Disguised as a wandering landscape photographer, Steve Kossack captures New York City

"I was raised in Los Angeles," says veteran outdoor photographer Steve Kossack. "It was a big sprawling city even in those days. One block looked like the next. I don't have any photography to speak of from those days because I always felt that nature was elsewhere. I've never looked back and, through my photographic travels and workshops, I've been treated to some of the most beautiful and scenic locations imaginable. The National and State parks throughout the American West are my home and photographic focus.

"Nevertheless, I recently had reason to visit New York City -- arguably the greatest city in the world. This visit was my third, and it was just totally exciting and fun! Dragging my photo gear through this metropolis was a first. To my surprise, my appearance wearing a beat-up shooting vest and carrying my trusty tripod, and photo backpack was hardly noticed by anyone. Nothing seems out of place in the Big Apple! People were moving in all directions at top speed and the towers of the city provided a glowing backdrop. I was a kid in the candy store!

"Early in my visit, I was reminded once again that the basics of outdoor photography are applicable anywhere. Composition is critical and good exposure almost as important. I also found that my filters would play the same essential role here as in our national parks.

"I approached the skyline sunrise (above) feeling the familiar impulse to eliminate the clutter and find the patterns and shapes that would add clarity -- just as I would for any of my western landscape compositions. As I watched this early morning sunrise with a full moon setting from the Brooklyn Promenade, I felt as though we had the entire city to ourselves! Quiet and somewhat cold at 38 degrees, the harbor was still and the moonset pristine. Feeling the history of this place prompted me to set the tall ships in the foreground. With the moon falling quickly, I knew a fast shutter speed was necessary. I chose the longest lens I could fit into my backpack: a Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 IS with a 1.4 extender. In a situation like this, the filter factor of the Singh-Ray ColorCombo -- with its built-in polarizer -- would require a slower exposure that would have rendered the moon as an oval blur. Fortunately, I was able to use my Singh-Ray Color Intensifier with its minimal filter factor (about half an f-stop) to achieve a faster shutter speed and make this sharper image possible. While the Color Intensifier enhanced the natural color of the reflected light, my 4-stop soft-step ND Grad kept the craters in the moon clearly visible.

"This view of Grand Central Station reflects the influence of seeing so many impressive black and white photographs of the old Penn Central Station. Tragically, that 'cathedral' was torn down in favor of today's Madison Square Garden sports arena. For residents of the city, Grand Central Station is their post office and the terminal is their transportation hub. In choosing a vantage point for this image, I wanted to show the 'hum" of the people in this grand and ever-changing environment. After deciding to use my Canon 24mm f/3.5 Tilt/Shift lens to bring symmetry to both the frame and straighten the structural lines vertically, I settled on a slower shutter speed that would render some of the faster moving travelers as ghostly blurs. This was accomplished by using the Singh-Ray ColorCombo. In this case there was no light to be polarized, but the additional filter factor gave me the slower shutter speed I wanted and warmed the light at the same time. Balancing the wide difference in exposure levels was a challenge. The windows near the ceiling read almost seven stops brighter than the shadow areas. A 4-stop hard-step ND Grad held the exposure from the top lights to the top of the image. All that was left was to wait and choose the traffic pattern I wanted for the image.

"Properly exposing this waterfront image was another challenge. The motion implied by the boat was needed to lead the eye toward the primary focal point which is the reflected light on the building windows. I began by finding a shutter speed quick enough to freeze the moving boat and then choose f/11 as an aperture small enough to assure good overall depth of field with the Tilt/Shift lens. To achieve the right combination of 1/500 at f/11, I grudgingly selected an ISO setting of 800. Next was the selection of the Singh-Ray ColorCombo to both increase the color saturation and, more importantly, cut the glare. However this left the water a deep shadow. This was corrected by increasing the exposure 1 2/3 stops and inserting a 4-stop hard-step ND Grad all the way down to the waterline. Now, looking at the image with everything aglow and the exposure levels more evenly balanced across the entire frame, it looks like an easy shot.

"A 'must see' tourist attraction, the Empire State Building allows a good view of almost everywhere. With no tripods allowed, my inclination was to leave the photo gear in the vehicle. After a few moments' thought, that idea was dismissed for many reasons, and I figured I was just going to carry it as one might through an airport. Actually, the security both here and at the Statue of Liberty/Ellis Island is the same as it was at the airport! In the end I was glad I had it. Wherever I went, I found myself hand holding my image stabilized 70-200 while standing shoulder-to-shoulder with about 400 of my new and closest friends! As the light faded into a great sunset, motionless images became almost impossible. This situation was the best case I could ever make for owning the Singh-Ray Color Intensifier. Any other filter would have created impossibly slow shutter speeds. With little or no filter factor to worry about, I used it for every frame until the light was gone!

