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• Live View for Focusing

Do you ever have trouble getting accurate focus? It can be touch in low light, when you’re close to your subject, or if your eye-sight is less than perfect. In this short video, I show you how to use live view to improve your focusing.

 

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Video Transcript

Do you ever struggle with getting accurate focus in your images? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and in today’s Two Minute Tip, I’m going to share with you how you can use live view to improve your focusing. Now the trick here is going to be to turn on live view, and then zoom in on the part of the image that you want to have sharp. This is a great tip to use for close-up where you need really perfect focusing, but you can use it anywhere.

Alright, let’s get started. On this camera, this is the button right here (A) that I’m going to use to turn live view on and off. This right here (B) is what I use to move my little zooming square around, up and down, and left and right. You’ll see what I mean in just a moment. An this right here is what I use to zoom in (C). Now of course, on your camera, the controls will likely be a little bit different, but I’m sure you’ll have something equivalent.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
(A) Turn on live view, (B) Move the zoom box around, (C) Zoom in.

Let’s go ahead and turn live view on. Now you can see that I’m photographing a close-up of a flower. Now what I want to make sure is that the thing that’s closest to my lens, these petals right in here, I want to make sure that they’re nice and sharp. So what I can do is move my little square right over the petals that I want to make sure are sharp.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
Zoom box is over the area that I want to be sharp.

Then I can go ahead and zoom in. And I can zoom in by a factor of 5 times or even 10 times. Once I’m zoomed in, I have this little image in the corner which shows me a dark spot relative to the overall frame so I can get some context. That dark spot is where I’m zoomed in in the whole image.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
Zoomed in 5x.

Now that I’m here, I can go ahead and make fine adjustments to my focus to make sure that the tip of this petal right here is nice and sharp. I can check it at 5x as well. If I’m satisfied that it looks good, then I can zoom out, and then go ahead and take my picture.

That’s it for today. For more great tips, come on over and join me at ultimate-photo-tips.com, and while you’re there, don;t forget to sign up for my newsletter. That’s where I share insights and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else.

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time.

 

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• Digital Photography Technique

Digital Photography Technique:
Quick & Helpful Video Tips

Welcome to the home of the Two Minute Photo Tips video series!
This is a brand new feature on Ultimate Photo Tips where I’ll be sharing some great digital photography technique via a series of short videos. I hope you enjoy them! So that you can see what’s planned for the future, I’ve listed all the anticipated categories and topics below. Come back and visit often, as I’ll be adding a new video each week. Enjoy!

Two Minute Photo Tips: Photography Video Tutorials

Contents:

Camera Settings Exposure New video! Composition Technique

Story-Telling Creativity Gear

 

Camera Settings

Before you can practice your digital photography technique, you need to get a grasp on the basic camera settings. Here are a few videos to help.

Aperture Priority

What is aperture priority? In this video, Julie explains how you use it, how it works, and why you would choose this camera mode.

Watch the video on aperture priority

Bulb Mode

What is bulb mode? In this video, Julie explains how you use it, how it works, and why you would choose this camera mode.

Watch the video on bulb mode.

RAW vs JPEG

Are you wondering whether to shoot in RAW or JPEG? Not sure exactly what the difference is? Julie compares these two file formats in a short video, and recommends which you should be using.

Watch the video on RAW versus JPEG.

 

Future Topics:

1. shutter priority
2. exposure compensation
3. what ISO to choose
4. white balance

Exposure

Exposure and composition are the nuts and bolts of digital photography technique. I’ll start with a few videos to help you get a handle on exposure.

Histograms Part 1

In the first video of this three part series, I explain how to understand and interpret the data in your camera’s histogram display.

Watch the video on the photo histogram.

 

Histograms Part 2

New video!

In the second video of this three part series, I explain how to use the data in your camera’s histogram display to correct your exposure.

Watch the video on the photo histogram.

 

Future Topics:

1. exposure = aperture + shutter speed + ISO (+ light!)
2. shutter priority
3. exposure compensation
4. what ISO to choose

 

Composition

Digital photography technique doesn’t stop at exposure. Composition is key to a great photograph. Here, I share a few thoughts on some of the dos and don’ts to help you tell the story you want.

Subject Placement

Are you ready to go beyond the rule of thirds with your subject placement? Learn how the position of your subject relative to the frame relates to the story you want to tell with your photograph.

