44 DIGITAL CAMERA^ DECEMBER 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
TOP KIT
ND GRADUATED FILTERSThis type of filter is dark
at one end and clear at the
other. It is used to bring
the exposure of the sky
and foreground closer,
so you can retain detail
in both. Neutral-density
grads are available in
different strengths,
and are offered in both
soft and hard transitions.FRAME UP FIRST
1
It’s important to work
out your composition
before attaching your
filters, so you can judge the
exposure and decide what
kind of filter is required.
When there is no defined
horizon, I tend to opt for
a soft or medium grad with
a density of 0.3 or 0.6.USING AN ND GRAD FILTER
CLEAN UP
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Depending on where
the filter was last
used, it may need a clean.
There’s little worse than
not double-checking to
see if there is any debris
or spray on the filter, then
finding out later that your
shot is smudgy and soft.GET EVERYTHING
IN LINE3
Position the ND grad
into the filter holder
and pay attention to where
the line is between the
dark and the clear glass.
You don’t want to misjudge
and end up with an uneven
match between the filter
and the darker and clearer
parts of the image.NO ND GRAD WITH ND GRAD
SHOOT SUPER SEASCAPESژ
BALANCE EXPOSURES
WITH AN ND GRAD
This lens filter can help you cope with the common
ɀǣɎɖƏɎǣȒȇȒǔƏƫȸǣǕǝɎɀǸɵƏȇƳƏƳƏȸǸǔȒȸƺǕȸȒɖȇƳƫƺǼȒɯur eyes are
wonderfully
versatile. You can
look at a sunset
and perceive the
whole dynamic range. You can
see the brightest points of the
sky and still perceive the detail
in the shadow. Unfortunately,
this skill does not transfer well
to our cameras. This is where
a neutral-density graduated
filter comes in handy.
The ND grad (as it is often
called) is designed to maintain
detail in the sky while
allowing you to expose for
the foreground. This meansyou can avoid those time where
either the sky is too bright or
the foreground too dark.
This can be particularly
useful during either end of
the day, when the golden hour
extends the dynamic range of
an image. Using an ND grad
when you’re capturing water
enables you to ensure that you
can expose for the foreground
without compromising the sky.
When I shoot inland, I’m more
inclined to use a soft graduated
filter, whereas if you’ve got
a defined horizon of the kind
you’ll find on the coast, a hard
grad might be more impactful.O