The team at NiSi are very excited to chat with the very talented Chris Crosby – Southern Californian based NiSi USA Ambassador , professional photographer & photography educator.
Learn more about Chris and his photography journey below as he answers a series of questions, and allows us to showcase some of his personal favourite images.
Chris Crosby Bio
Chris is a photographer and educator based in Long Beach, CA. It is a desire to teach, love for the outdoors, and photography which resulted in his role as a landscape photographer and educator. When not sharing his photography knowledge he can be found exploring nature’s beauty in his endless search for perfect light and discovery.
Chris can be found providing workshops to help others improve their craft in the Southern California Area and beyond. Sharing has always been in his blood, passed down from his mother’s teaching, which continues today through Chris. Sharing is really what life is all about. Nothing experienced is really worth it, unless shared with others. Chris is also passionate about social responsibility and good practices while experiencing our natural lands and parks. When not teaching or shooting, Chris provides professional services such as, session, weddings, real estate and content creation.
Southern California Coastline – USA
Captured with NiSi Landscape CPL and NiSi Natural Night Filter
This gem of a tower on the Southern California coastline provides a fairytale-like atmosphere and this day helped enhance it. With my fingers crossed I made my way down one afternoon with the hopes that sky might explode and boy did it ever. As the color started to get really good I waited patiently for the right wave to crash over the rocks in the foreground. I used a 3 stop soft grad and rotated it towards the left to help balance the exposure of the sky. The grad also helped to slow my shutter speed down so that I could capture the water motion in a way that helps the viewer experience the power of the wave and the texture it makes.
Q&A with Chris Crosby
Question 1. What excites you about photography?
Answer – There are two things that excite me most about photography. First, the thrill of the chase. Nothing gets me going like the thrill of chasing a great photography moment. There are times when I wait for just the right conditions to come together. When the “stars” align, there is nothing more rewarding. Second, I love teaching others and seeing a client’s face light up with joy after learning a new technique or just capturing a great moment. Seeing my students succeed really excites me.
Question 2. What NiSi products do you use and how has it enhanced your photography?
Answer – I currently use the V6 System with 10, 6 and 3 stop ND filters. I also have a 3 stop soft grad , reverse grad, natural night filter and enhanced CPL. The NiSi line of filters and holders has helped not only my workflow, but also my quality of work. First, the filter holder and assortment of filter pouches make the use of the system very fast. I’m able to add or remove my filters quickly due to the ease of access and ease of use. The filter pouches keep everything in one small package and strapping my pouch to my tripod helps me to be hands-free when adding, removing and changing filters. They also slide in and out of the holder easily without falling out. Second, the filters have amazing optical quality when it comes to color and detail. As a landscape photographer I never want to sacrifice accurate color and detail. When I use my NiSi filters they perform as my camera would without them.
Question 3. If you could take only one NiSi filter with you on a shoot what would it be?
Answer – This is a tough question, but if I was on a deserted island I would probably bring my graduated filter with me. I use my graduated filter often when shooting seascape sunsets locally in Los Angeles. My grad is an essential tool to helping capture water motion with one shot, by reducing the dynamic range of the photo to be captured in one shot. Shooting seascapes without it would be very difficult for me.
Question 4. What is the one thing that you have learned about photography that you would love to share with others?
Answer – If I had to choose one thing to share it would be to push yourself outside of your comfort zone and to learn new things.. I find myself and others becoming comfortable with the photography and the set of skills we have procured. We often get stuck in a rut by looking at things in the same way, shooting with the same techniques, and editing with the same mentality. The more you push yourself to go outside of your comfort zone, the more your photography arsenal will grow. I’ve found that oftentimes the next big thing for you to learn and grow from is the one that you’ve been avoiding due to lack of comfort. Push yourself to try and learn new things that you’ve been too afraid to face. More often than not you’ll find yourself saying, “I wish I had tried that sooner.”
Southern California – USA
Captured with NiSi Enhanced CPL + 3 Stop Soft Graduated ND Filter
After a wet winter the Southern California landscape comes alive with wildflowers. This shot was focused stacked while using the NiSi Enhanced CPL and 3 stop soft grad. While focus stacking helped to preserve the large depth of field, the CPL and Grad helped to preserve the exposure and color. The CPL helps to cut down the reflected light of the grass and flowers. The grad filter helped to keep the foreground and sky exposure balanced. I find that a CPL is one of the best tools for any landscape photographer.
Oregon – USA
Captured with Taken with NiSi Landscape CPL and 3 Stop ND
For this image I utilized my enhanced CPL and a 3 Stop ND. The CPL helped to cut through the reflection of the water and also make the lush green foliage pop with color. Even in the shade of the mountain, the CPL really helps to bring colors to life. I used a 3 stop ND to slow my shutter speed to where I was getting just the right texture from the water. It doesn’t take a very strong ND to get a great effect in the water. Infact, I recommend a lazy shutter of 1/5th to 2 seconds when I shoot waterfalls. With the fast moving water it’s really all you need.
Eastern Sierra Nevada – California, USA
Captured with NiSi Enhanced CPL
This image is a favorite image from Eastern Sierra Nevada mountains in California. I’m usually a fan of grand scenes, but this intimate capture really spoke to me while meandering through the aspen groves. I used my zoom lens to push into the grove and then applied my enhanced CPL to help remove the reflected back light from the grass and the foliage. I find myself enjoying these intimate moments more and more because they are usually more unique than the grand scenes that are over shot. Are you a grand scene shooter or do you like to shoot intimate scenes? Regardless, the CPL is a game changer in making plants and foliage pop in your scene
Yosemite National Park – USA
Captured with NiSi 3 Stop Soft Graduated ND
This image is one of my favorite winter shots from Yosemite National Park. After spending many days waiting for winter storms to clear my friends and I were blessed with this amazing sunrise. It has to be one of the best sunrises I’ve ever witnessed and it couldn’t have been more perfect to experience it with a winter view of the valley floor. This shot was taken with a 3 stop soft grad to help balance the bright sky against the valley floor.
To learn more about Chris and to follow him on social media please check out the links below –
Website – https://www.chrisewencrosby.com/
Instagram – @cecphotos
Facebook – Chris Crosby on Facebook
