ND filters for B & W photos.. I see these great B & W photos on facebook or flickr and wonder how they are shot. I read where the photographers use ND filters to get the "long shot's"...

palladin188

I see these great B & W photos on facebook or flickr and wonder how they are shot. I read where the photographers use ND filters to get the "long shot's", i.e. 30 seconds or up to 3 minutes to smooth the water and the clouds. That gives the photos that silver smooth look where there's not a ripple in the water or any clouds as it all blends to one or close to it leaving an object isolated in the water like a boat or a pier. Does anyone know which are the best ND filters to use. I've read where they now up to ND6, which they've probably been there for years, and now ND8 and ND10. I'm sure they are great for waterfalls too. What does anyone suggest who photographs this way? Thank you.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

palladin188 wrote:

I see these great B & W photos on facebook or ... (show quote)

Far from an expert, but here's some info. I was surprised to learn that there is no standard for naming ND filters. Different manufacturers use different terms. Basically, some are light, and some are so dark that you can't see through them. I'll see if can find that article I read recently.

As for what brand to buy, that's always the question, isn't it? High price does not guarantee the best filter. Look for comparisons and reviews. Click on (Download) below to see some information.

Here are some links.

ND Filters

http://www.redbubble.com/people/peterh111/journal/4421304-the-ultimate-guide-to-neutral-density-filters

http://www.cambridgeincolour.com/tutorials/neutral-density-filters.htm

Make traffic disappear.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZpNtAXbaNr0

Attached file:
(Download)

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

Using an ND filter, or multiple stacked ND filters is a common technique for getting long exposures during full daylight. It can be used when shooting color, but can be especially dramatic when shooting B&W. There are plenty of articles about the technique online. Here is one that has good technical info you may find helpful.

http://bulbexposures.com/free-long-exposure-tutorial/

BTW, I carry a combination of ND filters (ND x8, ND x64, and ND400) just for this purpose.

palladin188

Jerryc41...thank you for posting those sources. Peter Hill did a good job of explaining about the ND filters. I'll watch the other later. What I found amusing is that since this appears to be the "in" thing, ND filters are a little harder to come by since there might be a shortage. The one point I wasn't quite clear on is the difference between the Grad ND and just the regular ND. I will learn though and thank you very much for your time.

palladin188

Thank you too Photographer Jim. I did a cursory look at the website you posted. I want to study it in depth later. Interesting how the ND filters were broken down per strength. What amazes me here is that people like you and the rest of the posters ALWAYS know where to go to get the precise information that a person is looking for. I really appreciate it.

Also, since you do use these filters do you use a Grad ND filter or just a "regular" ND filter. Maybe the word "regular" filter is not the correct terminology but I'm not quite sure of the difference of them. If using a Grad ND filter does that mean that you don't have to buy as many of the regular filters and that you gradually turn it for the desired affect? Thanks again.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

A graduated filter is one graduates from dark to lighter so for example, it can be positioned on the lens so the sky will be darker and below the horizon lighter. Some have aN invisible line across the middle of the filter- dark on one side and lighter on the other side of the line. Others are graduated (feathered) from dark to light . ;)

Sheila Loc: Arizona or New York

The latest issue of Outdoor Photographer has a number of articles on B&W photography. One of the articles is about the specific filters for B&W, another about converting from color to B&W, what makes a good B&W photo. If you are seriously interested in B&W this might be of interest to you. There is another magazine devoted to B&W that is available at Barnes and Noble but I can't remember the exact name.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Sheila wrote:

The latest issue of Outdoor Photographer has a number of articles on B&W photography. One of the articles is about the specific filters for B&W, another about converting from color to B&W, what makes a good B&W photo. If you are seriously interested in B&W this might be of interest to you. There is another magazine devoted to B&W that is available at Barnes and Noble but I can't remember the exact name.

Yes, I paged through that last night. Some good info.

Db7423 Loc: Pittsburgh, PA

jerryc41 wrote:

Yes, I paged through that last night. Some good info.

I tried a HDR from a single photo cloned and esposures adjusted in LR to see how it would turnout. Wasn't bad but it looks better from five actual photos in the field.

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

Db7423 wrote:

I tried a HDR from a single photo cloned and esposures adjusted in LR to see how it would turnout. Wasn't bad but it looks better from five actual photos in the field.

I've never liked my results from HDR with only one image.

palladin188

Sheila, thank you for your interest in my post. I get OP and did read the article in the August issue. It's all about B & W. What they are referring to mostly are the colored filters. There is a short paragraph regarding ND filters as well as polarizers and UV filters. What I'm more interested in are the "long exposures", i.e. 30 seconds to 3 minutes or whatever time interval it takes to come up with a good or decent photo and one gets those with the ND filters that are also called "black glass." The article in OP stated that most beginners who get into colored "filters" start with yellow. Colored filters simply enhance tonal quailites so therefore I don't think they are what I'm looking for. Thanks again.

OnDSnap Loc: NE New Jersey

palladin188 wrote:

I see these great B & W photos on facebook or ... (show quote)

I use B & W and when I can afford Lee filters...
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/search?Ntt=lee+nd+filters&N=0&InitialSearch=yes&sts=ma&Top+Nav-Search=

alex hunter Loc: New Zealand

I use ND64 which is an ND16 Filter for slow shutter speed, my camera settings I use is Bulb/F22/100ISO/Tripod/Remote control. These are the images I took with these settings.The kaiati falls ones were taken in the middle of the day at 15 second exposure. The Omokoroa ones were early in the morning 1 minute and 2 minute exposures
Cheers Alex

alex hunter Loc: New Zealand

I am having heaps of problems downloading images.I browse and open images and then press send aited till the middle box next door to browse finished and then pressed send again no images have appeared

jerryc41 Loc: Catskill Mts of NY

alex hunter wrote:

I am having heaps of problems downloading images.I browse and open images and then press send aited till the middle box next door to browse finished and then pressed send again no images have appeared

You mean posting images here, right?

Click on Choose File and select a file that isn't raw or very large. I limit mine to about 1200 pixels on a side. If the image is too large, the site will make it smaller, but it takes longer.

You will see the name of the file appear just to the right of Choose File.

Click on Send, and wait. It could take several seconds, but be patient.