Filter: Neutral Density Filters aka ND

Good Evening,

Today the little ones and I went to Red Rock Canyon. I brought along some ND filters to show what they can do.

ND filters are basically like putting sunglasses on a camera. They darken the whole thing. There are a few reasons to want to do this. Wanting to use a large aperture to have a shallow depth of field, wanting a long or longer exposure time, making flowing water silky, removing people from a busy location. They come in different strengths. Just like CPL filters they can be costly and we can buy one set for our largest thread lens and then step rings for the rest of the lens. Ultimately we want a filter that darkens the frame evenly without adding a color cast.

I did not use an ND filter for either of these images. I was testing a new lens and seeing what I could get out of it. I was planning on taking some water images today but alas didn't get the chance as there hasn't been any recent rain. This does give an idea of what an ND filter can do to a scene though.

There are also graduated ND filters which are used to darken a bright sky over a landscape so both can be seen. They come in both screw on filters and in a square filter with a holder. Just like the regular ones also come in different strengths.

Here is what I shot today with the girls. Notice both are about even on the ground but with the grad ND the sky looks better and not as blown out. For a scene like this I should have had the grad tilted more toward the sun on the left. I tried it but wasn't paying attention and got my finger in the frame because I was talking to children.

As for removing people from scenes I have pictures of them removed but no before shots. If I go to a populated area where people are moving I will get it. Until then see where an ND might fit into your needs. Now go out and shoot.

~Scott

Filters: Circular Polarizer aka CPL

Good Evening,

I thank you ahead of time for your patience, pictures will follow later for this post. This weekend has been busy, I still have to go through pictures from my 5 year old's birthday party.

Today I am going to talk about equipment starting with filters. Let me start off with saying we want good filters. Anything we put in front of the lens alters the quality of the light hitting the sensor. Poorly made filters will potentially degrade the image quality and/or have color casts. Most filter effects can be done in the camera or in post processing. The ones that can't without difficulty are CPL and Neutral Density aka ND, normal ones and graduated ones too.

We are going to talk about CPL filters which have some useful effects today. They can increase the contrast of the scene which can be very useful in landscapes and images with some clouds in the sky or both, limit reflections on water and non metallic surfaces, reduce glare, make flat screen images disappear, and make plants look more vibrant. I have also read that they make rainbows more prominent in photos, I have never had a chance to test it.

Here is the difference it makes in the sky with clouds, darker greens can be noticed on the tree too.

Some out there may be thinking that all of these things are great let's get one and leave it on the lens all the time, there are some drawbacks. A good one is usually expensive, so I recommend getting a good quality one that fits your largest lens then step rings for the smaller lenses. They decrease the amount of light hitting the sensor by a stop or so. The effect isn't as great on an ultra wide lens.

I have used Hoya, BW, and Tiffen with good effect. Get one if you are so inclined and go out and shoot.

~Scott