"Here again it was deja vu. I've viewed hundreds of images of the Flat Iron Building done by the masters ever since the days when this beautiful structure was the tallest skyscraper in Manhattan. Since I expected the light to play a major role in this first-light situation, it was pretty much a landscape photographer's mindset from the beginning. My preconception, however, did not hold up when the light came forth, and so the creative process took over. The composition was adjusted when I discovered a lot of open space at the foot of the building across the intersection. I just could not find a location in the pre-dawn that satisfied me. Instead, I set up where the bottom of the building was obscured by hedges and trees and made a frame from the tree branches. To bring the vertical lines of the skyscraper into proper perspective I again used the 24mm Tilt/Shift. When first light did appear it became obvious that the front of the building, where light was needed most, would not materialize. I decided to use a ColorCombo to heighten the intensity of the greens and blues. The filter's polarizer helped boost the contrast just a touch in the clouds; I then 'painted' the tree leaves with my head lamp to give them more color and detail."

Now that Steve has returned to his Nevada homestead, he's preparing to lead workshops in Yosemite Valley - Feb. 15-19 and Death Valley - April 11-15. For more news and information about Steve's workshop schedule, visit his website and gallery.

From the Archive:Tracking the "filter workflow" through a winter workshop in Yosemite Valley

At the 5 year mark of this blog, we are revisiting some of our most helpful instructional stories. Going back to March 2008, Steve Kossack describes his "Filter Workflow" in detail, as he evaluates different lighting situations and determines what will be the perfect combination of filters to help optimize his captured image.

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When outdoor photographer Steve Kossack shoots in any location, he instinctively follows his "filter workflow." To help explain how it works, Steve offered these three images of an early-morning scene he recently visited with his annual Yosemite Valley winter workshop. "Once again," says Steve, "the endless photographic opportunities plus the exhilaration of being in such a magical place made for an unforgettable week. And because Yosemite is so magical, whenever we return to the locations we've visited in previous years, we find they are never the same.

"With a deep snowfall and the weather changing by the moment, even familiar and easy-to-get-to locations were neither," explains Steve. "Road construction prompted the closure of the north side road and forced us to take a short predawn hike to reach Valley View. We were well rewarded for the effort.

"While standing in the dark, after hiking through the knee-high snow pack down to the edge of the Merced River, we saw the clouds getting pinker in the light blue sky, but only for a few moments. (Frame A -- click image to enlarge.) Not certain how much detail could be recorded in the shadow areas, I positioned the camera down low and tilted forward to include as much of the foreground as possible. To emphasize the color in the sky, the LB Color Intensifier was selected along with a 2-stop soft-step Graduated Neutral Density filter to reduce the relative brightness of the sky. Because the exposure would be for several seconds, I did not want to extend it too much further. The modest filter factor of the "lighter, brighter" Color Intensifier cost me only about half an f-stop. It's surprising how often my filter workflow begins with trying the LB Color Intensifier for early morning light.

"Soon after the first shot -- with the color of the sky now faded and the scene before me gaining even more contrast -- everything became flat. The river had some reflected light on the far side but the shadow area of the water was now dark with no reflection. (Frame B.) In cases like this my filter choice is often the Gold-N-Blue Polarizer and 2 or 3-stop soft-step Graduated ND filter. Anytime there is no reflection in the shaded areas, I check to see if my Gold-N-Blue can help out. Of course you need light to create reflections and the orientation of the sun has to be right for a polarizer. I reframed the composition just slightly to limit the amount of now colorless sky and highlight the river. Here the balance of the blue to gold polarization helped accentuate the natural flow of the river. A 2-stop ND Grad was also used here.

"My third shot (Frame C.) at this location was taken as the first light of the day illuminated the tip of El Capitian. Here's where the LB ColorCombo became the right choice. This time, the reflections from the river were distracting the eye from the focal point and the ColorCombo's polarizing effect tamed this problem nicely. The added warmth of the color intensifying filter (an integral part of the combo) was also a welcomed effect. Adding a 3-stop hard-step ND grad was used to achieve the finished image.

"A few days into our winter workshop it became clear the Merced River -- which was now a calm reflecting pool in many places -- was presenting us with dramatic photo opportunities at almost every turn and bend. The opportunities, in fact, were sometimes overwhelming -- a situation I always welcome! My filter workflow enabled me to rationally concentrate the left side of my brain while the right side was joyfully experiencing the dramatic winter scenery.

"For this next scene, I choose to anchor the image on the left with the river bottom. The problem was that I could not see the river bottom in the reflection.

To help solve this and a few other problems, I chose the ColorCombo for several reasons. The first reason was the small bright green conifer at the top of the snow bank and its reflection in the still water. This green is what brought me to the composition in the first place. Whenever I see an important green element in a scene, my first thought is always the LB Color Intensifier or -- in this case -- the LB Color Combo which also provides 'lighter, brighter' polarization. To set the composition, I first found the best orientation for the polarizing filter by making my way down the snow bank to change the angle. Then a slight turn of the filter clearly revealed both the river bottom and the surface reflection. The polarizer was then fine tuned to cut the bright reflection off the snow as much as possible while still revealing the river bottom. Since the bright snow was such a major part of the composition, I realized it had to be exposed to capture both the overall scene and the detail in the white snow.

"For the stormy image of Yosemite Falls seen at left -- with its beautiful muted light -- you would think no filters would be needed, but this image is not quite as simple as it appears.

