In landscape photography, we often need to shoot on the water or in places where there are people, after the completion of the shooting needs to be processed through the post, but often the post will also lose a certain amount of image quality, is there a way to not lose the quality of the image but also ensure that the water surface is smooth, eliminating pedestrians? Of course there is, that is ND filter!
ND filter (Neutral Density Filter) can reduce the amount of light entering the lens, thus extending the exposure time, making the motion effect presented in the photo more soft and natural, and improve the quality of the photo.
When shooting mirrors close to water, the water will often have ripples that affect the texture of the image, we can make the water smooth and free of ripple interference by using ND.
I used H&Y's ND Filter Magnet Kit for a series of shoots. The kit contains three different stops of neutral density filters, ND8 (3 stops), ND64 (6 stops) and ND1000 (10 stops), as well as a magnetic metal catch ring and a filter organizer bag for long exposures in different scenarios.
In terms of lenses, this set of filters is nano-coated to effectively resist water stains and oil, and the outer frame of the lenses is made of aircraft aluminum to resist drops and wear.
In terms of size selection, the filter set can be selected from three sizes: 67mm, 77mm, and 82mm, each of which enables the filter to be perfectly integrated with the magnetic metal ring. In terms of lens adaptation, I personally recommend a one-time purchase of 82mm caliber filters, we only need to buy 67-82, 72-82, 77-82 filters fixed small to large adapter can be adapted to most of the lens caliber currently on the market.
When shooting next to a stream, the water flow is very big and the water flow will not be brushed and soft when using regular shooting, so we can use ND filter to make the water flow brushed and make the picture more soft and beautiful. In places where there are pedestrians, the use of ND filters for long exposures can reduce the elimination of pedestrians, saving a lot of effort for the post.
ND8 is suitable for long exposure slow shutter in lower light, such as the bluish moments of fast approaching night.
ND64 is suitable for strong light in broad daylight or golden moments, and is more often used on high-speed moving objects such as running water drawing slow doors.
ND1000 on the other hand, is suitable for long exposures in strong sunlight and bright environments, such as mirroring water during the day, cloud pulling in the sky, and eliminating pedestrians.
In my previous shooting, I often used the square filter system, but the square filter system is very troublesome to install, often need to move the camera to install the filter.
After using this magnetic ND set, I only need to install the magnetic metal ring before shooting, set up the camera position, and put the ND filter close to the front of the camera lens to magnetize it, and when switching between different stops of the lens, I only need to gently take it off.
This set of magnetic ND filters uses magnet-to-magnet adsorption technology, which makes it easy to install and remove, avoiding the hassle of screwing back and forth to install traditional threaded filters.
When I'm out and about, all I have to do is put the filters into the included storage bag, which has a compartmentalized design, so I don't have to worry about scratching the filters when I'm on the move.
This magnetic ND filter set + storage bag is also very compact and lightweight, does not take up space in the backpack, easy to carry, and now I will definitely carry this set of filters when I go out to shoot, and it is also a must-have accessory when I shoot landscapes.
This content creation from: Photographer Nemo