My Experience Using Singh-Ray GND Filters, Part 1: Introduction

The Dynamic Range Problem

Most scenes that a landscape photographer would photograph contain elements that fall into one of two categories: bright and dark. For example, a landscape scene where the sunset is the main subject (like Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton National Park above) might include both bright and dark elements when photographed using only one exposure. The foreground (which might contain a buck and pole fence, a river, trees, bushes, etc…) might be dark, while the sky (containing dynamic clouds or a dynamic sunset) might be very bright. The difference between the brightest and darkest parts of an image is known as its dynamic range. If a shot has very bright highlights, dark shadows and everything else in between, it is said to have a wide dynamic range. The human eye is very powerful. It has the ability to perceive a very large dynamic range. It can perceive a scene with both bright and dark elements.  Unfortunately, our cameras cannot. As a result, without knowing much about dynamic range and how it works, one would either expose for the bright spots of a scene, or the dark ones.

As one can see, the top image which is exposed for the bright spots in the scene, shows some detail in the sunset and sky, but elements and detail in the foreground are lost (the foreground is underexposed).  The bottom image, which is exposed for the dark spots in the scene, shows the foreground detail, but the detail in the sky is washed out or lost (the sky is overexposed).  In both of these exposures, it would be very difficult (if not downright impossible) to restore the lost detail in post-processing.

There are several solutions to the dynamic range problem in photography:

1. Use the “exposure blending” technique (which I used for my Snake River Overlook, Grand Teton National Park composition above)
2. Use High Dynamic Range Imaging (HDR), a technique which is becoming widely popular
3. Use Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters

Numbers 1 and 2 above require creating several exposures of a scene in the field, and later combining them using computer software (a program like HDRsoft’s Photomatix Pro) in post-processing.  I can do this, and I’ve done it before. However, my goal moving forward is to explore the use of GND filters (option number 3) and how they can improve my landscapes.

Why use Graduated Neutral Density (GND) filters?

Using GND filters, you are able to bring to the camera what your eyes see, both bright and dark elements. This without using any Photoshop or software post-processing. Taking photos of landscape scenes which include moving water (a waterfall or river, for example), can also be a problem if you intend to take multiple exposures to either blend them together or create an HDR in post-processing. The same problem applies to fast-moving clouds in a scene. GND filters help curb these problems. And of course, they help diminish the amount of time spent in front of a computer in post-processing. Flat out, GND filters are indispensable when the need arises to control the contrast range in any landscape image to avoid blowing out highlights, like dramatic skies. Many professional photographers attest to their usefulness and some say that they are among the best investments they have made for their cameras.

The outstanding, beautiful, and jaw-dropping work of photographer Patrick Smith inspired me to look into GND filters, and explore how they can help improve the quality of my landscapes.

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This is the first blog posting in a series of three postings that describe my initial experience with shooting landscapes using Singh-Ray Filters.

In the second posting, coming soon, I describe the filters and accompanying equipment I chose, and attach the filters to my camera for the first time and share.

In the third posting, to follow after my upcoming fall 2009 trip to Grand Teton National Park, I report back on the results of shooting landscapes in GTNP using the filters.

Tagged as: Dymanic Range, Exposure Blending, Grand Teton National Park, Singh-Ray