Singing Praises for ND Filters

[dbarthel]

[font color=\'#000000\']Fred Miranda has an action for sale that automates the two exposure technique. But, having used both, it's still satisfying to use the grad filter on that Florida horizon [/font]

[MatthewCromer]

[font color=\'#000000\']If you take two exposures, one for the sky, the other for the landscape, you ARE getting the exposure right in the field.  Then you can combine them in Photoshop at your leisure and get the image exactly right.  Is a hard gradient better?  Use a smaller radius with your "feather".  Softer needed?  Use a larger radius.

You aren't restricted to a straight line either!  Which is a very big deal quite often when the "brightness area" is not perfectly linear.

To be blunt, I agree wholeheartedly with Michael's point that there simply is no need for the ND grad filter if you are comfortable with photoshop.  I can see absolutely no reason that a ND grad would provide better results than combining exposures in photoshop in various ways, if you know how to do it.[/font]

[automatic]

[font color=\'#000000\']Yes it would have to be smart enough to not turn everything to 50% grey.[/font]

[Bill Lawrence]

[font color=\'#000000\']I've just started playing with the blending techniques, but so far I like what I've been getting with my work.  I like split ND filters, but where I photograph there is usually something vertical (e.g. a tree or mountain) which I really would rather not have in the filtered area.  The blending lets you avoid those problems.

However, no one so far has mentioned what seems to me to be the best advantage of the split ND filters.  If my wife and I set up for landscapes in an area with people, I set up with my D60 on a tripod, futz with my split ND filter, and people leave me alone.  My wife sets up with her D30 and a tripod, but doesn't have the filter holder on the front to futz with, and people keep asking her to take their pictures with their cameras (she's about ready to put up a sign offering the service for $5 a shot).  So, use a split ND filter, and people leave you alone to photograph.  Either that, or I look mean when I'm out taking photos.  :angry:[/font]