There’s nothing likea stormyskyforinjecting
dr ama and impact into your images. To exaggerate
the effect, add an ND grad filter to the front of
your lens. This limits how much light reaches
the sensor from the top portion of the frame to
produce darker, moodier skies. You’ll need a filter
holder and adapter ring to attach your grad.
Before purchasing, check that the filters are
suitable dimensions for the sensor size of your
camera and the focal length you plan to shoot at.
This is usually not made clear, so a call to the shop
or manufacturer is recommended if you’re unsure.
There are several different filter strengths and
gradient hardnesses to choose from. If you only
buy one, a medium or soft ND4 (2-stop) grad is
a good option. Once on the camera, adjust the
filter up or down in the holder until the gradient
covers the sky. If you don’t own filters, you can
mimic their effect in Adobe Camera Raw or any
other processing software using the Gradient Tool.Above Move the filter up or down in the holder until it covers most or all
of t he sky. Activate Live View to see the effect on the LCD in real time.
Use an ND grad to create dramatic skies
PracticalPhotograPhy.com 73capture rain
Rain creates a hazy
background for depth.tip
add extra
contrast
On cloudy days, flat light can
limit the visual impact of
your shots. Add punch by
increasing contrast in
Photoshop.