Digital Camera World » camera filters

Seascape Photography Tips: using your 10-stop ND filter for ultra long exposures

jmeyer — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:01:07 +0000

As the sun re-emerges we all start thinking about hitting the beach. For photographers, however, this takes on a completely different meaning. In this tutorial we offer our best seascape photography tips for using your 10-stop ND filter to shoot long exposures that tame the waves and convey a sense of movement in the clouds.

Words and images by Jeff Morgan.

We’re fortunate in the UK, where Digital Camera World is based, because we have such easy proximity to thousands of miles of beautiful coastal scenery, and most of us are within a couple of hours’ drive of the shore.

The advantage of costal photography is that such a huge variety of weather conditions can produce great images; dark and stormy overcast days can look great in monochrome, while puffy white clouds look fantastic in colour.

However, whatever the conditions, seascapes are invariably at their best when taken with a long exposure. Static waves and sea spray become a smooth, milky blur that has a dream-like quality.

Fast-moving clouds turn into impressive streaks that give the sky real texture, and distractions like birds – and even people walking along the beach – simply disappear.

But getting a satisfactory exposure is difficult in all but the lowest-light conditions and narrowest apertures, because effective exposures often need to be several seconds or minutes long.

To achieve this without resulting in over-exposed shots, the level of light hitting your camera’s sensor needs to be cut down using a neutral density (ND) filter – which is semi-opaque to reduce the amount of light without altering its colour.

While these have been available in varying strengths for many years, a more recent innovation is the super-strong 10-stop ND filter, which reduces the light hitting your sensor by a thousandth – or put another way, would increase a 1 sec exposure to more than 15 minutes! These filters are available from a number of manufacturers.

As well as an ND filter, you’ll need a tripod and midrange zoom (your kit lens is ideal). We went to Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall, for a long-exposure Masterclass. Here’s how we got on…

Seaside Photography Tips – 01 Break the rules!

We often talk about the ‘rule of thirds’ and the importance of placing the horizon at the top or bottom thirds of the frame.

However, reflections are the exception that proves the rule!

Putting your horizon dead centre makes for a dynamic composition as we’re creating interest in both the sea and sky.

The rule you don’t want to break, however, is not getting an even horizon. Use a hotshoe spirit level or Live View with the grid display to ensure your horizons are perfectly level.

PAGE 1: Seaside Photography Tips – 01 Break the rules!
PAGE 2: Seaside Photography Tips – 02 Camera settings
PAGE 3: Seaside Photography Tips – 03 Attach the filter
PAGE 4: Seaside Photography Tips – 04 How to calculate exposure (free cheat sheet)
PAGE 5: Seaside Photography Tips – 05 Beach challenges
PAGE 6: Seaside Photography Tips – 06 When to shoot?
PAGE 7: Which filter to use for long-exposure seascapes

Camera Filters: the only cheat sheet you’ll need for beautiful, balanced exposures

jmeyer — Thu, 28 Feb 2013 12:41:51 +0000

Camera filters can be a bit of an enigma for many photographers, both new and experienced.

There are many types of camera filters, for starters, and knowing when and how to use them isn’t always so clear-cut.

Why use camera filters?

Different camera filters, especially circular polarizers and Neutral Density filters, can dramatically reduce the amount of light that enters the lens, and this will have a profound effect on the exposure setting.

The good news is that your digital camera’s internal light metering system – which measures light ‘through the lens’ – will automatically correct for camera filters in the vast majority of cases.

However, a little fine-tuning is often needed, so it’s best to review shots on your camera’s LCD screen, dial-in any Exposure Compensation required, then re-shoot your subject.

In our infographic below we’ve produced a handy cheat sheet that takes you four of the most common problem areas for photographers when it comes to using camera filters.

Our flow chart will show you how to choose the best ND grad filter; how to get perfect exposures with a solid ND filter; the secret to using a circular polariser and troubleshooting the common problems with camera filters.

To view the larger version of this cheat sheet, simply click on the infographic or drag and drop it to your desktop.

And don’t miss pages 2 and 3 of this article, where we discuss the camera filter options available to you and the old question of do you go with square or round filters?

