Singh-Ray Vari-ND filters (the Vari-ND, the Vari-n-Duo and the beta version of the Vari-n-Trio – yet to be released). As well I am comparing these three vari-filters to the Singh-Ray George Lepp 5 stop solid ND filter and the new Lee Big Stopper (10-stop ND filter). Just to whet your appetite are the two shots below:

Shot with a Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer and 2-step hard-edge grad

Singh-Ray LB polarizer, 2-step hard-edge grad and Lee Big Stopper

Stay tuned near the end of May for a complete report on these five different filters!

The Weekly Photo – April 9

©Darwin Wiggett

All of Alberta has been crazy windy the last few days. Rather than fight the wind, why not go out and make long exposures to capture the wind movement? Here I used my Rebel XSi, a 70-200mm lens, a Singh-Ray LB polarizer and Singh-Ray 5-stop ND filter to get an 8 second exposure on a cloudy and windy day. The painterly effect of the blowing grass is really lovely and the photo looks great as a big print. To see a larger version just click on the photo.

New Article, New Gear

Singh-Ray now has a larger version of its sprocketed LB Polarizer that will drop into either a Lee holder or a Cokin Z-Pro holder. If you are using one of these larger filter holders this means that you now have more choices in polarizers beyond the Cokin Z-164 Circular Polarizer or the Lee Polarizer. I find the Cokin polarizer to be very dark and it has a stong blue cast. I find the Lee polarizer to be a pain to use with the Lee holder. The Singh-Ray LB Warming Polarizer solves both problems (it is bright and warm) and slips easily into the Cokin Z-Pro holder. This larger filter works great with the large holders to use with lenses that have a large front filter thread (e.g. 77mm or larger) and to use with ultra wide angle zoom lenses like a 16-35mm lens on a full frame camera or a 10-22mm lens on an APS-sized camera. To learn more about my thoughts on this new filter and to see the latest images I made with the filter go here.

Also related to super wide angle lenses, if you have a Canon 17mm TS-E or a Nikon 14-24mm (both with bulging front lens elements), Lee has announced plans to make a filter holder that might work with these lenses – check it out here – hmmm looks interesting but would involve buying another size of grads – my wallet is already thin enough! Some other filter holder inventions for these lenses include this one for Nikon, this one for Canon… and I am sure there are lots more out there… heck I am messing around with my own MacGyver rig for the 17mm TS-E. Stay tuned.

Cokin Z-Pro Holder on left with LB Polarizer and Grad (P-holder on right)

Essential Filters for Contolling Contrast in Digital Nature Photography

Singh-Ray has just published an article I wrote about The Essential Filters for Controlling Contrast in Digital Nature Photography. Hopefully this article will help you decide which filters you’ll need for your photography endevours.

©Darwin Wiggett