Search results for: photography tips solutions what is a graduated neutral density filter
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by Mathew Malwitz · Posted
As you begin to experiment with exposure, you’re likely to find many creative tricks. For example, one of the most visually stunning compositions you can capture is one where moving water is blurred while the rest of the scene remains tack sharp. You know the look. It’s a much sought-after effect that is quite easy to capture, once you know how. In order to achieve this look, your exposure must go on for a
by Allan Weitz · Posted
If wanderlust is starting to get the best of you, consider upgrading your camera gear before heading out on your next outdoor adventure.
1. Clean Your Gear
Your first order of business should be to make sure your camera bodies and lenses are clean and in proper working order. To learn more about cleaning and optimizing the performance of your cameras, camera sensors, lenses, and other photo essentials, refer to the tips I offer in
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Specular out-of-focus highlights have appeared in photographs since the first photos were taken through lenses. In 1997, Photo Techniques magazine introduced the word “bokeh” to the photography world’s vernacular and the out-of-focus areas of photographs have been scrutinized ever since. Before the term, there was certainly discussion about the aesthetics of the out-of-focus specular highlights of a photograph, but until 1997, there wasn’t a good word in the English language to describe the phenomenon. Credit goes to Mike Johnston, article
by Jason T. · Posted
I recently wrote an article about metering for landscape photography, in which I discussed some of the general guidelines I use for shooting high-contrast scenes. Among other things, I noted how it's better to underexpose a high-contrast landscape scene than to overexpose it, due to the fact that our cameras are so good at recovering shadows, and so bad at recovering highlights. But what if the dynamic range in the scene is too
by Allan Weitz · Posted
For many people, the word “landscape” typically conjures up images of snow-capped mountains, mighty rivers, and flower-covered meadows awash in the light of golden sunsets. But what if these photo utopias are beyond the bounds of a reasonable driving distance? What if your choices of places to photograph is limited to your immediate neighborhood or town? Are you skunked when it comes to landscape photography? The answer is, “No, not at all.”
Photographs © Allan Weitz 2021
Let’s start by defining our goal. A random Google check for a definition
by Todd Vorenkamp · Posted
Raise your hand if you, like me, have arrived at a scenic vista and, standing next to the brown sign with a camera on it, have stood exactly where we were supposed to, raised our cameras to eye height, looked though the viewfinder, and taken the perfect postcard shot. While there is nothing wrong with that approach to landscape photography, there are a few techniques that you can employ to give your photographs a bit more visual appeal and, more importantly, make them stand apart from the image(s) you might have remembered when I asked you to
by Jill Waterman · Posted
Each autumn, as the days get shorter and the weather cools, chlorophyll production slows in hardwood trees and bushes, causing leaves to lose the vibrant green of summer. As these conditions overtake the map, nature puts on a brilliant show of color in many parts of the United States. The changing of the leaves follows a rough pathway from north to south, starting in early September and often lasting into November in southern locales.
Above photograph: Colorado Gold, Maroon Bells Scenic Area © Bryan Carnathan
Fall foliage season is a big draw
by Mary Latvis · Posted
When I’d perform a camera package checkout as a camera assistant, if there was any chance that we’d be shooting outside during the day, guess which filters I would add to the order? Neutral Density filters (aka NDs)! Even if they were not part of the original order, any production office coordinator (P.O.C.) worth their salt would approve this addition by the A.C. Read on to discover why, next to a polarizer, these are the filters most essential to your video shoot.
Shallow depth of field, daylight
ND Basics
Neutral: meaning there’s no
by Mary Latvis · Posted
When looking to align camera images with what their eye sees, to smooth complexions subtly, or to create specific looks for various scenes, moods, or locations in their projects, experienced videographers and cinematographers often turn to optical filters. When you’re confident about the look you want, optical filters also enable you to “bake-in” elements of your vision, both saving time in post and reducing the possibility of unwanted or unintended “corrections.”
While many filter looks can indeed be replicated or at least approximated
by Shawn C. Steiner · Posted
Not exactly a brand-new technology, apodization has taken off in recent years, with major manufacturers releasing new lenses that use the fancy filters. A relatively simple idea, apodization works without all that much tech behind it. However, it gets tough to explain the effects and potential drawbacks to these optics. Basically, it’s all in the name of good bokeh.
What is an Apodization Filter?
In the simplest terms, an apodization filter is a radial graduated neutral density filter, and it’s usually concave. In layman’s terms, this means
by Peter Ward · Posted
In these days of digital post production, filters are often overlooked as an image-control tool. But there are times when filters can be extremely useful, especially when capturing images from a drone. Common filters available for done cameras include UV, which are typically used as “protective filters,” neutral density filters (ND), which reduce light levels, and circular polarizer filters (CP), which reduce glare and have other properties. Unlike typical screw-on camera filters, filters for drones, in many cases, need to be made for the
by Allan Weitz · Posted
As a working photographer, the center of the universe is your camera bag and its contents. Your cameras and lenses are the tools of your trade. As you may have noted, both are mentioned in plural because just as you wouldn’t jump out of an airplane without a backup parachute, you shouldn’t attempt to photograph an emotionally spiked, non-repeatable event armed with only one camera. The same applies to lenses, too. The many aspects that comprise shooting weddings—portraits, the ceremony, dimly lit environs, tight, crowded quarters and bright
by Allan Weitz · Posted
Seascapes are like landscapes… only more. I say that because just like landscapes, they contain open skies and land masses, but they also contain water—lots of water, and that’s where they differ.
Photographs © Allan Weitz, 2017
A seascape captured at sunset using a waterproof point-and-shoot camera. A number of available waterproof cameras offer inexpensive options for photographing seascapes and
by Bjorn Petersen · Posted
When the term “dynamic range” is mentioned, many people will quickly think of HDR, or “High Dynamic Range.” With this term, and technique, so popular in the world of photography, it is rarely ever considered what dynamic range actually is, let alone why you would want it to be “high.” In short, dynamic range describes the measurement between maximum and minimum values. While not specific to photography, in this article on dynamic range in photography we can interpret dynamic range as the measurement between the whitest whites and the blackest
by Mike Mezeul · Posted
The weather is something we all have to adjust to accordingly with each passing day. Sometimes it’s the heat, sometimes snow, sometimes the threat of beastly supercell thunderstorms and tornadoes, especially here in the Central Plains. It’s on these days in particular that I grab my camera, hop in my car, and drive hundreds of miles to document these monstrously beautiful yet destructive wonders of nature.
For the past 14 years I have spent my springtime traversing the country, from the Texas/Mexico border to Canada, documenting severe