PAGE 1: Using camera filters effectively – free cheat sheet
PAGE 2: Camera filter options
PAGE 3: Square vs Round camera filters

What is a polarizer filter? How to reduce reflections in pictures of water

jmeyer — Tue, 19 Feb 2013 11:30:31 +0000

What is a polarizer filter? Find out how you can use this filter to reduce reflections in pictures of water and achieve stronger colours.

Some images lack color saturation and contrast, and look a little insipid, because of surface reflections. Light bounces off the subject you’re photographing and produces glare.

This can be extreme, as is often the case when shooting water or wet surfaces, and the resulting light areas in the image reduce definition.

Our original shot, without a polarizer filter

Unwanted glare or polarized light can also be a problem with many other subjects, such as foliage and blue skies, making them appear drab.

The good news is that these issues can be quickly and easily fixed by attaching a polarizer filter to your lens. This removes surface glare and makes colors really pop. Here’s how it’s done…

What you need
Polarizer filters come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They can be either a solid gelatin filter that slots into a filter holder fixed to the front of the lens or a circular filter that screws directly on to the front of the lens. Both filter types work in a similar way and achieve the same results.

How they work
Polarizer filters work by blocking the unwanted rays of light from non-metallic surfaces. The amount by which they reduce this glare depends upon the angle of the reflected light. They work best if you shoot at an angle of around 35° to the reflective surface.

How to use them
Approach your photo composition as usual and then rotate the polarizer filter while looking through the viewfinder until you see the glare is reduced or removed. There’s an optimum point of rotation where polarization is greatest, so you may need to tweak the position  to get the maximum effect.

Lee Filters Seven5 Micro Filter System review: is it the best filter for CSC users?

jmeyer — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 14:00:10 +0000

We test the Lee Filters Seven5 Micro Filter System, the new filter kit designed specifically for compact system cameras. Is this the perfect filter kit for CSC users?

Compact system cameras (CSCs) now boast such high image quality that they’re fast becoming a tempting alternative to bulkier DSLRs.

However, unfortunately one area where CSCs still lag behind the good old SLR is the availability of compatible accessories such as filter kits. Seeing this gap in the market, Lee Filters has developed the Seven5 filter system, which has been designed specifically for CSCs.

To get you started, Lee offers a starter kit including a filter holder and a 0.6 Neutral Density hard-graduated filter that’s ideal  for balancing the contrast of landscape shots with bright skies.

The relatively large 75x90mm filter size means they should cover most CSC lenses with ease, while the holder can contain an additional filter should you fancy getting more creative and combining a pair of filters.

You will, however, still need to purchase a separate adaptor ring of the specific size required to attach the holder to your lens.

Lee has a reputation for producing superb quality filters, and these baby Seven5s are no exception. Light transfer through the tinted section is exceptionally neutral, with no colour casting visible to the naked eye (or detectable in Photoshop).

Our only gripe with this kit is the price. To be fair, Lee Filters’ filters are meticulously crafted by hand in England to the highest quality, but £112 is still hard to stomach for just a single filter and a holder.

The situation isn’t helped by the fact that arch filter rival Cokin is now offering an equivalent CSC-compatible filter kit for less than half the price.

Price: £112
Buy it: www.leefilters.com

Score: 3/5

Sky Photography: how to take pictures of the sky that dramatically fill your frame

jmeyer — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 15:00:16 +0000

Big sky photography can give your landscape photos immediate impact, but how do you cope with the obvious contrast issues when taking pictures of the sky? Follow these simple DSLR tips and learn exactly how to adapt your approach to sky photography that fills your frame.

All images by Mark Hamblin

Alongside the latest camera gear, the most talked about topic for photographers seems to be the weather. But let’s face it, we wouldn’t be happy with clear blue skies day after day – where’s the drama in that?

No, what we want are skies full of cumulus clouds, shafts of sunlight, rainbows and the constant threat of a downpour. These conditions create the kind of skies that make landscape images exciting – they stimulate the senses and are one big consolation of the British climate, where the Digital Camera World team is based.

For many landscape views it’s the sky that makes the picture. Without some interest in the sky, the top part of the frame adds very little to the image, and there’s not much point in including a great deal of it.

But the opposite is true for big, cloud-filled pictures of the sky when the sky itself can become the main focal point of the picture. In these instances the land below will play more of a supporting role to your sky photography.

