Making life easier

Back in the good old days before digital shooting one of the most useful gadgets the outdoor photographer could buy was the neutral density graduated filter. Designed to reduce the amount of light entering through half of a lens, they brought the scene into balance by controlling contrast, which in turn gave the film a chance to capture a vista more accurately. Any self respecting landscaper had one in his or her bag. I started out using the cheap and cheerful variety, but soon found that in a fairly short period of time the dyes in the filter would fade, the result being skies more akin to those of a nuclear winter rather than the pastoral scene I was trying to record for posterity.

Although I did eventually replace them with something more professional  - and continued to use them with digital shooting - once I started editing with Adobe Camera Raw - and later - Adobe Lightroom, they tended to be left behind on photographic sessions. After all, gradients can easily be added in post production, right? Well, yes, but it isn't the same, and the less retouching the better for the quality of the final image. Quite why it was today that I decided to dust-off "the grads" I have no idea, but I'm glad I did as they make life so much easier in the field. I suspect a resurgence.


12-24mm f/4 AF-S Nikkor. 1/80 second at f/11. Matrix metering. 0.9 soft graduated Lee ND filter. Monopod. ISO 400



© 2015

Afterglow after sunset...

The storm that hit the northern parts of the UK didn't make it as far south as the forecasters said it would, although there was widespread flooding in low-lying areas due to the high tides that coincided with the storm front. Although the waters were higher than the storm of 1953 - which claimed hundreds of lives through drowning - the improved sea defences (as a result of the disaster), did their job admirably.

It was not clear if travel was going to be a good idea for my return trip, today, but the high winds never materialised in the southern counties, and the drive back to Dorset was not in any way a risk.

The sky looked good once I arrived home, and having checked the tide tables (a low one was due for early evening), I decide that an hour or so of late afternoon photography would be a nice way to round-off a very pleasant stay with Nic. The predicted low tide will occur in darkness, so I know I won't get the full effect, but all the same I hold off from making photographs until the sun has set. Once again the 10 stop ND filter is being used to create long shutter speeds, which makes the most of the afterglow. It only lasts for a few minutes, but I feel that I have what I came for. Lucky me.


12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor. 60 seconds at f/11. ND1000 filter. Tripod and remote release.



© 2013

The big stopper...

Every once in a while a photographer will add something to the arsenal of gadgets and lenses that takes image making to another level for him or her. It is almost a year to the day that I first thought about buying a "big stopper": a ND1000 neutral density filter and actually getting one. I'm glad I did.

Such filters are almost opaque, and they prevent 10 stops of light from getting through the lens and on to the sensor. Quite why anyone would want that might be a mystery to some. After all, it's all about the light, isn't it? Well, yes, but being able to control the amount to such a degree opens up all sorts of creative possibilities.
So, armed with this new gadget I set off to the local pier to learn how to use it.

It is a grey day - ideal for what I have in mind - although the leaden sky does break as soon as I arrive, but no matter. It will all add to the effect. It is very time consuming to shoot with such a device on the front of the lens since once it is attached nothing can be seen through the viewfinder, and I have to unscrew it every time I change composition. Still, no bad thing as it slows me down and allows me to work in a more thoughtful way. Of course, a tripod is a must with this type of shooting.

Everything has to be done in manual mode - from meter reading to focusing - then the necessary filter factor applied to get a good exposure. Despite all that light being prevented from getting into the lens I am still forced to stop down the lens much further than I would like, due to diffraction, but for today's purposes I will let it go.

For a first attempt I was rather pleased with the results, and coupled with my renewed interest in monochrome imaging it has opened up new horizons for my photography. Which, let's face it, can be no bad thing.


12-24mm f/4G AF-S Nikkor.

Top: 16 seconds at f/22. ISO 160
Right: 50 seconds at f/22. ISO 200

Manual focus and metering. Exposures timed by my watch. Tripod and remote release. Mirror lockup in bulb mode.



© 2013