 Paul D. Carter |
graduated ND filter use How does one ascertain when one should use a graduated ND filter?
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David Coombes |
Thats a really hard question! I thought it was easy because I know when I use one... but that may not be the same as when you want to use one... You use a ND grad when you want to reduce the contrast range of your scene to work within the limited range of your capture medium. Different films ( and digital formats ) have different contrast ranges and also the filters come in different densities. Also there are no hard and fast rules, you might choose to underexpose a scene so they sky has rich colors and the foreground is very dark. One thing to watch out for with prints is that often the person making the print will tweak the contrast/brightness/levels to something average which may not be what you want.... I think you can tell them not to do that... If you have a digital camera the lcd review is awesome for using a grad because you get instant feedback. I'd suggest you get a cokin filter and a notebook and head out into the wilds and try it. Try shots with and without the filter and write your settings down in the note book. Does this help at all? Dave
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Michael H. Cothran |
Here's how you would determine if you need the split ND (outdoors)- Take a meter reading of ONLY the sky or bright area. Then take a meter reading of ONLY the ground or darker area. If there is 4 or more stops difference, AND you want detail in both, then your split ND filter would be useful.
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