July 3, 2010

Fluid Water

This blog entry appeared on the Singh-Ray Blog on July 2nd, 2010:

Focus on Singh-Ray Filters

Showcasing images made with Singh-Ray photographic filters

Colorado photographer Cole Thompson is dedicated to creating his fine-art images and essays in dramatic black and white. A major feature of his work is the use of very long time exposures of 30 to 90 seconds and longer. “I believe that long exposures and water are a natural match. Portraying water as fluid seems so much more natural to me. My Singh-Ray Vari-ND lets me easily explore exposures of varying durations by simply adjusting the density from about 2 stops up to 8 stops, or anywhere in between.

Dark Waters
1-second exposure

“My strong attraction to long exposures came about because of water. I was intrigued by the way moving water looked at different exposures; a 1-second image looked so completely different than a 10- or 30-second exposure. My very first long exposure of water was this 1-second image entitled Dark Waters created on the Blue River in Kansas City.

Lone Man No. 35
30-second exposure

“This led to my photographing water in all kinds of waters and often using a very long exposure to create a smooth, milky white look to the water as in Lone Man No. 35 created in the Honduras.

Poudre River Spillway
30-second exposure

“Each exposure length can create a completely different look. So I’ll photograph the same scene over and over from 1 to 30 seconds to get the right feel. Here is a very simple image of water flowing over a spillway on the Poudre River in Colorado.

Rocks and Mist
30-second exposure

“Another factor affecting how the water will look is the speed at which it is moving and the direction it is moving in relation to the camera. In Rocks and Mist created in La Jolla, the waves were rushing in and out giving the water an appearance of fog.

Rushing Waters
30-second exposure

“Likewise in Rushing Waters the water is often mistaken by viewers as a cloud flowing over a mountain rather than the reality; rushing waters flowing over a large rock near Washington D.C.

Fluid Water No. 6
10-second exposure

“Many of my images are created at 30 seconds, but sometimes a faster exposure allows for more definition in the water — such as in Fluid Water No. 6 which was a 10-second exposure created on the Poudre River.

Primordial Soup
30-second exposure

“The speed of the water and its direction of movement often affect the look of the ‘fluid water’ as in Primordial Soup created on the Oregon Coast. In the foreground there is a very slow-moving pool of water, while in the background the crashing waves of the beach are rendered soft and without definition.

“Getting long exposures during the day requires a great deal of neutral density. I use the Singh-Ray Vari-ND and then stack the Mor-Slo 5-stop ND filter on top of it, giving me about 13 stops of ND. This will allow me under most conditions to get a 30-second exposure in bright sunlight.

“I use the camera’s meter to determine exposure and am very careful to block stray light from entering the eyecup while metering. I usually start with a 1-second exposure and then work my way up: 5, 10, 50, 20, 25 and 30 seconds. You’ll be amazed at how different each shot can look.”

Another tip from Cole: “Turn off the long-exposure noise reduction and use the mirror lockup for exposures in the 1 to 5-second range — mirror lockup is not needed for longer exposures.”

To see more of Cole’s work and learn more about his creative techniques, you’ll want to check out his previous stories on this blog and visit his own website and blog.

 

8 thoughts on “Fluid Water

  1. Cole,
    At the risk of sounding a little dense, on Lone Man #35, how did you get a clear image of the man using a 30 second exposure?

  2. Good question Don! One of the things that drew me to this series was how people became reflective and still upon standing at the edge of the ocean.

    Here is the artist statement:

    Something unusual happens when a person stands on the edge of the world and stares outward.  They become very still and you can almost see their thoughts as they ponder something much greater than themselves:
     
    Where did I come from?
    What is my purpose?
    What does it all mean?
    What is beyond, the beyond?
    Do I make a difference?
    Is there more?
     
    At that moment they are The Lone Man, alone with their thoughts about matters much greater than themselves.  People are affected by this time of meditation and they often vow to make changes in their lives.  But these commitments are usually short lived as weighty matters are replaced with more immediate concerns: 
     
    Should I eat at McDonalds or Burger King and should I try that new green milkshake?
     

    Finding people who stand still was actully easier than one would think..

    Cole.

  3. Good question Don! One of the things that drew me to this series was how people became reflective and still upon standing at the edge of the ocean.

    Here is the artist statement:

    Something unusual happens when a person stands on the edge of the world and stares outward.  They become very still and you can almost see their thoughts as they ponder something much greater than themselves:
     
    Where did I come from?
    What is my purpose?
    What does it all mean?
    What is beyond, the beyond?
    Do I make a difference?
    Is there more?
     
    At that moment they are The Lone Man, alone with their thoughts about matters much greater than themselves.  People are affected by this time of meditation and they often vow to make changes in their lives.  But these commitments are usually short lived as weighty matters are replaced with more immediate concerns: 
     
    Should I eat at McDonalds or Burger King and should I try that new green milkshake?
     

    Finding people who stand still was actually easier than one would think..

    Cole.

  4. Cole,

    Superb writeup and stunning images. Unfortunately, I have not had an opportunity to check in much recently, but when I do I am rewarded!

  5. As you know it was this Singh-Ray item that brought you to my attention. Truly wonderful of you to share your images and ideas; they serve as both creative inspiration and technical assistance.

  6. Cole,

    As someone who works on the water I am a huge fan of all of your fluid themed work and have been a huge fan of your artistic vision for years! I recently purchased a 10 stop B+W ND filter with the hopes of achieving motion blur in the clouds and water during the day. It’s been a frustrating purchase b/c any time I set an exposure length over 8 seconds I get banding across the image. I would imagine the banding (or maybe wide swath of lens flare is another way to describe it) is actually due to my lens and/or the angle it is to the sun but neither my dealer nor B+W claim to ever have seen this problem or have an explanation on how to eliminate it. I shoot with a full frame Nikon D700 while using a 17-35mm 2.8 Nikon lens.

    Have you come across anything like this in your ND experience? Any tips?

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