Rain was moving in and out as the falls drifted from view and then appeared again. This also obliterated the reflection in the water at times or made it dark and distant when it was visible. The colors were also very muted in the mist. My next workflow step was to try balancing the exposure to render the mid-tones a full stop brighter and accentuate the reflected image in the process. The only problem created by doing this was a very slow shutter speed that would have made the quick moving clouds, as well as the rain spattered river, too blurry. The next decision was to test the capability of my new Canon 1Ds MKIII at a higher ISO 800 setting while using a 3-stop soft-step Graduated ND filter. What was lost was some of the detail in the snow, but what was gained is a brighter reflection, a more realistic presentation of the falls and a recognizable cloud pattern that shows the passing storm’s movement.

For me, working through the filter workflow process is both fun and productive. I should add that I always expose a 'reference" frame without any filters to provide a basis for later review. In the end, there are always choices to be made between the variously filtered images. I can’t help but feel that is always a good thing!"

For more information about Steve's work, videos and workshops, visit his website.

Steve Kossack's new location moves him closer to his two favorite national parks

"I've just visited two of my most favorite National Parks now that they are closer than ever," says Steve Kossack from his new office and residence in Las Vegas, Nevada. "When I first moved to the deserts of Arizona ten years ago, I considered Page AZ but did not move there. Instead I went a couple of hundred miles south to the small town of Cottonwood, about 100 miles north of Phoenix. For more than a decade, Phoenix served as a terrific base for conducting my various photo workshops throughout the western states. I enjoyed great access to the south rim of The Grand Canyon with the Navajo nation and all of Utah's parks close by.

"Now that I have moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, I find myself halfway between my two most favorite national parks. Six hours to the north is the Grand Canyon. Yosemite is just six hours to the west. That means both are virtually right in my backyard. I first visited the North Rim, then I went west across the deserts of Nevada to Yosemite. Fall was in the air, but the color had not yet changed. The Canyon was mostly quiet after the tourist season and the weather was mild. In Yosemite we closed two of the High Sierra camps. Both visits were great opportunities to celebrate my relocation!

"Photographing the Grand Canyon felt like visiting an old friend. It was a time to relax -- knowing that whatever happens next will be enjoyable on several levels. I find tranquility in setting up an image where I've previously made some fine images. I'm seldom disappointed photographically and even when I walk away empty handed, I revel in the experience of just being there! The image above was taken from the north rim of the canyon which has an elevation that's over a thousand feet higher than the south rim and the rock formations are so much closer. Nowhere are both rims more in play than here at Cape Royal. From this point above the dramatic setting, it is easy to set up an image that has converging lines that parallel the rim to the south. This gives a flow to the composition that is simply majestic to me! In the past I've been fortunate enough to capture two images from this location that I have framed to hang in my home. Maybe this one will be number three? I used a Singh-Ray Color Intensifier along with a 4-stop hard-step ND Grad.

"This sunrise image from the north rim was an unexpected gift! I was out looking for first light on Mt. Hayden, but the cloud cover that morning prevented it. Over my shoulder I had been watching the changing colors in the sky for more than half an hour when suddenly the rising sun lifted into the cloud formation thus giving even light to the canyon below. Setting up my composition as fast as possible to show the ledges leading into the canyon, I was only able to capture two frames before this image was gone. The use of a 3-stop Reverse ND was the key to holding the exposure of the light rays below the clouds. I also used a ColorCombo and a 4-stop hard-step ND Grad.

"On my trip to Yosemite, I was able to make the last few days of the season at two of my favorite Sierra high camps. Both the Glen Aulin and the May Lake high camps offer different and unique photo opportunities. This view of Glen Aulen never disappoints me. It's located at the mouth of the Grand Canyon of the Tuolumne River. This late in the season, the orientation of the light was much different and offered beautiful sidelight on the canyon rim. The magic light that appears in this image turned the clouds a crimson wonder. Using a ColorCombo and a 4-stop soft-step ND Grad, my exposure was for 10 seconds at f/16. With the future of the Glen Aulin high camp in jeopardy due to the drain field runoff into the river, each visit here becomes even more special. I happily add this image to my portfolio with hopes of capturing more in the future.

"I've shot this scene at May Lake many times, but this was only the second opportunity I've had to photograph the scene with Mt. Hoffman reflected so clearly in the perfectly still water! The reflection was a rare treat but it presented a couple of problems. First and most important was the fact that I have, for years, considered my previous reflected image from this spot to be about as good as I know how to make -- both compositionally and technically. But in my heart of hearts I always hope this is not true. But what to do now? I was also limited in what tools I had with me. Backpacking only allows for limited photo gear. If I wanted to take advantage of the three-quarter moon setting, I needed to widen the composition a lot. Including the reflection would help immensely here. The long 20-second shutter setting would render the moon oblong. It's moving! I had two lenses in my pack. One of them was my Canon 20mm 2.8. Perfect! I used a 4-stop hard-step ND Grad to balance the exposure."

Steve continues to polish his website to make it more convenient for visitors to browse his gallery and keep up on the latest information. As the result of his new location in Las Vegas, he expects to be adding several more workshops for the coming year.

