Shooting with Filters at Bells Canyon

In the oncoming dusk, Adam sets up his tripod and studies the compositional elements: flowing water for movement and reflections, hard-cut and rocky shorelines for leading lines, and distant mountains with ridge lines for backgrounds. “When I’m looking for a sunset or sunrise image,” he explains, “I always give myself options. As a photographer, you have to learn to adapt to what the environment gives you.”

You will learn that great images don’t come from happenstance. They come from pre-visualization, thinking about how you handle the diverse conditions before you arrive on location. To photograph a flowing stream through a wide-angle lens, Adam starts with a Gold-N-Blue polarizing filter, rotating it to accent the gold and blue nuances. Then, he adds a 3-Stop ND Grad filter. By hand-holding this filter and sliding it up and down, he is able create various color hues to the finished composition.

As a test, Adam shoots optional images with and without the two filters. With no filters, the resulting image is flat and lifeless. By using only the Gold N Blue polarizer, he captures a golden color on the stream, but the sky is still washed out. The best image is created through the use of both filters in combination. This shows that shooting with filters will give you greater latitude in coming home with a memorable, landscape photograph. He says, “Through the creative use of filters, you can create your own magic.

Travel to the Bells Canyon Reservoir with professional shooter Adam Barker for tips on shooting with filters in a variety of weather conditions.

MORE IN THIS COURSE:

Completing Your Outdoor Photography with Landscape Filters—Course Preview
Shooting with Filters at Bells Canyon
Photographing American Fork Canyon
Photographing in the Early Morning Light
Photographing Cascade Peak
How to Focus on Compositional Elements in Photography
Shooting with a Grad ND Filter
Fall Foliage Photography Tips and Techniques
Photographing Wildlife: Strategies and Techniques
How to Photograph Reflections
Landscape Photography: Shooting Grass
Capturing Photos at Dusk
Tips for Photographing Moonrise
Fly Fishing Photography Tips and Techniques
Shooting with Filters in the Late Dawn Light
Tips for Shooting an Iconic Sunrise
Photographing Outdoor Stock Shots