# OK this ND Grads are defo a requirement after all



## Mr Mike (Oct 2, 2007)

Ok these are not great but considering i am now holding all 3 filters by hand in front of the adapter (for those who dont know the holder is coming tomorrow) and until last night not used manual mode i think I have done not too bad.

Looking at my results in less than 24hrs is putting a smile on my face 

1.









2.









3.









Mike


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## byrnes (Jul 15, 2008)

I love the 2nd one! and the last one is nice too, but just doesnt look quite 'real' enough.

What are the filters you used?


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## Mr Mike (Oct 2, 2007)

byrnes said:


> I love the 2nd one! and the last one is nice too, but just doesnt look quite 'real' enough.
> 
> What are the filters you used?


Yeah i think there is something off with 3 too, almost HDR'ish or something but not much prcessing was done so not sure why it like that although i still like it.

I just bought the Hitech filters yesterday but the holder hasnt arrived yet so i am holding them. I bought the set of three 1, 2 and 3 stop soft edge ND grad kit, just a little tricky trying to hold them and work the camera lol


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Mr Mike said:


> Yeah i think there is something off with 3 too, almost HDR'ish or something but not much prcessing was done so not sure why it like that although i still like it.


I like them, but to me all three have the appearance of (mild) HDR about them.

I notice that they are hosted on photobucket, never used it myself but don't they mess with the photos - change the JPEG quality/compression? Maybe that's exaggerated as they are high-contrast pics.

Can you post details of the filters you've got and where you bought them please? :thumb:

One other thing, ND grads can give a magenta tint to digital photos - doesn't happen with film so it's something to do with the sensor - and the more stops yo use the more noticeable it is. If you've corrected for this in PS could that have an effect on the overall photo?


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## Neofolis (Jun 10, 2009)

ND Grads are often the only way to get decent exposure on the sky and foreground without combining images, unless you are using film, which has a higher dynamic range, but I always find the results very un-natural looking.

Certainly a very dramatic effect though.


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## Mr Mike (Oct 2, 2007)

parish said:


> I like them, but to me all three have the appearance of (mild) HDR about them.
> 
> I notice that they are hosted on photobucket, never used it myself but don't they mess with the photos - change the JPEG quality/compression? Maybe that's exaggerated as they are high-contrast pics.
> 
> ...


The fllter kit i bought shown on link below...
http://www.teamworkphoto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10288

I decided to purchse the Hitech due to reports of Magenta tint using the cokin filters, i have order the Cokin P adapter and holder as these filters are compatible and they way cheaper than the Hitech ones.

I have just noticed the camera is on vivid mode so everything enhanced slighty so that may be my problem, i only PP using CS4 shadows/higlights so it maybe that to blame.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Mr Mike said:


> The fllter kit i bought shown on link below...
> http://www.teamworkphoto.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=10288
> 
> I decided to purchse the Hitech due to reports of Magenta tint using the cokin filters, i have order the Cokin P adapter and holder as these filters are compatible and they way cheaper than the Hitech ones.


Thanks - they look like a reasonable price so I'll probably go for those since they don't cause a magenta tint.

I take it you are getting the holder elsewhere, hence the reason you have the filters but not the holder?



Mr Mike said:


> I have just noticed the camera is on vivid mode so everything enhanced slighty so that may be my problem, i only PP using CS4 shadows/higlights so it maybe that to blame.


Shoot in RAW :thumb:


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## Mr Mike (Oct 2, 2007)

Neofolis said:


> ND Grads are often the only way to get decent exposure on the sky and foreground without combining images, unless you are using film, which has a higher dynamic range, but I always find the results very un-natural looking.
> 
> Certainly a very dramatic effect though.


Well i had the HDR or ND Grads threads floating around and decided the ND Grads were worth a go, maybe becuase they are my first few i just slightly OTT on the PP, this will calm as time goes on. I always liked to keep the HDR's looking as non HDR as possible so will try to keep PP more subtle.


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## Bigpikle (May 21, 2007)

these just dont look right to me - I have a big set of ND's in solid, grad etc and none have ever given me that kind of look? Something is causing issues - the greens are wrong IMHO and the blue sky is turquoise?

Just reading above I think you went way OTT on the PP. Just keep it looking natural. All you are trying to do is balance the brightness across the scene. Take it easy on the tweaks afterwards


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Bigpikle said:


> these just dont look right to me - I have a big set of ND's in solid, grad etc and none have ever given me that kind of look? Something is causing issues - the greens are wrong IMHO and the blue sky is turquoise?


Hmm, looking at them again, I think perhaps there is a magenta tint in the clouds - they certainly aren't a clean white (those that are white) and wouldn't a magenta tint over blue tend towards turquoise?

OP, can you post the originals without the PP?


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## Mr Mike (Oct 2, 2007)

Doh! Did a custom white balance last night and forgot to change it today so it still set from sunset. Ah ha least i will learn and remember


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## Mr Mike (Oct 2, 2007)

Bigpikle said:


> these just dont look right to me - I have a big set of ND's in solid, grad etc and none have ever given me that kind of look? Something is causing issues - the greens are wrong IMHO and the blue sky is turquoise?
> 
> Just reading above I think you went way OTT on the PP. Just keep it looking natural. All you are trying to do is balance the brightness across the scene. Take it easy on the tweaks afterwards


I only adjusted the shadows/highlights in CS4 so not much PP at all.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

Mr Mike said:


> Doh! Did a custom white balance last night and forgot to change it today so it still set from sunset. Ah ha least i will learn and remember


Another reason for shooting RAW :thumb:

At least you (and we) know the cause now


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## mazda3_daveg (Jul 17, 2008)

Nice - those Hitech filters work really nice with the Cokin P holder for ultra wide angle lenses:

http://www.morrisphoto.co.uk/ProductDetails~productID~6964~categoryid~167.html

What camera do you have? Hitech advised me to get the hard edge set for my Canon 40D since it is a 1.6x crop factor camera.


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## parish (Jun 29, 2006)

mazda3_daveg said:


> What camera do you have? Hitech advised me to get the hard edge set for my Canon 40D since it is a 1.6x crop factor camera.


That's interesting as my 400D is ASP-C too. Wonder why it makes a difference?


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## Neofolis (Jun 10, 2009)

It's not easy to get ND Grads or HDR to look natural. It's not usually so much a question of colour saturation, but lighting. Obviously the purpose is to reduce the dynamic range so you don't end up with a choice of over exposed sky or under exposed foreground, but once you have achieved this and got detail in the sky and foreground, it is very difficult to correct the light levels to make it look natural.


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## mazda3_daveg (Jul 17, 2008)

parish said:


> That's interesting as my 400D is ASP-C too. Wonder why it makes a difference?


Since the camera is 1.6x crop you are using less of the filter than if you were using a full frame camera. You are in essence 'zooming in' on the graduation making it less defined. I think the subject matter counts for more though as a hard edge will be better for defined horizons and a soft edge if there are trees etc.

Apparantly the hard edge Hitech filters are not as hard as other makes too.


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