Graduated ND Filters

[joebranko]

Hi Joe,

One type not mentioned is a Reverse ND Grad. for sunsets/rises, since this preserves the less bright sky above you - I'm sure we had someone here that found them useful.

The reverse grad certainly looks interesting. I will have to give this further thought. Thanks Dave.

WRT using the graduated filter in Lightroom: I have done this also, but worry, with every additional digital adjustment in PP, am I adding noise to the final product?

[Manfred M]

The reverse grad certainly looks interesting.

Joe - I've read about these, but have never actually met anyone who uses one.

WRT using the graduated filter in Lightroom: I have done this also, but worry, with every additional digital adjustment in PP, am I adding noise to the final product?

No. Noise comes from your camera only. The output from any PP software is not going to add noise. Noise will tend to be in the shadow areas, rather in the highlight areas.

You can certainly emulate what a GND does in post, but only if you have not blown out details in the sky. This is the primary reason I use them, to ensure that I get a clean, usable sky.

[joebranko]

You can certainly emulate what a GND does in post, but only if you have not blown out details in the sky.

I know I have blown details in the sky when taking sunsets! And trying to recover them in PP was useless. Thanks again.

[joebranko]

Thanks everyone for your input on this issue. I will be looking for a soft transition 3 stop GND with 72 and 77mm adapters. I will also research the reverse GND further.

[dje]

Hi Joe

I have a 3 stop reverse grad but have rarely used it. I just haven't found the need for it compared to ordinary GND's. I believe that Reverse grads are meant to cover the situation where the sun is just above the horizon. In this situation, you can have very bright direct sunlight in shot (unless it is filtered by cloud) but 3 stops of filtering with a reverse grad will not stop it blowing out anyway.

I don't usually shoot sunrises or sunsets when the sun is above the horizon unless there are clouds just above the horizon. I thnk this shot may have been done with my reverse grad.

Dave

[Dave Humphries]

Hi Joe,

I know I have blown details in the sky when taking sunsets!

Is reducing the exposure an option? (with apologies for stating the obvious)
Is the cause of the blown details due to metering issues?
Or using insufficient Exposure Compensation?

Although ...
If you (also) want a shot with your current exposure to preserve 'foreground in shadow' detail, you could 'bracket' (with a wide exposure range) and combine the shots in PP on different layers via masking. Yeah, it probably is more work than using a GND with practice.

HTH, Dave

[Manfred M]

If you (also) want a shot with your current exposure to preserve 'foreground in shadow' detail, you could 'bracket' (with a wide exposure range) and combine the shots in PP on different layers via masking. Yeah, it probably is more work than using a GND with practice.

Yes, that would work, but shooting with a GND is a lot less work.

[joebranko]

Hi Joe

I have a 3 stop reverse grad but have rarely used it. I just haven't found the need for it compared to ordinary GND's. I believe that Reverse grads are meant to cover the situation where the sun is just above the horizon. In this situation, you can have very bright direct sunlight in shot (unless it is filtered by cloud) but 3 stops of filtering with a reverse grad will not stop it blowing out anyway.

I don't usually shoot sunrises or sunsets when the sun is above the horizon unless there are clouds just above the horizon. I thnk this shot may have been done with my reverse grad.

Dave

And it is a beautiful shot. It could be used as a commercial for reverse GND! Thanks for this input!

[joebranko]

Hi Joe,



Is reducing the exposure an option? (with apologies for stating the obvious)
Is the cause of the blown details due to metering issues?
Or using insufficient Exposure Compensation?

I really can't say what, if any , exposure compensation I may have used in the sunset shots in which I blew away the details. But thanks for that suggestion Dave.