Steve Kossack sends his "reflections" of this year's visit to the splendors of Glacier National Park

Steve Kossack has just returned from leading another workshop to Glacier National Park. "Sometimes I wonder whether success in any creative art is more dependent on the singer or the song? That is to say, is it really the photographer or the place? Over the years, I've come to realize excellent outdoor images can be made almost anywhere at any time. Nevertheless, that rationalization fades from memory when I find myself surrounded by the awesome grandeur of our nation's National Parks, and one in particular.

"Although it's in a remote location, Glacier National Park on the Montana Canadian border is rich with photo opportunities for those who visit frequently. Nowhere -- except for Alaska -- are there primitive wilderness settings as easily accessible as here! By 2020, however, Glacier National Park will have no glaciers! The original estimate for their demise was 2030, but that date has since been revised and a current study may yet again move this date. What this means for those of us doing photography is unclear. Those visitors who have hiked to Jackson, Grinnell or Sperry glaciers in the park have witnessed over the years their decline and increasingly limited accessibility. It's just tougher to get close to what's left! This will certainly have an effect on the surrounding plant and animal life. It's well worth noting that within its 1 million acres, this park still retains almost all its original endemic plant and animal species. It's doubtful that a name change for the park will take place after the last of the glaciers have gone, however. Glacier National Park it will always be, with or without them! It's a place where the hand of man has met the environment head on. Its drastically short summer season permits a short window into this hostile habitat with long days and very short nights. Especially so if one wants to sing its song with tripod and camera.

Mule Deer on Logan Pass
"Yes, I would prefer that nature's wildlife step into more of my frames! I'm not a wildlife photographer at all. That is a skill set unto itself. Here the final element presented one more challenge. As I was considering the possibilities for this landscape, I noticed the deer making its way into the scene. I quickly switched from my Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo to an LB Color Intensifier to gain a one-stop advantage in shutter speed. While I lost the advantage of a polarizer, I realized I'd need the extra speed if the deer did indeed enter the frame. I also chose my 3-stop soft-step Graduated ND filter to balance the distant sky. The deer would not cooperate by turning toward me, and I considered not opening the shutter at all. I've learned that shooting creatures from behind is not the angle of choice. Then I decided the deer was not my main focal point in this composition. I then waited for it to stop once again and raise its head.

Further Reflection
"This image was made just after the one above. It's a good example of my belief that nature never does anything just once. Repeated patterns, textures and shapes are usually found again in the surrounding area and this scene proved that point. Arriving with a reflection pattern fresh in my mind, I was immediately drawn to yet another. Here the reflection was the focal point and I 'shortened up' the composition with a longer lens. But this left less feeling of scale. The tree was the last element I needed for this shot and the exposure was set for the snow field at the base of the butte. My Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo was carefully set so that it did not negate the reflection or over-saturate the sky. A 4-stop soft-step ND Grad helped bring the reflection value closer to the exposure for the butte.


Moonset at Swiftcurrent Lake
"The eastern part of Glacier National Park is the windy side. It's also the quiet side in terms of people. The lakes are the main attractions. Swiftcurrent Lake is one of the park's jewels! In all the years I've been photographing these lakes, I've only seen a smooth, glass-like surface once! And it was obvious as we stood in the dark an hour before sunrise that this was not going to be the second time. In order to 'create' a smoother surface, I used my Vari-N-Trio. With the benefit of the that filter's built-in warming polarizer and color intensifier all that was needed was to first set a shutter speed and aperture combination that would give a long exposure to blur the water and achieve enough depth of field to keep the foreground rock in sharp focus as well. The last step was to use a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad to hold back the exposure of the moon near the horizon. The exposure was 30 seconds at f/16 at 100 ISO.

Passing Storm at Sundown
"Low light and the drama of a passing storm is what we found as the sun was setting over the peaks. A thunderstorm had developed as our day came to an end, and with it came the challenge of composing and exposing this scene. The focal point is way out at the far horizon. Without the ability to change my camera position at the base of the lake, the only way to change my composition was by my choice of a 24mm tilt-shift lens. The reflected clouds were helpful but it was the branch and rock that seemed to anchor a foreground that made the decision for me. The LB ColorCombo was set to take advantage of its built-in polarizing feature to show the lake bottom merging with the cloud reflection. I also used a 3-stop soft-step ND Grad to balance the sky with the foreground. The trick was in the exposure of the foreground. I considered using fill flash but knew the bounce off the water would produce glare. My second thought was the reflector in my vest pocket but there just was not enough light to reflect. In the end I simply used my Petzel head lamps to "paint" the foreground during the 3 second exposure.

"Watching the light glow and glaciers recede in this remote wilderness is both breathtaking and heartbreaking, sometimes at the same moment. Although this year's summer season was no more than a few weeks, every moment spent here is a moment to be cherished. Especially in a viewfinder!"

For more news and information about Steve's workshop schedule, including his Monument Valley Expedition this October 8 - 12, visit his website and gallery.

