Graduated
Filters
by J. Ramón Palacios tell
a friend about this article
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COLOR
GRADUATED FILTERS
The
French photographer Jean Coquin, invented the concept
of
creative filter photography, meaning
"creating colors and effects through filtering."
.
When
not overdone, the effect could be pleasing and not unrealistic.
| Images
shown here were made with a F100 with 17-35mm f/2.8D
ED IF AF-S zoom Nikkor from a tripod, on Kodak Ektachrome
E100VS film. This
was my first shot at this particular sunrise, with
no filter, out of excitement; not preparing for this
article.
Evidently
impossible to grab well without graduated density
filters. |
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| At
right, the combination of a 2 and 3 f/stops neutral
density filters plus a blue color graduated one.
I
ran out of filters. The scene lighting was complicated
and needed a fourth one
at a diagonal, to see the foreground before the sun
broke out above the horizon. Luckily a little
later, with more
light, it was possible as shown in the previous page
and with just two filters. |
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These
filters can be handheld in front of the lens of course in
case you run out of slots in the slide-in holder.
I don't particularly like the use of colored filters but
many apparently do. Singh-Ray is the first brand of
choice
of professionals. Hitech is the second, less expensive.
Nikonians pros and advanced amateurs also favor Lee
filters. Cokin is the least expensive. All have a vast
line
of color
and effects filters.
What
do I need?
If
you choose to explore the use of these filters, this
is what you need:
- Lens
adapter (of the diameter needed to screw into the front
of your lens)
- Filter
holder (one slot or wide-angle to prevent vignetting
on WA lenses)
- Graduated
neutral density and/or colored filter(s)
If you can only have one filter
Get
the 0.6 / 2 stops ND Grad as it is the most frequently
used, except for the extreme sunrise/sunset conditions
shown here, where you may need at least another one,
either the 0.9 or even the 1.2 |
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| NEUTRAL
DENSITY FACTORS |
ND
|
f/stops |
| 0.3 |
1 |
| 0.6 |
2 |
| 0.9 |
3 |
| 1.2 |
4 |
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Some
prefer to choose a 1 f-stop and a 2 f-stop because
when combined you have a 3 f-stop without having
to buy it. But then, you will need a multiple
filter holder.
If
you find yourself using most of the time a warming
filter, you may be interested in getting the
combined warming-neutral density ones.
However,
when shooting
RAW, just decrease your Auto White Balance
to WB-2, for example, select sRGB color space and
you willl automatically get warmer colors
like in the recent sample at right, made with
a
single 4 f-stops filter. |
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Can
all of this be done in Adobe Photoshop®?
Yes, but not likely by many of us -simple mortals- because
it requires a high skill
level which could include a very good understanding
of layers and or masks, and quite some time to master it.
Color conversion filters
like the
warming
81A and 81B are indeed relatively easy to simulate,
but to equate the effect of a ND grad may require more
than
wizardry, although I've seen it done fast and most effectively
by Dave
Black, Nikon Mentor and Legend Behind the Lens featured
in the Nikonians Podcast #2.
In
film and maybe more so in slide film, if any highlights
portion of the
scene is blown out it would need to be
invented, so use graduated density filters for better
results. The
same applies for digital capture.
The
theme of neutral density and color graduated filters
is vast, we may expand this section later with the
appropriate
examples, explaining the use of the very convenient Daryl
Benson's Reverse Neutral Density Graduated filter.
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