Neutral Density Gels vs Filters

[TJ_T]

In fact.. here is some of my internal battle on the issue played on out ph.org:

http://www.portlandhikers.org/forum/vie ... =16&t=9975

[forestkeeper]

You're right TJ! But yes, I shoot everything in Raw. It is a bit of a pain to have to save each photo to jpg but my pics have so much more data. And my Sony shoots HDR as well. Now, I'm learning about the histogram and the darks on the left sight, mid tones in the middle and the brighter, lighter colors on the right side. I do shoot film as well, but it is so much cheaper shooting with my DSLR.

[TJ_T]

The thing that helped make my life easier with file management was Lightroom. It's what I use to store and manage my files and dow my raw conversion. Post processing was daunting and overwhelming.. for me.. until I got that program.

Right now I sort my files there, grade them, do some minor contrast, highlight, and shadow adjustments there and then I can export them to CS6 for processing where I do 99% of my processing.

Currently reprocessing all of my old favorites that I did solely in Lightroom in preparation for a gallery show at the end of October. I'll be putting up 24 images and I'm about 50% through them.. with 18 days until I have to put in my final print order.

Feeling the rush!

[mdvaden]

A neutral density filter (or something like it) will help you get the silky water effect but it's also very helpful to not take those kinds of photos in broad daylight. An overcast days is your best friend when it comes to long exposures of ocean waves, creeks, waterfalls, etc. Night also works, which is when that second photo appears to have been taken (I see stars), at which point you don't need to the neutral density filter anymore.

For river areas, especially in valleys, it seems evident that early morning is one of the perfect times to shoot, because as time moves ahead, so does the velocity of the breeze.

I particularly don't like foliage moving in an exposure, and early morning seems the most still.

A top of a 30' tree can sway a couple of feet within 1/2 a second in a breeze, and that's something I prefer to avoid.

[BrianEdwards]

^ Isn't that where the two forks of the Smith River in CA merge right by the highway? I love that spot. On sunny days the water is deep green. Kudos for getting a shot of it

[mdvaden]

^ Isn't that where the two forks of the Smith River in CA merge right by the highway? I love that spot. On sunny days the water is deep green. Kudos for getting a shot of it

Yes ... forks of the Smith River a couple minutes out of Hiouchi. Wish you could see the 20 inch x 30 inch of this framed in my office. Here's a bigger file, but poster size is where this shot really looks cool.

Image link >> http://photos.imageevent.com/mdvaden/re ... 0River.jpg

Went shortly after sunrise while fog and overcast were out because it seems to give the best look to both trees and river simultaneously. Had several requests for use of that photo, including a new Emerald Magazine out of Arcata, for their September 2013 edition.

Emerald Magazine PDF Sept 2013 link >> http://theemeraldmagazine.com/wp-conten ... r20132.pdf

...

[BrianEdwards]

Way cool. We were headed to the Stout Grove, and suddenly my wife shouts "Holy Crap." Cool spot

Nice Shot