Steve Kossack shares some stories behind these images of Glacier National Park

Steve Kossack has just returned from leading another workshop to Glacier National Park. "Sometimes I wonder whether success in any creative art is more dependent on the singer or the song? That is to say, is it really the photographer or the place? Over the years, I've come to realize excellent outdoor images can be made almost anywhere at any time. Nevertheless, that rationalization fades from memory when I find myself surrounded by the awesome grandeur of our nation's National Parks, and one in particular.

"Although it's in a remote location, Glacier National Park on the Montana Canadian border is rich with photo opportunities for those who visit frequently. Nowhere -- except for Alaska -- are there primitive wilderness settings as easily accessible as here! By 2020, however, Glacier National Park will have no glaciers! The original estimate for their demise was 2030, but that date has since been revised and a current study may yet again move this date. What this means for those of us doing photography is unclear. Those visitors who have hiked to Jackson, Grinnell or Sperry glaciers in the park have witnessed over the years their decline and increasingly limited accessibility. It's just tougher to get close to what's left! This will certainly have an effect on the surrounding plant and animal life. It's well worth noting that within its 1 million acres, this park still retains almost all its original endemic plant and animal species. It's doubtful that a name change for the park will take place after the last of the glaciers have gone, however. Glacier National Park it will always be, with or without them! It's a place where the hand of man has met the environment head on. Its drastically short summer season permits a short window into this hostile habitat with long days and very short nights. Especially so if one wants to sing its song with tripod and camera.

Mule Deer on Logan Pass
"Yes, I would prefer that nature's wildlife step into more of my frames! I'm not a wildlife photographer at all. That is a skill set unto itself. Here the final element presented one more challenge. As I was considering the possibilities for this landscape, I noticed the deer making its way into the scene. I quickly switched from my Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo to an LB Color Intensifier to gain a one-stop advantage in shutter speed. While I lost the advantage of a polarizer, I realized I'd need the extra speed if the deer did indeed enter the frame. I also chose my 3-stop soft-step Graduated ND filter to balance the distant sky. The deer would not cooperate by turning toward me, and I considered not opening the shutter at all. I've learned that shooting creatures from behind is not the angle of choice. Then I decided the deer was not my main focal point in this composition. I then waited for it to stop once again and raise its head.

Further Reflection
"This image was made just after the one above. It's a good example of my belief that nature never does anything just once. Repeated patterns, textures and shapes are usually found again in the surrounding area and this scene proved that point. Arriving with a reflection pattern fresh in my mind, I was immediately drawn to yet another. Here the reflection was the focal point and I 'shortened up' the composition with a longer lens. But this left less feeling of scale. The tree was the last element I needed for this shot and the exposure was set for the snow field at the base of the butte. My Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo was carefully set so that it did not negate the reflection or over-saturate the sky. A 4-stop soft-step ND Grad helped bring the reflection value closer to the exposure for the butte.


Moonset at Swiftcurrent Lake
"The eastern part of Glacier National Park is the windy side. It's also the quiet side in terms of people. The lakes are the main attractions. Swiftcurrent Lake is one of the park's jewels! In all the years I've been photographing these lakes, I've only seen a smooth, glass-like surface once! And it was obvious as we stood in the dark an hour before sunrise that this was not going to be the second time. In order to 'create' a smoother surface, I used my Vari-N-Trio. With the benefit of the that filter's built-in warming polarizer and color intensifier all that was needed was to first set a shutter speed and aperture combination that would give a long exposure to blur the water and achieve enough depth of field to keep the foreground rock in sharp focus as well. The last step was to use a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad to hold back the exposure of the moon near the horizon. The exposure was 30 seconds at f/16 at 100 ISO.

Passing Storm at Sundown
"Low light and the drama of a passing storm is what we found as the sun was setting over the peaks. A thunderstorm had developed as our day came to an end, and with it came the challenge of composing and exposing this scene. The focal point is way out at the far horizon. Without the ability to change my camera position at the base of the lake, the only way to change my composition was by my choice of a 24mm tilt-shift lens. The reflected clouds were helpful but it was the branch and rock that seemed to anchor a foreground that made the decision for me. The LB ColorCombo was set to take advantage of its built-in polarizing feature to show the lake bottom merging with the cloud reflection. I also used a 3-stop soft-step ND Grad to balance the sky with the foreground. The trick was in the exposure of the foreground. I considered using fill flash but knew the bounce off the water would produce glare. My second thought was the reflector in my vest pocket but there just was not enough light to reflect. In the end I simply used my Petzel head lamps to "paint" the foreground during the 3 second exposure.

"Watching the light glow and glaciers recede in this remote wilderness is both breathtaking and heartbreaking, sometimes at the same moment. Although this year's summer season was no more than a few weeks, every moment spent here is a moment to be cherished. Especially in a viewfinder!"

For more news and information about Steve's workshop schedule, including his Monument Valley Expedition this October 8 - 12, visit his website and gallery.

