The neutral density filter is one of the most versatile filters in your camera bag. Here is why it is such a vital piece of camera gear to get stunning landscape photography!
Photo Tip - using the neutral density filter. ND filters are used to block light coming into the lens so that we can have longer exposure times than the available light would allow without the filter. As a piece of landscape photography camera gear,
it is indispensable.
I've written about ND filters in a previous article and this one will build on that!
Let's review… To explain how a neutral density filter works, I used an old standby, the waterfall - shot on a bright and sunny day.
By the way - Angel Falls in Venezuela is the world's highest waterfall, at 979 meters. This waterfall is sixteen times the height of Niagara Falls.
Imagine shooting that! Actually, don't imagine it... set a goal and find a way to go do it!
With the available light, we may have a fast shutter speed that will freeze every droplet in place. If that is what we want, great!
What if we want that long and silky cotton candy effect we see so often?
To do that, we need a longer exposure time. That's where the neutral density filter comes in. It blocks light entering the lens and allows for the longer exposure times needed.
ND filters come in various filtration densities and can be stacked to get to the exposure times we want.
This works on water flowing in a river too! Fast shutter speeds freeze the water - slow shutter speeds make it a long silky cotton candy string.
If you live near the ocean, try going to the beach and shooting the waves as they crash onto the shore. With enough ND filters, you can totally flatten them out and make it look like there were no waves at all! Toss in a dramatic sky and you have a contest winner for sure!
Today we will delve even further into the neutral density filter.
In previous articles I've written that the best time of day for landscape photography is at dawn and dusk. That will give us the most beautiful light on our subject.
But there is a problem. Because of the dramatic difference in light (on the ground vs. in the sky) at that time of day, half your photograph is improperly exposed!
If our subject is the dramatic cloud formations in the sky, that's great. We make them the star. We expose for all the light in the sky, but that makes the ground go dark. (The ground is under exposed.)
If our star is the ground, we expose for the minimal light on the ground, but that lets the sky get blown out. (The sky is over exposed.)
How can we shoot at the best times of day, still have a star in our photo - either the ground or the sky - but not have the rest of the photo be improperly exposed?
Enter the split neutral density filter!
This is a filter where half of it is clear and the other half is a neutral density filter. They come in various degrees of density and the dividing line can be sharp or a gradual fade.
This way we can hold back some of the light in the sky and not affect the light on the ground.
All you need to do is determine what the amount of difference there is in exposure value between the sky and the ground - then add enough ND light blockage to the sky to make them the same!
Since it is "neutral" it will not take away any of the colors or drama in your shot… it just cuts back on the light being admitted to the lens.
Adding neutral density filters to your landscape photography arsenal it vital. They are an essential piece of camera gear that you should never leave home without - if you want to put some of the "WOW" factor into your landscape photography. For more information, check the resource box!