Watch the video on subject placement.

 

Leading Lines

Direct your viewer to your subject; use lines in your photographs to lead your viewer’s eye exactly where you want it to go.

Watch the video on leading lines.

Bright Spots

Used deliberately, bright spots in photos can draw your viewer’s attention to your subject. Included accidentally, bright spots can be distracting. Make sure you get it right!

Watch the video on bright spots in photos.

Background is an Integral Part of the Image

Never under-estimate the importance of the background in your photograph. It can make or break your image. All too often, we pay too much attention to our subject, and not what surrounds it.

Watch the video on background in photography.

Rule of Thirds

The rule of thirds is one of the most touted rules in photography, so is it ever okay to break it? Find out my thoughts, and see some examples.

Watch the video on the rule of thirds.

 

Future Topics:

1. the KISS Principle
2. diptychs and triptychs

Technique

This section holds a collection of videos on all kinds of digital photography techniques, from how to hold your camera, to photographing holiday lights, to capturing star points.

Live View for Focusing

Do you ever struggle to get accurate focus? Whether you have trouble trying to focus close up, or in low light, or just because of poor vision, this technique with live view can improve your focusing.

 

How to Hold Your Camera

Are you making this common mistake when you hold your camera. It could cause blur in your photos! Find out how to hold your camera correctly.

Watch the video on how to hold a camera.

 

 

Digital Night Photography

Have you ever wondered what shutter speed to use to capture star points, and not star trails? In this short video on digital night photography, Julie reveals the formula to use to calculate the maximum shutter speed you can use to keep those stars looking like points.

 

Future Topics:

1. backlight
2. grey cards
3. photographing snow
4. photographing holiday lights
5. star trails: how to get lines vs. curves, vs. circles
6. bracketing
7. tip to catch out of focus foreground material
8. shooting in cold weather
9. get it right in camera
10. photograph children/pets from their eye level
11. photograph people from slightly above (no nostrils!)
12. find your light first, then the right subject
13. look behind you!

 

Story-Telling

I believe that photography is all about story-telling. In these videos, I share some tips so that you can better translate the vision in your head into a final image for your viewers.

Convey Emotion and Mood Using Color

Color in photography can be used to convey emotion and mood. Choose colors that are consistent with your message to tell a strong story.

Watch the video on color in photography

Include People in Your Nature & Landscape Shots

Do you always avoid including people in your nature and landscape photos? Find out two good reasons to include people in your shots.

Watch the video on people in nature photography

Light and Dark Tones in Photography

Light and dark tones can convey emotion in your photographs. Make sure you understand how to use high or low key exposures to reinforce the story you want to tell.

Watch the video on tones in photography

 

Future Topics:

1. less is more!

 

Creativity

Creativity is the secret sauce that makes your image stand out from the crowd. Here are a few videos with digital photography technique to get you thinking outside the box.

Restrictions Breed Creativity

If you think that creative photos are all about having complete freedom, think again! I think it’s actually about imposing restrictions. See if you agree.

Watch the video on creative photos.

Creative Use of Shutter Speed

Are you confused by what shutter speed you should be using? Are you avoiding the issue by avoiding manual mode altogether? Learn to choose a shutter speed that tells your story.

Watch the video on the creative use of shutter speeds.

Future Topics:

1. creative use of aperture
2. it’s all about attitude!
3. communicating how you feel

 

Gear

We photographers do love our gear! Here are a handful of videos that talk about the toys.

The Virtues of a Camera Tripod

Is your tripod feeling lonely and neglected? It’s time to take it out with you again! Find out two good reasons why.

Watch the video on using a camera tripod.

Using Your Wide Angle Lens

Do you want to draw your viewer into the image? Here are 7 hot tips for using your wide angle lens effectively.

Watch the video on the wide angle lens.

 

Camera Protection

A shower cap? Really?

Check out this video for two ways that you can use a shower cap as camera protection from the dust and rain.

 

 

Future Topics:

 

Next, you may want to watch a video on using aperture priority mode on your camera.

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Winter Photography

Are you planning any outdoor winter photography? I have some tips that you need to know! Here are four things you should keep in mind when you’re photographing in cold weather.

 

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Video Transcript

If you’re planning any photography in cold weather, I have some tips that you need to know! Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and this week’s Two Minute Tip is all about shooting in cold weather. Here are four things you should keep in mind when you’re doing outdoor winter photography.