Steve Kossack shares some stories behind these images of Glacier National Park

Now that he's relocated to Las Vegas, veteran outdoor photographer and workshop leader Steve Kossack expects to save a lot on gas money. "I feel like I am now right in the middle of all the best photo destinations in the American West. Packing up and moving my entire operation also brought me face-to-face with some of my favorite images as I carefully removed them from walls and storage cabinets. Each encounter reminded me that every worthwhile image should tell a story. But I also realized that many of my images also had a story that only I could tell. That would be the recollection of how the image happened to be made... the story of who-what-where-when and why it came to be. Here are a few examples.

"As I recall, the photo above of the amazing display of wildflowers near Logan Pass in Glacier National Park was taken in August. I don't know a quicker way to get to the high country in Glacier than following Hidden Lake trail. It's a relatively moderate hike with a steady incline that leads to magnificent views of the back country. Sometimes, however, if there are wildflowers like these waiting for us, we spend so much time shooting this vast area that we don't even make it up to the overlook! Many times we'll simply sit and admire a setting that is truly mind boggling. In most years the summer season is so short that wildflowers are still prevalent in August. We'll be taking a workshop back to that area again this coming August and we'll just have to wait and see. If you're planning to be here around the same time, bring your Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo and a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad.

"This view of a sunrise on Lake St. Mary was taken during a year when Glacier National Park experienced many fires. As I scouted the area in preparation for that year's workshop, the eastern sections of the park were closed due to fire activity, and the fear that we'd lose the chance to photograph in the park was only eliminated on the day our workshop began. Most everything we did that year was influenced by the fire. Here in this image the haze produced by the heavy smoke created a mood not experienced before or since. I used my Color Intensifer and a 3-stop soft-step ND Grad for this image.

"Sunrift Gorge is a truly surprising sight! Just off the park's main road, this scene is stunning and unexpected. In most cases the conversation while photographing this site will center around the mystery of how such a straight and narrow canyon was naturally created and how large and deep the crevasse is in reality. The more you look the more fascinating close-up images you see, yet no one frame will satisfy. The LB ColorCombo is the best match for all the visual opportunities to be found here.

"This is an image that I'm not sure I would be brave enough to make today. As I stood next to my camera and tripod in the still pre-dawn darkness, I could hear the sounds of movement in the brush down the steep incline. As I began making the first-light images of this magnificent lake setting, the sounds became more pronounced and closer. As the light increased, it became clear that a moose cow and calf were making their way uphill slowly and for some illogical reason I stayed behind my tripod and kept shooting! (I had a Color Intensifier and a 3-stop hard-step ND Grad on the lens) When they finally made their way into my frame no more than 20 yards in front of me, I was able to get off two frames, both 1-second exposures, before they ambled back down the incline. I don't know to this day how I gathered the nerve to hold my ground, let alone how they both held perfectly still for both exposures, but I am terribly grateful to have this image!

"I was almost blinded by the light! While I was driving the Going to the Sun Road, the park's main highway, in the early morning, the surrounding light was dim and very muted. Then there suddenly appeared this burst of bright white sunlight rising over the horizon. This immediately started a wild scramble from the vehicle as I ran around desperately trying to find an angle that would capture the beams of light jumping from the high cliffs above. As soon as the camera and tripod were in place -- with the Color Intensifier and a stack of three ND Grads in front of the lens -- I realized that it was almost impossible to calculate an exposure. What I remember most of this shoot is the panic to keep the shutter open during the few moments when this image was possible. With the exertion of the run and this heart-throbbing scene in front of me, it seemed that every exposure took forever. Now this image is forever.

"Grinnell Lake is one of the more breathtaking sights on the trail to the Grinnell Glacier. Most of the trails in Glacier National Park are frequently closed by bear traffic so you are always delighted when you can use them and constantly aware of the possible presence of bears. The third stage is the thrill of seeing the many spectacular vistas afforded from these trails. The turquoise glacier lakes, with the glaciers above, are visible for miles in every direction. The gain in elevation is severe but this is the reward!

"This view of Lake McDonald is one of those that I almost gave up on! After a morning that I was sure would not produce an image, I was ready to pack it in and move on. With no indication of a break in the constant muted light, the color became visible in the reflected lake at my feet and then broke across the sky slowly. The haze on the lake only became visible for a few seconds before the light and color disappeared as quickly as they appeared and the entire explosive scene became once again a muted, dull gray. It's one of those shoots you don't believe you witnessed until the you see the print! I hand held my 4-stop soft-step ND Grad to balance the horizon and sky with the foreground.

"Bowman Lake at sunset is how I see Glacier National Park! In the northwest corner of the park, almost on the Canadian border, this is a long way from the major tourist parts of the park. This majestic lake is unsurpassed in natural beauty. The quiet setting and serene sunsets capture what I think is the true beauty and spirit of the park. A visit into the small community of Polebridge, with its mercantile and bakery, is always a highlight. The long drive back has always been filled with the experience of the sights and sounds of this area. The fun of making images here is often as rewarding as the actual images themselves!"

Look for more news and information about his workshop schedule on Steve's website in the weeks to come, and as always, you'll find a vast collection of inspiring images to enjoy.

