Where do I go next? That's a question all photographers ask themselves repeatedly. It's also the question that keeps a veteran photographer like Steve Kossack scouting out new places to lead future workshops. "This time I decided to go back to Big Bend National Park," says Steve. "I was last there in 1898... or maybe it was 1998... What I do remember from those earlier visits is how different it is from any other National Park and how much there is to see all along the trails. Even so, when I returned this spring, I found the raw beauty of this country to be even more impressive than I expected. It's truly one of the last remaining wild corners of the United States.
"As I explored the park in preparation for my workshop this fall, I could feel the anticipation of images just waiting to be found, or is it images waiting to find me? Anyway, the photo opportunities proved to be exciting and enticing. Located on the Mexican border along the Rio Grande in southwest Texas, this place is not close to anything -- which adds immensely to the atmosphere and adventurous experience. Big Bend is 200 miles from the interstate!
"Big Bend gets its name, of course, because the Rio Grande makes a big bend (90° turn) as it flows through the area. The river also marks the border between the U.S. and Mexico. But before you reach the river on your way south, there is a mountain range floating in the vast desert. These are the Chisos Mountains and one of the major landmarks of the park. In the image (above), the vast distances between the mountain tops are compressed by the 300mm lens. The morning light was soft enough to render the shadows in some detail and the use of stacked Graduated ND filters (3-stop soft-step for the sky and 2-stop hard-step for the mid mountains) complemented the drop-in LB ColorCombo. The warm tones of the left shoulder that brought the image to life are the result of the ColorCombo's polarizer.
"Storms or fog banks are sometimes present in the Chisos. This makes for dramatic images. But as soon as they are gone the scene is entirely different. To capture the moment when the cloud bank is just beginning to fade into the distance was exhilarating! Here the use of a 4-stop hard-step ND Grad provided the contrast and definition I needed to 'set the table' for the rest of the composition. The light rock in the foreground was what I wanted for the 'tablecloth' and I had to hustle into position before the distant cloud lifted in the fading light. Several exposures were made with a 2-stop soft-step and a 3-stop hard-step ND Grad along with the ColorCombo on all frames. The frame shown here gave me the best rendering of the fading clouds. 
"This image of the distant mountain range seeming to float upon a vast desert was the story I wanted to tell. The morning light on the Chisos range was not dominant but it directed attention on the hoodoos in the foreground. The angle of light created deep shadows and glare which the ColorCombo helped reduce. Hiding the gradient line of the 3-stop soft-step ND Grad was difficult and made the exposure of many frames important. The movement of the clouds gave motion heading out of the frame to the right and the longer the exposure the better I liked the result. In the low early morning light there was no need for the Vari-ND, but it was a thought!
"These are badlands! This image of Santa Elena Canyon was captured at dawn. This far south, the Rio Grande has no water coming in from the U.S. side -- and only a little bit from Mexico -- which makes this dry and arid place seem even more so. I wanted this composition to help tell that story. "I separated the main focal point, which is the scarceness of the river appearing or disappearing in the huge canyon. The use of a tilt/shift lens accentuates this and anytime I see green as the dominate color I reach for my LB Color Intensifier or ColorCombo. A slight breeze was causing the ocotillo cactus in the foreground to sway. This made it important to keep the exposure as short as possible. Since the LB Intensifier has almost no filter factor, it allowed me to use a much quicker shutter speed! Although there was nothing of interest in the sky, it was needed as part of the composition. I used a 3-stop soft-step ND Grad to help balance the exposure and set off the glow of the morning light on the face of the Canyon.
This is the huge entrance to one of the huge canyons of Big Bend National Park. By the subtle use of my Gold-N-Blue Polarizer in the pre-dawn light, I was able to accentuate the reflecting glow off the water. Of course one wall of this canyon is in another country and the remote location of this awesome scene only added to the unique experience. We have now closed the border crossings that used to be so much a part of that experience along the Big Bend. The town of Boquillas is now off limits from the U.S. side. Many of the town's residents, eager to offer their goods and a glimpse into their culture and customs, are prohibited from doing so. Since the river is shallow and easily crossed they still come across under threat of arrest and leave their offerings on the U.S. side for donations. Talking (sometimes shouting) with them is all we can do at the moment. The park service is hoping this situation will change again in the near future."This trip to Big Bend has refreshed my appreciation for taking new trails from time to time. I can fully recommend a visit to Big Bend Country for any photographer who's wondering where to go next."
You can get details about Steve's future schedule of workshops by visiting his website. Don't forget to visit his new gallery while you're there.