1. First and foremost, carry a couple of fully charged batteries, since batteries drain quickly in cold temperatures. To keep your spare batteries warm, or to breathe a little extra life into a dying battery, keep your batteries close to your body for warmth.

2. Avoid changing lenses outside so that you don’t get any moisture or condensation inside the camera body.

3. Be careful when you bring your gear back inside, as condensation will form on it. Ideally, wrap it up in a plastic bag, and seal it before bringing it in. That way, any condensation will form on the outside of the bag. Let it warm up slowly before you open up the bag.

4. Keep yourself warm! You’ll be able to stay outside longer, and take more pictures, if you are wearing protective, layered clothing, and winter boots. You also need a good way to keep your hands warm! I use these fingerless gloves with a mitten top that pulls over. That allows me the dexterity to use my camera controls, but also keeps me warm in between shots.

That’s all for this week! Now you’re ready to get outside and enjoy winter photography with your camera! For more great tips, please visit me a ultimate-photo-tips.com, and make sure you sign up for my mailing list while you’re there. That’s where I share ideas and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else.

Happy shooting and I’ll see you next time!

 

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Photo Histogram: Part 2

Are you confused, or maybe even a little intimidated by the photo histogram? In the second video of this three part series, I explain how to use the data from your camera’s histogram display to correct your exposure.

 

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Did you miss it? Watch Part 1 in this video series first.

If you want to know more about histograms, and see more histogram examples, check out what is a histogram, interpreting the digital photography histogram, and histogram examples.

Video Transcript

Are you ready to learn more about how to use your camera’s histogram display? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips. Last week, I brought you part 1 in this series about histograms, and I covered the basics of understanding and interpreting your histogram. This week, I want to show you how you can use that information to correct your exposures. Let’s jump right into looking at some more examples.

In this first landscape, you can see that the photo histogram goes all the way to the right edge, and there’s a spike right at pure white. We refer to this as the histogram being clipped. It means you’ve lost detail in the whites (we sometimes say the whites are "blown out"), and this is not recoverable later in software. You need to correct it in the field and re-shoot the image. So what do you do if you see this kind of photo histogram? It means your image is too bright, and that you have too much light. That means you need to reduce your exposure, either by using a smaller aperture or a faster shutter speed.

Here, I’ve reduced my exposure by 1 stop, and the histogram is no longer clipped. If your histogram is clipped on the left, it means you’ve lost detail in the shadows (we sometimes say the shadows are blocked up). To correct that, you need to add light to your exposure with a wider aperture or longer shutter speed.

Now what about this instance? I have both dark shadow and bright highlights in the same image. Here, my photo histogram is clipped on both ends. This means that the dynamic range of the scene is too great to be captured by your sensor. If I try to correct the darks by adding light, I just make the whites worse, and vice versa.

The only way to deal with this is to create an HDR image, which means making several exposures – some that correctly capture the shadows, and some that correctly capture the highlights, and then merging them together in software. This is the result. And here’s the histogram. Remember, our eyes can see much more than our camera’s can.

Now, all of the histograms that I’ve been showing you have been what’s called "luminosity" histograms that show the averaged brightness levels in the image for all three color channels. Your camera can also split this out into an "RGB histogram" that shows the brightness for each of the red, green and blue channels separately. When would you want to use that?

Here’s an example where I have a completely red image. If you see just the luminosity histogram, it looks like the image may be under-exposed. Certainly, it seems like I could increase the exposure without blowing out any highlights.

However, when I show you the RGB histogram for the image, you can see that the reds are right at the right edge. If I increased the exposure, I would blow out the red channel. That means that I’d lose detail in the reds. That’s why, when you’re photographing something in a single color, the luminosity histogram can be deceptive since it’s showing an average of the brightness levels across all channels. Displaying the RGB histograms separately gives a more accurate picture of what’s going on.

That’s enough for today! Next week, I’ll have the final part in the photo histogram video series. It’s a tip for those of you shooting in RAW mode called "exposing to the right." It’s a way to use your histogram to help you maximize the amount of data and detail your camera is capturing. Stay tuned!

For this week, if you want to see more examples, make sure you check out the other photo histogram pages on ultimate-photo-tips.com, linked below this video.

Happy shooting and I’ll see you next time!