Relocating his photo business to Nevada has become a moving experience for Steve Kossack

Steve Kossack tells us he's moving soon from Phoenix, Arizona, to the hills above Las Vegas, Nevada. "Moving forward always gives a better view to the past. As I get set to move after a decade in one place, all the years of field photography, and especially the resulting images, now come to the forefront with different thoughts and emotions attached. The images that have special merit are the ones that have found their way into my heart and then onto my walls. They have literally stood the test of time, Now, as I move them to a new setting, I can't help but reflect upon those special moments when I captured them.

"Some moments and places are easier to recall than others," says Steve. "Some seem, like a distant Bob Dylan song, suspended in time. All the images have meaning to me. And, like every serious photographer, I hope others might find something worth their attention. Of the twenty or so images displayed in the house here, these four have become favorites.

"The image above was taken from the north rim of the Grand Canyon as I enjoyed the awesome experience of watching a thunderstorm over Cape Royal. I realize that, after my move from Arizona to Nevada, I'm going to be less likely to travel the south rim and better situated to visit the north rim. This image becomes a beacon drawing me closer to vistas and settings I've not yet explored. Cape Royal marks the point where the Colorado River starts its east to west flow. The point is vast and open and an adventure to get to. The north rim is only open to vehicles in the mild months making photography there even more special.

"In this image the passing storm was distant and when it did make its way down canyon the show only lasted a few minutes. No moisture came within a mile or so and the color of the sunset was only intense for a few seconds. As it passed I made only a few frames and then quickly went to a wide format camera to capture a couple watching the sunset while sitting just outside of the frame to the right. Both images were successful but this one reveals the vibrancy and luminosity of the storm. It was taken with the Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo and 4-stop hard-step Graduated ND filter.

The new location will put me only two hours from Death Valley National Park. This is the first place I explored in depth in the 1960's and the place that inspired me to learn the art of photography. It's also the place that my first workshop took place so many years ago! There is no place that compares to its wide open vistas, vast expanses, geology and light. This is simply the place that started it all for me and the place that promises untold images to come. Here I'm at home and at peace with the planet!

The Racetrack playa and its sliding rocks hold mystery and intrigue. All those who come here quickly come under the spell of "how and when?" Since no one has actually seen them move there are many theories on how they do it, but one thing is perfectly clear, they do move! To miss this beautiful dry lake is a mistake, and through the years my most successful images have shown the habitat of the rocks and the length and depth of the tracks they make as they move. I've always been in awe when at sunset the playa reflects in subtle shades the color of the sky. The reflected light gives a glow that leads the eye to the horizon. It always requires some thought to properly expose and use my filters, but when I get it right, the world out there 'explodes.' I used a Singh-Ray LB Color Intensifier along with a 4-stop soft-step ND Grad.

"The magical slots of Antelope Canyon have intrigued and drawn me since the 1980's. After many years of photographing these cathedrals of sandstone, I've discovered that the light is drastically changed by the seasons and the slot canyons are always changing as the frequent flash floods continually sculpt them. Sometimes the floor brings you different angles and views as it rises and falls through the years. It's simply never the same setting or feel twice!

"This scene no longer exists, but I do look for it every time I visit. The glorious effects of the reflected light was what brought me to it in the first place. The arch of the lines and the muted color in the lower portion is what sets the composition. The lines did not run far and the composition became muddled very quickly. Getting the exposure right for the foreground rocks was the key. Today this image is 20x30 on my wall.

"This is the matching bookend to the image above. It was also taken in the slot canyons. I've always used this image as an example of what timing and planning can do. In the summer months in this area, the slot canyons are jammed with tourists and photographers. Fighting for any space, let alone tripod space, can be an issue. Here there were at least 50 people in this area when the image was made.

"How was it possible? Our guides who brought our group to this spot just before the light appeared asked all others either behind or in front of us to give us a few minutes to shoot this wonderful image. It took no more than 90 seconds for each of us to capture our own version of this magnificent setting! It was taken with the Color Intensifier plus a 3-stop soft-step ND grad which was used 'sideways' to balance the much brighter left side of the frame.

"This is the newest of the images shown here. The setting is unique in that it was only available for a few hours after a snow storm hit the White Sands National Monument. Usually the white gypsum sand is the attraction, but here I had the opportunity to show the texture in both the sand and the snow. The fading light of dusk brought the winter glow but as the light dissipated it became very faint. The problem was solved with the use of LB ColorCombo's polarizing feature. The camera angle was chosen to take full advantage of the polarizing effect.

"First I lengthened the exposure to bring the 18 percent gray up two stops to compensate for the white sand and snow. To reduce the chance of movement in the 20-second exposure, I shot frames until the light had completely gone. I alternated between several of my ND Grads as I made the exposures. Several were acceptable and today this is the largest vertical image I've hung. I've not yet decided its place of prominence in the new setting, but even the thought is inspiring.