When faced with dramatic skies, try to make the most of them by increasing the ratio of sky to land, filling half or more of the frame for added impact.

Don’t forget the land altogether though. This is still important and requires something strong within it to anchor your pictures of the sky successfully.

The sky can be overpowering, so the foreground or base to the picture needs to contain something visually arresting to bring the viewer’s eye back down to earth.

This could be a single feature such as a tree, mountain peak or river, but it needs to be something that makes an immediate connection and acts as an effective focal point in the lower part of the frame.

Lens choice when shooting sky photography is a matter of preference or circumstances, but a wide-angle zoom is a good starting point.

Obviously a wider lens allows you to include more of the sky, which is usually a good thing and can really help to exaggerate the effect of big brooding sky photography.

It also provides a great sense of clouds rushing towards the camera and a dramatic perspective.

Sometimes the interest may be in a small part of the sky close to the horizon, in which case fit a short telephoto zoom such as a 70-200mm and hone in on a prominent feature in the landscape to set against the sky.

PAGE 1: Why big sky photography carries impact
PAGE 2: Filter the sky
PAGE 3: How to frame big sky photography
PAGE 4: How to cope with dreary skies
PAGE 5: Final tips to help you shoot better pictures of the sky

Using a polarizing filter to shoot the perfect sky: 4 tips for doing it right

jmeyer — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 02:00:11 +0000

Using a polarizing filter in your landscape photography is a great way to darken skies and create images with real impact. These 4 tips for using a polarizing filter will help get you started right.

Polarizing filters have a number of uses, but one of the most basic is to darken blue skies. This can help to enhance the contrast between sky and cloud, making it ideal for landscape or architecture shots.

Using a polarizing filter is also perfect for removing reflections and glare from non-metallic surfaces. This enables you to improve the color and definition in your waterfall, sea and river photos, but it’s also effective for darkening windows in buildings and helping to remove unwanted reflections on still-life subjects.

Using a polarizing filter also reduces the amount of light reaching your camera’s sensor by around two stops, which can either be a benefit or a hindrance, depending on what you’re shooting and the effect you’re trying to achieve.

On the plus side it will allow you to use wide apertures for shallow depth of field effects, or longer shutter speeds for creative blur, in bright conditions. But this reduced light can make it difficult to get sharp results, especially in low light, without using either a tripod or increasing the ISO to compensate.

Using a polarizing filter correctly

Choose your mount
Polarizing filters are available for both screw-in and square filter systems. The screw-in ones are great if you only want to use the filter on one lens (or each of your lenses has the same filter thread), but the square systems are convenient if you have lenses with different threads.

Rotate the filter
All polarizing filters need to be rotated to alter the effect they have on the sky and reflections. Slowly rotate the filter while looking through the viewfinder or at the Live View screen, and stop rotating when the blue sky has darkened or the reflections have disappeared.

Check your shutter speed
Using a polarizing filter will reduce the light reaching your camera’s sensor by around two stops, so you need to make sure that the shutter speed doesn’t become too slow to hold the camera steady. The best option is to use a tripod to ensure sharp results in this situation.

Watch the sky
A polarizer is great for darkening blue skies, but when shooting with wide-angle lenses it can affect some areas of the sky more than others. This uneven polarization will produce unnatural-looking results, so you should rotate the filter to minimise  it, or remove the filter completely.

Camera filters: which type is right for you?

crutter — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 16:30:56 +0000

Choosing which camera filter to buy depends on a number of critical factors. In our latest camera tips video, we run through the different types of camera filters available, explains their pros and cons and which might be the best filter for your photography.

Camera Filters Video Transcript

One of the most confusing aspects when choosing camera filters is whether to go for the round screw-in type or one of the square holder systems. Well, both types have their pros and cons; so let’s take a look at how they work.

Round filters simply screw into the filter thread of your lens. So you need to make sure that you get the right size for the lens that you want to use them on.

This design is perfect for filters that you want to fit onto your lens to protect the front of the lens such as a skylight or UV. It’s also great for filters such as plain neutral density, which you don’t need to move once attached, or polarising camera filters, which come in a rotating mount to vary the effect.

But there are two reasons why screw-in filters might not be the best choice.

First, if you want to use filters on lenses with different size threads you’ll need to buy extra filters.