If you want to know more about histograms, and see more histogram examples, check out what is a histogram, interpreting the digital photography histogram, and histogram examples.

 

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Photo Histogram: Part 3

Are you confused, or maybe even a little intimidated by the photo histogram? In the third and final video of this three part series, I explain the technique of exposing to the right, which you should use if you are shooting in RAW.

 

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Did you miss them? Watch Part 1 and Part 2 in this video series first.

If you want to know more about histograms, and see more histogram examples, check out what is a histogram, interpreting the digital photography histogram, and histogram examples.

Video Transcript

Are you shooting in RAW? Do you want to make sure that you are capturing the maximum amount of detail in your images? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and this week I have the final part of a three part series that I’ve been doing on histograms. This week, I want to talk about a technique called "exposing to the right." It applies only if you are shooting RAW, and not jpeg, because it assumes you will be post-processing your images.

When you look at your camera’s histogram display, and you see an even division of the space from dark to light tones, you may think that your camera captures an equal amount of data at each brightness level. It does not! In fact, your camera captures exponentially more data in the light tones. Half of your camera’s data is reserved for the brightest stop of light. That means if you are not exposing in such a way that your photo histogram stretches all the way to the right, you are wasting mega pixels! If you don’t have any data in the top stop of your histogram, then you are not using a full half of your available megapixels. Let’s look at an example:

If I use the camera’s meter to judge the exposure, a light colored subject like this will be rendered as middle grey. If you look, there is a lot of room at the right side of the histogram. That means we’re only making use of less than half of the available data that our camera is capable of capturing. If we increase this exposure after the fact in our RAW editor software, you will be able to see that the image gets a bit noisy because you’re trying to fill in missing data.

If, on the other hand, you expose to the right – in other words, increase your exposure while shooting in the field, you will capture more data. Here, the photo histogram stretches all the way to the right, so we’re making the most of the camera’s data storage. You never want to go beyond the right edge, because then you’ll blow out the highlights and lose detail, but you do want to go as close to that right side as you can.

Sometimes, as in this example, you can see that the image will look too bright if you apply this technique. That’s okay! You should shoot it like this, and then use your RAW editor to reduce the exposure to your taste.

Now, in the final image, there’s room at the right side of the photo histogram, but because I photographed it using the data storage in the light tones, I have captured more data, and will have an image that’s much richer in detail.

That’s it for this week’s tip! Remember, for more explanation of histograms, and more examples, make sure you check out the other photo histogram pages on ultimate-photo-tips.com, linked below this video.

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time!

If you want to know more about histograms, and see more histogram examples, check out what is a histogram, interpreting the digital photography histogram, and histogram examples.

 

• Home
• Photo Challenges
• December 2012

Photo Challenges:
December 2012

"Two’s Company"

Last month, I used "One Is the Loneliest Number" as your challenge topic. It only makes sense that this month, we have "Two’s Company!"

We’re looking for images with two of something — anything you want — but keep in mind the rest of the title: "Company." Your goal is that the two elements in the photo tell the story of keeping each other company. Have fun with it! I can’t wait to see what you come up with. You can find a few of mine below.

Read the rules. One entry only each month per person, please!

Enter your super-amazing photos in our photo contests. The winning image will be featured on the Ultimate Photo Tips homepage for all of the following month.

Submit your image.

See what other people are submitting, and vote for your favorite:
View other entries.

 

Keeping Each Other Company

 

Calla Lily Lovers
© Julie Waterhouse

 

Pals
© Julie Waterhouse

 

Sharing Lunch
© Julie Waterhouse

 

Table for Two
© Julie Waterhouse

 

Pakora and Papadum
© Julie Waterhouse

 

Lilypad Love
© Julie Waterhouse

 

 

***C2_invitation_29000034***

 

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Camera Tripod

Is your camera tripod feeling lonely and neglected? In this short video, I give you two good reasons to dust off your tripod and take it out in the field with you.

 

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Video Transcript

Is your tripod feeling lonely and neglected? I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and for today’s Two Minute Tip, I really want to encourage you to dust off your tripod, and take it out with you the next time you go shooting.

There’s two great reasons that you should be using a tripod. The first one is the one you probably think about first when you think about a tripod, and that is stability. Having your camera on a tripod keeps it nice and solid, so that if you’re taking a long exposure, you don’t introduce blur into your image due to camera shake.

