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.

Steve Kossack puts his Singh-Ray filters to good use when he's capturing reflected images

Veteran landscape photographer Steve Kossack has successfully led many workshops through some very challenging weather conditions. "We almost always get our share of great light -- most often at the beginning or the end of the day -- no matter what time of year or location we're visiting. But we all realize there will also be those really challenging times when we need to work with the light we're given. That's often when we learn the most. The best solution I have found for the lack of 'good light' is stronger composition and more creative selection of subject matter. That's why reflected images are a big part of my approach to overcoming poor lighting conditions in my nature and landscape photographs.

"The well-framed reflection adds depth and scale to an image. To be honest, reflections are such a strong element for me that I actually seek them out. There are, however, several basic facts I keep in mind as I photograph reflections. First, the mirrored image will not usually serve effectively as a strong focal point, although it will lead the eye in that direction. I also try to keep the composition as uncluttered as possible -- realizing that almost any mirrored image will tend to be very busy to start with. When I'm showing both the focal point and the mirrored image in the composition, then I keep the exposure darker in the reflection. When using my ND Grads, I'm especially careful that I don't hold back so much of the background exposure that the reflected image appears brighter than the scene itself -- an effect almost never found in the real world.

"When composing the scene above -- with the shoreline in shadow and the very bright, almost blown-out reflected light from the sky -- I realized that the shaded green was rendered dull. My LB ColorCombo helped increase the intensity of the green and provided a slower shutter speed to slightly blur the moving water. The reflected portion in this image was a far stronger element, so I composed the image to hide the fact that there was not much green above the water. Since the focal point was going to be the shoreline, about two thirds of the way into the composition, I took care not to overexpose the reflected portion and thereby risk that the eye would not get there! Remembering that the reflection must be darker than what is reflected took care of this problem. Now all that was needed was a slow shutter speed to add a touch of blur. My 4-stop hard-step Graduated Neutral Density filter held back the reflection as the LB ColorCombo filter increased the color contrast and saturation. Looking for deeper saturation? Nature always provides it in the reflected image!

"In this next image, the rainbow in the cascade was all but invisible before I placed the new Singh-Ray Vari-N-Trio on my lens. That's when the highlighted green on the rocks of the shoreline plants also jumped to life! The success of this image started with the intensification of the earth tones and continued with the polarization that reduced the glare from the rocks and helped accentuate both the rainbow and the foreground. The third and final effect produced by the Trio was to slow the exposure to blur the cascade just enough to hold detail in the water and create the backdrop that would help make the rainbow more prominent.

"Here's a classic example of seeing-- yet not really seeing-- the green trees that show life contrasted against the mostly sterile high-country granite of Yosemite's Vogelsang Peak. The use of the ColorCombo here brought the reflection to life and the deep green of the forest color became rich and saturated instead of muted and murky. In this composition, I was careful to anchor the rock in the lake in order to lend a helping hand to the reflection. Exposure was going to be a problem, but I realized that if I kept the mirrored portion darker, I could use my 3-stop soft-step ND Grad and just let the shadows fall where they may.

"When capturing this image of Yosemite's Mount Watkins reflected in Mirror Lake, a ColorCombo helped in two important ways. The filter's built-in polarizer allowed me to control the amount of visibility under the surface of the water, which was important to tell the story of the downed limbs and the passing of another season into winter. Showing that life will endure until next spring was also achieved by intensifying the green of the distant evergreens. Balancing the exposure was a very important part of this composition. Confronted with a blustery, washed-out sky, the white detail of the snow-covered granite was easily lost. The saturation of the green trees, especially in the reflection, helped to mask this problem. Knowing I would be measuring success by the exposure of these trees, I based my meter reading on them and opened up another stop to give detail. I then added a 3-stop soft-step ND Grad to separate the snow-covered granite from the sky.

"Water is never motionless! Even if it's in a stagnant pool, water has some motion that I usually want to show. A slight touch of motion blur adds to the 'feeling' of water, and a slow exposure is one of the best tools I have for producing such a blur. Starting at 1/8 sec. for slow-moving water, and then increasing my shutter speed accordingly -- sometimes up to 1/500 sec. for big waterfalls -- lets me create a series of variations I can review later in post production. Slowing the shutter speed to a second or more changes the effect dramatically."

Steve is currently making arrangements for a number of workshops, including a trip to Yosemite in February and two in March to Death Valley. For more information and images of many other recent outings, stop by his website and check out his workshop schedule.

For the photographer looking for a worthy challenge, Steve Kossack suggests taking on Big Bend

Veteran landscape photographer Steve Kossack recently conducted a five-day workshop in Big Bend National and State Parks along the Texas Rio Grande. "The state park follows the river to the west almost to the town of Presidio and provides much more access to the river than does the national park. The towns of Terlinqua and Lajatis provide culture and atmosphere that add a tremendous feel for the area in general.

