How to Use a Graduated Neutral Density Filter
A graduated neutral density filter is a camera lens filter that limits the amount of light that reaches the camera by shading part of the lens. Neutral density filters are commonly used in landscape photography because the brightness of the sky exceeds the brightness of the ground. To avoid having the sky appear white because too much light is hitting the camera, or having the ground appear black because too little light hits the sensor, a graduated neutral density filter is used to limit the light from the sky.
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Instructions
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Use the spot meter to determine brightness of the sky and ground.
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Figure out the number of stops difference between the sky's brightness and the ground's brightness to determine the strength of the neutral density filter you want to use. If you are between two stops, you should usually use the less drastic filter. For example, if you have a difference of 2.5 stops, you will usually be better off using a two-stop filter than a three-stop filter.
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Slide the graduated neutral density filter over the camera to the horizon line. This is much easier if you use a tripod because the camera's position is fixed. When fixing the position of the filter, you should err on the side of fixing the position too low.
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Take a photo. On a digital camera, you will immediately be able to review the results so you can make any necessary adjustments before shooting again.
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Tips & Warnings
To get a better idea of where the neutral density should be placed, change your camera's aperture to a small aperture and stop down the view of the camera to make the transition between the shaded and unshaded part of the filter obvious. "Stopping down the view of the camera" refers to pushing a button that adjusts the image you see through the lens for the current aperture setting. When the button is not pressed, the view you see uses the lens's widest aperture setting rather than the camera's current setting.
References
- Photo Credit Temerlyk image by Ilya Postnikov from Fotolia.com
