It’s probably an impossibility for a photographer to come all the way to Kauai and not hike the Kalalau Trail along the famed Na Pali coast. And with good reason. The coast is one of the most spectacular scenics on Earth. I imagine that every adult in North America has seen at least one image of Na Pali.
There are three ways to see the Na Pali coast; helicopter, boat and hiking. Each has its advantages and disadvantages for photographers. Helicopters, for example, are expensive, last a short time and you …

For most of my life I’ve been a film photographer. In those days the mantra I followed was that when I pressed the shutter, my job was essentially done. I’d send my K64 film off to Kodak, get my transparencies back a week later, present them to my editors and cash my check. Done.
Not anymore. In today’s digital age, I figure my job is maybe 25-50% done when I press that shutter button. Even though I really do not do much post-processing, digitally captured images do need some tweaking, especially …

I was reviewing some images this week in preparation for a presentation on my photography, when I came across this image. It sparked a memory that I’d like to share with you.

Banff National Park

I took this image at approximately an hour after sunset at the end of September in Banff National Park in Canada. (Please click on the image to enlarge it).
The other photographers I was with had packed up their gear at or shortly after sunset. Since it had just snowed and the meadow was so magically covered, I …

If I had a dollar for every time I hear “Oh, you used a filter for that shot,” I’d be retired now, sipping Marguerites on a Pacific island. Of course, that comment is usually said disparagingly, often with a frown of distaste and typically in front of a woman hanging on to her man’s arm. She, naturally, nods approvingly, blissfully unaware of her husband’s profound ignorance. Happened to me again this week.
Many photographers use filters in ‘artistic’ ways in order to manipulate the scene to craft their unique vision. I …

Once photographers find out that I travel to the Yukon and Arctic Circle, I’m invariably asked about photographing the Northern Lights, technically known as the Aurora borealis.
There are tons of articles and technical publications related to photographing these miraculous lights that magically appear in the far north at certain times of the year. They are caused by solar winds brushing by the earth’s magnetosphere. The most common color for the lights is green, but under certain conditions the lights can be orange, teal, purple or a combination of these.
Rather than …

Les’ photography is featured on the Singh-Ray Filters blog for the second time. Singh-Ray is the premier manufacturer of top-quality filters for professional and advanced amateur photographers worldwide. Les uses Singh-ray filters for many of his most challenging images.

In the latest blog article for Singh-Ray, Les talks about the challenges he faced in his recent trip to Australia, where Singh-Ray filters allowed him to salvage good images despite the rotten weather.
Go to http://singhray.blogspot.com/2010/12/les-picker-spends-several-adventurous.html to learn the specifics on how Les uses Singh-Ray filters.
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