But it’s the second reason I want you to think about more today, and that is: using a tripod slows you down. Now, you might think of that as a negative, but I think it can be a real positive. What happens a lot of time when you’re photographing, is that you pay so much attention to your subject that you mentally filter out everything that’s going on in the background, and you often don’t see things that are distractions. Putting your camera on the tripod slows you down enough that you become much more deliberate about where you put the edges of your frame, and about scanning your images to make sure there are no distractions. Having your camera on a tripod almost always improves your composition.

Alright, I have a bonus tip for you today. When you’re using your camera tripod, if you need to raise the height of it, make sure you extend the legs first, and only use the center post as a last resort. Using the center post give the least amount of stability, so definitely extend the legs first.

That’s it for today, so if you want any more great tips, please come on over to ultimate-photo-tips.com and make sure, if you haven’t already signed up for my newsletter that you get on the mailing list now!

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time.

 

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• Digital Photography Technique
• Snow Photography

Are you looking for something to do with snow besides shovel it? 🙂 How about some snow photography? Here are eight great tips for photographing snow.

 

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Video Transcript

Are you looking for something to do with snow besides shovel it? 🙂 How about photographing it? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and today, I’m going to give you eight tips for photographing snow.

The first four tips are about photographing falling snow flakes.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
focal length: 100mm

Snow Photography Tip Number 1 is about choosing the right focal length for your lens to get the effect you want. A long lens will compress distance, so you can get a layered look to the falling snow, with snowflakes at different distances appearing as different sizes. If it’s not snowing very hard, this is a good way to get a lot of flakes into your image. This photo was taken with a focal length of 100mm.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
focal length: 30mm

A wide angle lens can take in more of the scene, but it has to be snowing quite hard to get a layered look. This was shot with a 30mm lens.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
aperture: f/4.0

Snow Photography Tip Number 2 is about choosing an aperture. When you shoot wide open, you can get snow flake bokeh, with some out of focus flakes. This can work well in combination with a long lens. If you stop you lens down and use a small aperture, you can get your flakes sharp, but be careful. If your shutter speed gets too long, to compensate for the small aperture, your flakes may start to appear as streaks. This shot was taken at f/4. Watch out for those big, out of focus flakes.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
shutter speed: 1/200s

Snow Photography Tip Number 3 is about choosing your shutter speed. You need a fast shutter speed to freeze the flakes. This one was taken at 1/200 of a second.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
shutter speed: 1/60s

The longer you leave the shutter open, the more your snow flakes will appear as lines or streaks. This one was taken at 1/60 of a second.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
shutter speed: 1/60s

Exactly which shutter speed to choose depends on how much wind there is too. This was also shot at 1/60, but the streaks are much longer because the wind was blowing hard.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
flash: fired

Snow Photography Tip Number 4: You can use flash when you’re shooting snow in low light to freeze the flakes. You should take lots of shots when you try this because you often get one or two flakes close to the lens that turn out as large white splotches over your image.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography

Snow Photography Tip Number 5: Include something with a pop of color to liven up your image!

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
white balance is off

Snow Photography Tip Number 6: Watch your white balance. If you’re photographing snow in the shade, the only light is reflected light from the sky, and your camera’s auto white balance can be fooled into giving you blue snow.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
corrected white balance

Shooting with a white balance set to "Shade" can help to correct this.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography

Snow Photography Tip Number 7: Photographing snow on a sunny day can be a tricky situation for your light meter. Keep an eye on your histogram, and watch for blown out highlights.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
exposed on meter

Finally, Snow Photography Tip Number 8! Let’s not forget about the most commonly cited tip. If you use your camera’s meter to expose an expanse of snow, it will be rendered as grey.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
exposed 2 stops over meter

You’ll need to tell your camera to over-expose by 1.5 to 2 full stops to get your whites looking white!

Whew! That’s it! Now grab your camera, and go enjoy the snow! For more great photo tips, please visit my website at ultimate-photo-tips.com, and make sure to sign up for my mailing list while you’re there.

Happy shooting and I’ll see you next time!

 

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Variable Neutral Density Filters

Variable Neutral Density Filters
(Part 2)

Variable ND filters are best known for helping you do long exposures and selective focus in bright lighting conditions. Did you know they can also improve your portrait photography? In this video, I explain how to use this filter while taking portraits using flash.