"In today's climate of fear and hostility towards our neighbors to the south, there is little evidence of obvious tension other than maybe an increased number of border patrol vehicles in the park, and this is still only evident sporadically. All this had no impact whatsoever on our scouting trips or the actual workshop experience this year in the park. The greatest challenge for the outdoor photographer in Big Bend is probably the diversity of the landscape itself and how to photograph it! There aren't really any big 'E-Ticket' attractions. No Half Dome or Old Faithful's here. Nothing on the maps or brochures screaming, 'Be here tomorrow morning and bring your photo gear!' It's a land of contradictions. The beauty is distant and at the same time, at your feet -- and in your face! It's hostile and tranquil as well; and the flavor is hot (both in climate and food) and cool (as the distant sunsets take on a blue color cast). The landscape is flat and then jumps out towards the sky, and the sky is crystal blue and fire red! A river runs through it and a mountain range crowns it. At first glance this landscape might be described as underwhelming. But on the contrary, I found it more like overwhelming! And I found myself working hard to stay in the game. My hope was that some of my images would portray some of these things.

"The image at the top of this story was captured at sunset at Sotol Vista, a vast area that's one of the park's scenic highlights. To me, this view is Big Bend. We are focusing into Mexico! The distant canyons are the ones we were visiting and photographing just a day or so earlier. Huge and dominant, they now seem little more than a notch in the far distance. As the light started to fade, the sun was setting in the direction I wanted to detail. This was not to be an easy task. The unavoidable lens flare would either need to be included as part of the image or another composition at a different angle would need to be found quickly. I wanted the drama that the setting sun created, so I decided to fight instead of quit! Using one of the pouches that my Singh-Ray filters come in, I shaded the lens as much as possible while holding the actual filter in front of the lens. This caused some shaking of heads and some laughter among our workshop participants. Fortunately, most were busy with their own challenges, so I escaped serious humiliation. The image shown was produced with the LB ColorCombo and 4-stop hard-step ND Grad.

"This hillside pass in the Big Bend State Park is the steepest grade in Texas and gives a great perspective to the Rio Grande fading into the distance. If the vista from Sotol is the heart of the park, then this is its soul. On the left is Mexico across the river for as far as the eye can see. This quiet wilderness along our border is one aspect of Big Bend we don't often think of. Here again the almost impossible exposure problem was again solved the same way as before. After photographing the scene for over an hour, the shadows were fading quite dramatically and the orientation of the sun became an even bigger problem to solve. Throughout the shoot I kept changing filters. At first in the brighter light, I was using the ColorCombo and a 2-stop soft-step ND Grad. After the direct light had gone, I eventually captured this image by switching to the Color Intensifier and stacking my 3-stop soft-step and 4-stop hard-step ND Grad to render both the color and sky correctly and bring up some detail in the canyon.

"My goal for this image of the hoodoos was to portray the rugged and vast solitude bathed in glorious morning light. As I was coming up to this moon-like terrain in the dark, I felt the need to tell the story of this place with a vast, wide-angle view. After exploring various compositional options, I set to work trying to express that original impulse. The problems to be solved here were many! The foreground was a jumble of eroding sandstone on hillsides strewn with boulders and cactus. Most of the interesting rock formations were small. The 6,000-foot-plus Chisos Mountain range that I first viewed as a focal point were now just a distant ridge if I stayed with my composition.

"The solution was found in using a 24mm tilt/shift lens that helped with all this. The perspective was changed to bring the very small rock formation within just a few inches of the camera, so they could be seen clearly in the immediate foreground -- more upright and bigger. This composition now hid the distance between the shadowed foreground and sunlit background to give the feeling of infinity to the mountains some 10 miles away! Exposure was critical. Too much exposure in the foreground would create an unnatural look; too little would not show the detail I was seeing. I waited for the direct light to hit the left hoodoo giving balance to the one further in the distance on the right. I worked quickly at this point using the ColorCombo and 4-stop Hard-Step ND Grad.

"Here's one of my personal favorites from this trip because it is so different from any other images we captured. Yes, for me, emotion has a great influence on what I will do in any given situation. On the last morning of our workshop we all took up the challenge of a one-mile uphill hike in the dark to a ridge that gave us a view from a direction completely different from any we experienced on our five day outing. This panorama not only stretched all the way to the Sierra Del Carmen mountain range in Mexico, but it also provided us the rolling green gulches of the Chisos mountains at 6,000 feet, This viewpoint had it all. The mountains and deserts, the glow of the morning sky, and the windswept canyons. Foremost among these features was the lush green of the canyon foliage. Green is a dark color that hides in shadows because it does not reflect light. It is also a difficult color to manipulate in post-processing. In this case, our difficulties were further heightened by a soft breeze that made movement yet another problem. The LB Color Intensifier was chosen since it has only a 2/3-stop filter factor which allowed me to use a faster shutter setting. I then added my 4-stop soft-step ND Grad to balance the light in the sky with that on the foreground."

Steve is currently planning trips to Yosemite in February and Death Valley in March. For more information and images of Big Bend stop by his website and check out his workshop schedule.

Photographing along the trails through Big Bend Country is a unique visual adventure

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.