"This is the oldest image I still show. Done on a unplanned expedition into the lower granite gorge of the Grand Canyon in the 1980's, this accident of an image is still very much etched in my heart and soul. After camping along the river, we were heading back up to the rim when we saw this storm all around us. The strange thing was that we never even felt a breeze. When we had almost completed the ride back up to the rim, the rainbow appeared and the shoot was on! At the time the only Singh-Ray filters I owned were the 2-stop soft-step and 3-stop hard-step ND Grads. I made use of both of them. Because I was using film, the shadow area was particularly tough to expose properly. I remember bracketing wildly as the good light came and then went quickly as did the rainbow. I committed the cardinal sin of making the rainbow disappear by not adjusting my polarizer properly in a few frames. The light was intense and the use of the different ND Grads, sometimes as a stack, rendered every frame very different. What has made this image special is the water in the river has turned back to its natural flood state. Not the dark green usually viewed because of the dam upstream. Over the years I have printed several of these in very different ways. This one has stood the test of time and will find a new home closer to the source very soon!

"As I said earlier, looking back is always important when we're moving forward. As the prospect of a new home for me, my photo business and my prized images comes closer, it's exciting to reflect and speculate. After all... it's why I do this!"

Steve's new location is expected to inspire a few more workshops in the coming year, including Glacier National Park in August, and Monument Valley in October. Look for more news and information on Steve's website in the weeks to come, and as always, you'll find a vast collection of inspiring images to enjoy.

Steve Kossack captures the grand scale of the Grand Canyon

Anyone who's done a Grand Canyon workshop with Steve Kossack soon realizes that very few people have as much familiarity with the terrain and history of this natural wonder. "The Grand Canyon is one of my favorite places on the planet!" says Steve. "I first saw this massive spectacle some 40 years ago, and in my many years of exploration and discovery I've been fortunate enough to raft the river through it five times. I've also been rim to rim from the south to the north on foot, ridden the mules numerous times and witnessed countless dawns and dusks there. My wife and I even honeymooned at the Canyon, and today I live only 125 miles from the South Rim.

"Theodore Roosevelt declared this to be one area that 'all Americans should see' and for inspiration there is no place like it! However the power and vastness of the canyon can be overwhelming, especially for photographers. Light is magic here any time of the year or day, but the mind must grasp the open space and then bring it into perspective. It took a lot of practice before the light of the canyon was also the light in my images!

"Here are two views of a moonrise over the canyon at sunset from the same place with the tripod remaining stationary. The total elapsed time is only 15 minutes but the compositions tell two very different stories. One of power and strength, the other of vast distance and space. When the disc of the moon first appears on the horizon, it seems much larger and the contrast is lower because the setting sun is still lighting the ground. However the 'moonrise at sunset' image I had hoped for wasn't possible due to the clouds on the horizon.

"Since I had to wait for the moon to clear the cloud, I had time to collect the elements I felt were needed into my composition. The snow on the ground and in the canyon indicated the season, and I used a pinyon pine in the foreground to offset the snow. I searched for an angle that would make the near rim slightly higher than the far one. This was important as to not have converging lines that would confuse the eye. Although the far (north) rim is actually a thousand feet higher than the rim (south) I was on, I needed to show separation to create distance between the two. I then found a line from the snow cover on the right (it seemed a natural arrow) across the near canyon wall leading up Bright Angel Canyon all the way to the snow-spotted rim some 11 miles distant.

"I wanted to use the direct light to give a choice of direction for the eye to travel. The first would be the moon itself, now with little contrast, so I brought it in using the tree branches as a target site and cradling it with the cloud bank. I wanted to give a strong base (diving board as I see it) to launch from and the contrast between the snow and rock with dark trees made it all come to life. Leaving enough of Bright Angel Canyon (far distance) gave the choice of following it out of the composition or staying in and moon gazing.

"Using the Singh-Ray LB ColorCombo I was careful not to over-polarize, which could turn the sky too dark and remove the moonglow. With polarizers, a little can go a long way. What I wanted most from the filter was its ability to intensify the red rock at the bottom foreground which was aglow in the reflected light. The saturated green of the trees is always something I consider a bonus with this filter. The direct light on the canyon wall was a problem from the start, so I experimented a bit and determined that a 3-stop Reverse ND Grad, combined with a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad gave me the effect I wanted.

"As the direct light faded, the contrast of the moon became more pronounced but the scene before me was now bathed in a soft, even glow. The areas that were just a few moments ago hidden in deep shadow became soft and detailed. I considered moving to a different location, but I knew that by the time I found another and got set up, it would be all over. Since I did not have direct light to contend with any longer I simply used my L-bracket to switch the camera's orientation on the tripod, changed to a wider lens and figured an exposure. I always shoot the first frame without a filter so I'll have a reference frame. There were a couple of problems now to solve. First was the need for a quick enough shutter setting to freeze the travel of the moon. The ambient light was now very muted. While the moon was not the focal point, it is easy to forget the importance not to blur it. Since I no longer needed to polarize the light, I went with my Singh-Ray LB Color Intensifier filter -- its lower filter factor was helpful in the fading dusk. I also switched to just a 3-stop soft-step ND Grad, rotated at an angle to cover only the right side of the frame to achieve the balance you see in the exposure."

You'll find many more of Steve's Grand Canyon images from over the years at his website, as well as instructional videos, and information on registering for his Death Valley Workshop coming up in March.