Some people make Christmas lists for their family. It can be a great idea. It saves them the trouble of worrying about what to get you, and it also ensures that you don’t end up with 4 ties, 3 Chia Pets, 2 back scratchers and a partridge in a pear tree (though the partridge might go well with some cheese potatoes and a nice Chianti). In my case, the Christmas list goes something like a catalogue for opticians which, thankfully, my wife doesn’t roll her eyes at (yet). She surprised me with not 1, but all 3 Singh Ray Filters I’d been hoping to someday get.

Along with the ND Polarizer that I purchased from Hong Kong earlier in the year, I now have a basic set of tools in which to take some spectacular landscape photography.

1: The ND Fader Polarizer helps to eliminate reflection, cut down on lens flare, and overall help with the contrast and saturation of colors within the image.

2: The Reverse ND Graduated Filters (ND stands for neutral density; which means they have no color cast) help to bring parts of the photos exposure down. This allows me to expose the photo for the foreground and not have to worry about the sky and sun being blown out and over exposed. It also helps bring out the texture and contrast of the sky and clouds, thereby making a more dramatic photo, even when it’s really just a fairly average scene.

I almost always shoot in RAW, which allows me a lot more freedom when it comes to post processing colors, white balance and sharpness. Finally at the end, I use photoshop to help make the photo pop even more and finish it with my signature. To the left is a visual display of my process and the steps in which I make my landscape photos.