Second, is if you want to use neutral density graduated filters, which you need to be able to move up and down to suit your subject. This is where a square filter system is a much better option, but there are several different sizes and systems to choose from.

The two most common size of square filter are 85mm like these Cokin P series ones and the 100mm filters such as the Lee and Cokin ZPro series.

The smaller size is fine for most lenses, but if your lenses have a filter thread larger than 72mm or are extremely wide-angle you’ll find the larger 100mm systems are a better option.

Whichever system you choose you’ll need a filter holder and adapter rings for each different size lens that you have.

Normally you would screw the adapter ring onto your lens, and then attach the filter holder. You can then pop the filters into these slots, and rotate the holder for shooting in vertical or horizontal formats.

One final point to remember is that you should normally use the slots closest to the lens first, especially for neutral density grad filters, as they need to be as close to the lens as possible.

6 top filters for landscape photography tested and rated

jmeyer — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 04:00:08 +0000

Want to put an end to washed-out skies? We test 5 of the top filters for landscape photography and find out which will balance your exposure best.

SRB P-size ND Grad Kit

Price: £46
Web: www.srb-griturn.com
Unusually, this high-quality resin-based filter set includes not three but four P-sized ND grads, adding a four-stop ND16 to the usual mix of ND2, ND4 and ND8 filters. This means that up to four stops of light can be cut from the brightest part of an image using a single filter. This should be more than enough for most situations, but if not, the filters can be used together. The filter holder costs an additional £5 and is identical to the Cokin P-series holder. Thanks in part to their chamfered corners, the filters slip in to the holder easily. SRB filters come in a choice of soft or hard transitions; hard is best for clean horizons, while soft works better for trees or mountains. At this price you can afford to buy both. We found the filters are neutral and didn’t impart any colour cast, making them ideal for retaining detail in white clouds.

SCORE: 5/5

Hitech 100mm ND Grad Kit

Price: £71
Web: www.formatt.co.uk
This collection of three filters is available with either soft-edge or hard-edge transitions. Excellent quality is matched by a superbly engineered aluminium filter holder, although this costs an extra £56. The holder includes a front-mounting adaptor ring to enable you to fit extra 105mm screw-in filters or a lens hood.

SCORE: 5/5

Kood Pro Series 84mm Filter System

Price: £12 per filter
Web: www.kood-international.com
These individual Kood filters slot into a Cokin P-series holder. They cost a little more than half the price of similar Cokin filters. However, Kood only make ND grads in ND2 and ND4 options (soft or hard transition).

SCORE: 3/5

Lee Neutral Density Grad Soft Set
Price: £190
Web: www.leefilters.com
Unbeatable quality is assured by these hand-made resin filters. The 100x150mm filter size ensures no vignetting on SLRs, even with ultra-wide lenses, but they’re very expensive once you add the ‘Foundation Kit’ filter holder and adaptor ring, totalling £265. Currently, you’ll also need to wait up to 14 weeks for delivery.

SCORE: 3/5

Cokin H250A P-series ND Grad Kit

Price: £60
Web: www.cokin.co.uk
This Cokin kit contains three ND grads with one, two and three stops of darkening, plus a standard filter holder, so the only extra you need is an adaptor ring, which costs about £13. We identified a little vignetting on ultra-wide lenses, but a wide-angle filter holder is also available for around £13.

SCORE: 4/5

How and when to use ND filters (and what the numbers mean)

jmeyer — Thu, 05 Jul 2012 03:00:48 +0000

Have you ever wondered how pro photographers capture movement in their landscape shots to produce soft, blurry clouds and misty waterfalls? Are your long exposures just not delivering the same effect? Chances are that those pro images have been shot using a neutral density filter (otherwise known as ND filters, and not to be confused with ND grads, which only darken part of the image). These dark filters are designed to reduce the amount of light reaching the sensor in order to increase exposure times, without affecting the colour of the image. But how do you know when to use ND filters?

How to use ND filters

You’ll find ND filters in the kit bag of any professional landscape photographer. However, they tend to be less appreciated by amateurs. This may be due to the fact that, at first glance, they’re simply a plain, grey bit of glass!

They don’t radically affect the image that the camera captures, but merely slow down the amount of time it takes for the sensor to record the image.