 

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Did you catch part one of this video, where I introduced the variable neutral density filter and explained how it can be used to do long exposures and selective focus in bright light?

Video Transcript

Most people think that a variable neutral density filter is only useful outside for things like landscape and nature photography. Did you know that you can use this filter with portrait photography too?

Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and today I’m back with a follow-up video to my introduction to the variable ND filter. I want to share a lesser-known use for this filter with you, and that is for portrait photography.

In portrait photography, you often want to darken the background to make the subject stands out. The easiest ways to do that are to either stop down the aperture or to increase the shutter speed. However stopping down the aperture will increase the depth of field – something you often don’t want in a portrait. And increasing the shutter speed could lead to problems if your shutter speed gets faster than your flash sync speed. In that case your flash has to work harder, and will be outputting less light. That’s where our variable neutral density filter comes in! By cutting down the light coming in through the lens, you need less lighting power, and don’t need to stop down your aperture as much, to achieve a well-exposed subject relative to a more under-exposed background.

To get your shot, work out the aperture you want to get the right depth of field for a soft background, and then use your variable ND filter to reduce the light until your shutter speed is at your optimal sync speed. Finally, work on polishing your flash lighting to correctly to expose your subject.

Check out
variable neutral density filters
at B&H

There you have it! Another bit of gear for your shopping list! For more great photo tips that won’t cost you anything, come on over to ultimate-photo-tips.com, and make sure to sign up for my newsletter while you’re there. That’s where I share ideas and inspiration that I don’t share anywhere else.

Happy shooting, and I’ll see you next time!

 

 

 

• Home
• Digital Photography Technique
• Graduated Neutral Density Filter

When and how do you use a graduated neutral density filter? In this short video, I explain how this filter can help you take better landscape photos by reducing the dynamic range in your image.

 

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Video Transcript

Do you ever have trouble photographing a landscape because the sky is so much brighter than your foreground? Hi, I’m Julie from Ultimate Photo Tips, and for today’s tip, I want to talk about a filter that I use on a regular basis: the graduated neutral density filter, or graduated ND filter. It’s also called a split ND filter.

This filter is used when one section of your image is a lot brighter than the another section. A typical example is a landscape where the sky is a lot brighter than the foreground. In a situation like this, what happens is that your camera’s sensor can’t always capture both the brightest and the darkest tones in the scene – the dynamic range is just too great. That means you end up either blowing out the highlights or blocking up the shadows.

That’s where a graduated ND can help. This is what it looks like; it’s clear at the bottom, and dark at the top. What you need to do is line up the transition with your horizon. So where it’s clear, it’s like there’s nothing there, and where it’s dark, it will hold back the sky.

You want to buy this kind, which is made by Cokin, or Lee, that fits into a holder on the front of your lens. It just slides in, and that way, you can line up the transition with your horizon. This is much more useful than the filter which screws onto the front of your lens because that transition is in a fixed position.

You can buy these filters in a kit, which comes with a 1-, 2-, and 3- stop filter with both hard and soft transitions. But, if you just want to buy one, I recommend this one, which is a 2-stop soft transition, and is the one I find the most useful.

Let’s look at a couple of examples.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
without graduated neutral density filter

In this image, I’ve exposed for the foreground, and the bright sky has completely blown out.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
with graduated neutral density filter

By adding a graduated ND filter, I’m able to get both the foreground and sky exposed properly.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
without graduated neutral density filter

In this image, I’ve exposed for the sky, and my foreground is way too dark. I want to open up those shadow areas.

© Julie Waterhouse Photography
with graduated neutral density filter

Again, I add a graduated ND filter while I’m shooting, and now I can brighten up those shadows, while holding back the sky.

You may have guessed already that there’s one big scenario when you can’t use this filter, and that is if the transition from light to dark is not a straight line, such as when there’s a tree in the foreground. If you use the filter in that scenario, then the tree will appear darker than it should. In that case, you’d have to resort to creating an HDR image instead.

Check out
graduated neutral density filters
at B&H

All in all, though, this is a really useful filter, and I recommend that you have one in your kit. I use mine all the time.

That’s it for today! For more helpful tips, drop by ultimate-photo-tips.com for a visit, and make sure to sign up for my newsletter while you’re there.

Happy shooting and I’ll see you next time!