One of my favorite techniques to tame the chaotic beauty of the ocean into a smooth surreal scene is to take long exposures. Earlier in the year I decided to buy and test the Singh-Ray 10 Stop Mor-Slo filter. One of the big features I liked about this filter over the Lee Big Stopper filter is that it was actually available and Singh-Ray makes an amazingly high quality product that produces minimal color cast. I was using a 100mm square version of the filter that has a foam framing around the edge to minimize light leaks. If you venture out to get this filter the one thing I’ll warn you about is to pay attention to how you place the filter in your filter holder. The 100mm and 150mm square filters foam framing has been cut so that it slides in a certain way. If you force the filter in the wrong way you’ll tear and rip off the foam framing. Easy to do if you’re rushing, fatigued and just plain not paying attention. If you’re using a screw mount version of the filter this is a non-issue. Overall a great filter and worthy of the premium price.
As for my image “Primitive Coast V”, pictured above, I took this image just after the sun set and as the blue hour was approaching. The long exposure, lengthened by the 10-Stop Mor-Slo filter, helped more of the rich red color register on my camera sensor giving a naturally intense coloration to the scene. I normally keep shooting photos until the last bit of light is present to capture such color, but now waiting and using the Mor-Slo filter opens doors to even more interesting color photos especially on the tail end of the day when you’d think no more light is present.
Photo Details
Canon 5D Mark III, 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II USM, f/13, ISO 100, 4 min with Singh-Ray 10-Stop Mor-Slo filter