But if used when elements of your scene are moving, such as water, clouds or even people, they open up a world of creative possibilities. Freeze a waterfall with a regular shutter speed and it looks static and rather dull; capture the water as a blur and it conveys a sense of movement.

ND filters give you the flexibility to set the aperture and shutter speed you want, rather than what the conditions dictate (find out some of the common mistakes at every shutter speed – and the best settings to use).

An ND filter can be used on a sunny day to slow things enough to create a sense of movement, but they’re even more effective around dawn or dusk, when they can turn an already-slow exposure into one several seconds long, enabling you, for example, to turn a surging tide into a gentle mist.

There are several different types of ND filter on the market. Circular threaded screw-in filters are the simplest to use, but have the disadvantage that stacking them together soon leads to vignetting issues.

Slot-in filters require you to first attach a filter holder to your lens via a ring adapter, then slot square or oblong filters into the holder – the chief advantage is that, once set up, it’s easy to swap filters, stack them or add different kinds of filter to the mix.

A more recent innovation are variable filters, which screw into the lens but have an adjustable outer ring, which you rotate to adjust the density depending on the light conditions and the effect you want.

PAGE 1: How to use ND filters
PAGE 2: When to use ND filters
PAGE 3: Things to look for in an ND filter

Essential accessories

crutter — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 16:19:28 +0000

Buy a compact camera and that’s what you get – a camera. Buy an SLR body and you’re buying into a complete photographic system that can comprise any number of lenses and other accessories, enabling you to build up an incredibly versatile outfit. Some of these can be quite obscure, such as underwater casings for use when diving, but there are plenty of mainstream gadgets vying for a place on your wishlist, and some are essential if you want to take your photography to the next level. Here, we outline some of the options, and explain what each accessory does, and why it’s so useful.

Tripod

With image stabilisers in lenses and camera bodies, tripods aren’t quite as essential as they used to be. But if you’re shooting night scenes, working at extreme magnifications, or you just want to frame your shot with more care, you’ll still need one. A good, sturdy budget model will cost around £150. Select one that extends to your eye level without the need to extend the centre column – otherwise you’re essentially turning it into a less stable monopod. Look for multi-angle legs – useful for shooting in rough terrain – and make sure you top it with a good quality, sturdy tripod head.

Remote release

This enables you to fire the shutter without touching the camera, so you can get sharp results when using slow shutter speeds. Ensure the remote has a lock function, so you can take long exposures at night without having to keep the button pressed. Remotes are camera-specific, so be sure to buy one that’s compatible.

Flashgun

For good flash photography with an SLR, invest in a decent flashgun. Third-party models are available, but to make full use of your camera’s advanced features it’s best to buy a flashgun from the same manufacturer. Look for a head that you can tilt and swivel, as this will enable you to bounce the light off ceilings and walls.

Camera bag

A protective bag keeps your camera and other accessories safe. Backpacks are ideal when you’re travelling long distances, although shoulder bags give you quicker access to your gear. Try to find a bag with more compartments than you’ll need, so that your gear can expand into it as your collection grows.

Vertical grip

Vertical grips enable you to fit two batteries into your camera, providing extra shooting capacity. And with an extra shutter-release button and other key camera controls, they can make it easier and more comfortable to use the camera vertically. Some models also increase the camera’s continuous drive rate.

Microphone

Anyone that’s serious about recording high-quality video using an SLR will have a camera with a microphone input socket. This allows you to get much higher quality audio than relying on the camera’s built-in mic. There are many third-party hotshoe-mounted mics to choose from, although Rode mics are popular.

Filters

To protect your lens from scratches, fit a UV or Skylight filter – Hoya specialise in these. There are also three creative filters that you might like to consider:

A circular polariser, used to minimise reflections on water and glass, and make clouds stand out in blue skies
ND grads, used to balance exposures in landscapes when the sky is much brighter than the foreground
NDs (or ‘straight NDs’), used to achieve long exposure times and motion-blur, especially in running water

Memory cards

Memory cards with large storage capacities, such as 32Gb, enable you to capture masses of photos and video clips. However, do consider multiple, medium-capacity cards for important events such as weddings and holidays. That way, if a card develops a fault (rare, but it does happen), you won’t lose everything you’ve shot.

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