DA Photo Contest Forum / Photography / Equipment / Neutral Density Filters / Latest Posts

RE: Neutral Density Filters

freeflower — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 07:23:12 GMT

Yes, I think experimentation is the key. Thanks for your input.:P

RE: Neutral Density Filters

ChrisSmall — Thu, 28 Feb 2008 01:13:28 GMT

If you shoot seascapes at night then an ND Grad turned upside down with the dark side at the bottom will be essential at times. On most evenings you will find the white water of the waves (breakers) to be a couple of stops brighter than the sky. Especially if it is cloudy at night. It took me a while to figure that out as sometimes at night my skies would be nicely exposed but with a blown out foreground! The key with this kind of filter is to just get them, use them and try different things. Dont necessarily stick to the rules all the time!..... If people didn't push the boundaries of this hobby then it wouldn't be half as interesting!

Just shoot away, try different things and keep an eye on your histogram.

Chris

RE: Neutral Density Filters

Kiwi — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:58:10 GMT

[color="red"]Thanks Barb for asking the question. And Thanks Richard and Will for sharing your knowledge. Have put this on my wish list also, hopefully will be the answer to the harsh light we have Downunder[/color].

RE: Neutral Density Filters

freeflower — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 09:17:40 GMT

OK good. I understand the concept now. Thanks to both you and Will. BTW Will, I love your avatar. That's the kind of portrait I'd be tempted to take if I were a portrait photographer.:w00t:

RE: Neutral Density Filters

hahn23 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 08:06:24 GMT

It's a rare situation, but the reason I have two filters is to invert one if needed. I have seen a bright sky, dark middle area and bright reflection off of foreground water which needed filtering on the top and bottom.

RE: Neutral Density Filters

freeflower — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:34:08 GMT

But, you can turn them around if you need to, can't you and have the filtered part at the bottom?

RE: Neutral Density Filters

hahn23 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:28:34 GMT

[quote][b]wilrobking (2/27/2008)[/b][hr][quote]These are clear on the upper half and grey shaded on the lower half with a soft transition in the middle.
[/quote]

Isn't that upside down Richard?[/quote]
Yes, quite right. In use, the greyed portion filters the bright sky. I haven't had my full ration of coffee yet this morning.

RE: Neutral Density Filters

freeflower — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:16:19 GMT

Yes, that is one spectacular photograph, Richard. I'm realizing every day how much I DON'T know about photography. The science is as important as the art of it. If you don't know the science, you can't create the art. I've got so much to learn.....

RE: Neutral Density Filters

freeflower — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:11:23 GMT

Thanks for the info, Will. I'm thinking I'll put those on my wish list. I'd like to experiment with them.:)

RE: Neutral Density Filters

hahn23 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 07:10:13 GMT

[color="indigo"]Will said it well.

I use 2 stop and a 3 stop soft graduated neutral density filters. These are clear on the upper half and grey shaded on the lower half with a soft transition in the middle.

My system is Lee. Consists of a lens adapter, a filter holder (which can be rotated) and the filters themselves (which can be shifted up or down to match the scene). 0.6 = 2 stops 0.9 = 3 stops My front page Signature Daily win from today utilized the full 5 stops of filter on the portion above the middle of the image. Otherwise, the image would have had a seriously blown out sky and detail lost in the foreground shadows.

I have used Photomatix to blend images. It has potential. HDR techniques in conjunction with neutral density filters could be very effective[/color].

Neutral Density Filters

freeflower — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 06:28:05 GMT

I've noticed that Richard uses neutral density filters quite frequently. When do you decide to use one, and what strength is required for use? I have some from an old film camera but never had much experience with them. Are they a good investment?