 wildlifetrailphotography.com - Donald R. Curry  Contact Donald R. Curry Donald R. Curry's Gallery |
GND Filter use I just received my first GND filter. It seems fairly straight forward as to how to use it, but I want to make sure I'm not missing something. I am planning a trip to the Rockies in 2 weeks. Since I am a film user I don't want to get back home and find that I have a bright streak across my photos. Do you have any advice or tips on proper use? It is a Hitech filter on a Cokin P holder.
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Sharon Day |
Donald, I wish you had more time to practice. I took a GND on vacation this past summer and had quite a few disappointing shots due to the fact the mountains are not level :o)! You'll have dark areas at the tops of the mountains then it will gradually lighten to what it should be. I had the best luck stopping down my aperture with the DOF preview button. This gives you a pretty good idea of how dark the transition will be. I found this site useful on how to use it. Good luck!
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wildlifetrailphotography.com - Donald R. Curry Contact Donald R. Curry Donald R. Curry's Gallery |
Thanks Sharon
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Mark Feldstein |
Hi ho kids !! Actually Donald, (hello Sharon ;>)) there are a couple of ways to use Grad. N.D. filters. I've got a HiTech system too, although I use their rings and shades so I'm not all that familiar with the Cokin rig. I think that the best way to use them is working off a tripod, preferably one that has some sort of built-in spirit level arrangement. As Sharon abtly noted, mountains ain't level but the horizon is (at least in my part of the country. lol). So, level your camera, look through the viewfinder and level the filter holder to the horizon. THEN, all you need to do is slide the filter up and down in the holder, maybe rotate the camera left to right, up and down but be careful of your horizon line, and adjust the filter to what produces the most pleasing results to you. Now, also remember that the filter can be vertically reversed or inverted top to bottom, in the holder. That will give you a bit denser portion of the filter to work with in the viewfinder and may help you align it with say a mountain range. The bright streak you described btw, could be the edge of the filter which may not have been placed far enough down in the holder and the bright streak is a reflection off its edge. While a ND will help darken the sky, if you're looking for stunning deep blue, why not get one of the medium density HiTech Sky Blue filter. (No I don't get commission, but I did a lot of testing for HiTech / Atalier Systems way back when it hadn't been marketed here yet. They sold their manufacturing to an outfit called Formatt. http://www.formatt.co.uk/hitech/default.php The grad blue sky filter is a bit tricker to set up, you need to pay attention to where the cut line is in your viewfinder but it works well, especially on transparency film. I always try and leave a little slack between the filter cut line and the top end of the scene, and careful of cloud formations. Doesn't do well with those for obvious reasons. Oh, and if you clean resin filters, don't use ordinary glass or lens cleaner. Drop the dime on some resin filter cleaner and make sure to blow them off with compressed air before cleaning. More than you ever wanted to know eh?? Well, I'm waiting for film to dry. Sorry. Take it light. ;>)
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Mike Rubin |
If the GND has a soft edge you have less risk of the transition being visible and remember you can turn the filter holder to position the filter on an angle if needed. Sharon had good advice about using the DOF. I got good results by switching to f22 and using the DOF preview,Positioning the filter and the swithing to the Aperture I wanted to use. As Mark said, A tripod is a must when using these filters. IF you have different values of filters, you can stack the in the holder if needed.They are great for saving a shot taken in mid day sun. You can also get a polarizer that will fit the Cokin holder, this allows you to use it along with the GND if needed. IF you put a polarizer behind the filter holder it is too difficult to turn it. Enjoy the trip!
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wildlifetrailphotography.com - Donald R. Curry Contact Donald R. Curry Donald R. Curry's Gallery |
Thanks Mark and Mike I appreciate the help. The tripod is no problem. When my camera is out of the pack it is on a tripod. I never use it without one.
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