Neutral Density Gels vs Filters

[BrianEdwards]

And to what degree the "this" was enhanced in Lightroom and Photoshop.

**Hammer hitting nail on the head**

While getting a great shot definitely requires a decent composition (shot), the wow factor in a landscape shot is made possible ~90/100 times with an editor.

In theory, you try to get the shot the best you can in the camera, but real life dictates otherwise. I don't know any digital photographer that gets any attention without running their photos through an editor real quick before posting them. Even if its just a quick contrast adjust, color boost, sharpening, etc.

There's five parts to a good nature shot:

- Equipment: Camera/lens/tripod
- Landscape: Where and what
- Conditions: Time, season, weather, lighting
- Ability: Knowing how to get what you want with your equipment
- Editor: 99.9% of the most appealing shots have been run through an editor

Good luck with your new hobby, Will.

[forestkeeper]

I think I finally got it!!! I shot this stream, inside Armstong CG, on the Clackamas River yesterday evening.

Yahoooooo! No post editing either. Taken with my Sony Alpha A500 w/ a 28-200 mm lens. Thanks for all of your invaluable input.

[BrianEdwards]

Nice!

[texasbb]

- Editor: 99.9% of the most appealing shots have been run through an editor

I'd say the same is true for 99.9% of the most unappealing shots, too!

[Bosterson]

...had you considered that the "this" was accomplished by how early or late in the day the photo was taken?
...
The water look indicates long exposure. But the stars in the sky lead me to believe that was maybe 5:30am or 9pm at night kind of shooting.

I agree. That picture looks like it was taken at night under a full moon.

[forestkeeper]

OK guys and gals, this might be a stupid question but here it goes.....what would happen if I stacked two or three polarized filters? Would that stop down enough to create a ND "like" filter? Besides my 72mm 28-200mm zoom, I have a few 55mm kits that have polarized filters with them. I'm just thinking of now until I get paid, which then I can buy some used ND's off of adorama.com or KEH.com. I don't have a pay pal account so that strikes ebay out. But thinking that 1 polarized filter + another + even darker.

But I was able to practice on my lens blur yesterday:

And work on my slow exposures of the Clackamas River:

Just being a hiker and a photographer is opening up new obsessions!

Wil

[BrianEdwards]

Bam!

[Bosterson]

what would happen if I stacked two or three polarized filters? Would that stop down enough to create a ND "like" filter? Besides my 72mm 28-200mm zoom, I have a few 55mm kits that have polarized filters with them. I'm just thinking of now until I get paid, which then I can buy some used ND's off of adorama.com or KEH.com. I don't have a pay pal account so that strikes ebay out. But thinking that 1 polarized filter + another + even darker.

You can make a DIY variable ND filter out of two polarizers, but only if one or both of them is a linear polarizer (vs a circular polarizer). It's extremely unlikely that any of yours is linear if it came as part of a kit, and it would also render your AF system useless.

If you stack two circular polarizers, each one will remove something like 1.5 stops, but I think you run a risk of getting a horrible color cast to your photos, especially with cheaper filters. It might be easy to adjust in PS; I haven't tried it.

But as others have said, the absolute best solution to get easy pictures of smoothed water is to take them in low light conditions (dawn, dusk, cloudy days, etc.) when you can use slow shutter speeds without any monkeying around.

[forestkeeper]

Thanks Boston. I don't shoot with AF too often. I try to shoot manual in everything I do, as well as dink around with effects. While there are those that just like the camera to do everything for them, I'm in the stage of life that I truly want to be the photographer and not the computer. I also do not use Photoshop or Lightroom, as my goal is to create compositions of art from the knowledge I learn. If I do any editing, I will adjust the contrast in my Sony Raw software. That is where the fun comes in. If I create a properly exposed composition, I'm proud because I created it, not the camera's computer system.
If Ansel Adams can become one of the world's greatest photographers, using all manual, primitive equipment, what can we become using 21st century technology? Maybe my work won't compare to your's or Brian's, but at least I'm making an extreme effort to becpme a good photographer.

This is one of the photos I composed while at the beach:

The only editing perform was adjusting the contrast to backlight the beach, waves, and seagulls to give the impression that the viewer is peering through a window. I guess this scene would look good as a top layer to a desert with Tombstone cactus, which would really be a type of oasis. hahaha

Will

[TJ_T]

I truly want to be the photographer and not the computer. I also do not use Photoshop or Lightroom, as my goal is to create compositions of art from the knowledge I learn. If I do any editing, I will adjust the contrast in my Sony Raw software. That is where the fun comes in. If I create a properly exposed composition, I'm proud because I created it, not the camera's computer system.
If Ansel Adams can become one of the world's greatest photographers, using all manual, primitive equipment, what can we become using 21st century technology? Maybe my work won't compare to your's or Brian's, but at least I'm making an extreme effort to becpme a good photographer. ;

If you are shooting JPG then your camera is doing the processing of the photo for you. Meaning... Ansel Adams shot film which resulted in a negative. He used the darkroom to work his negatives into the images that we know today using a myriad of techniques.

In today's digital world.. shooting RAW is producing the negative and using an editing program is the 'darkroom'. Most of photoshops functions are based off of dark room techniques.

If you are shooting jpg then you are effectively letting the computer take your image to the darkroom and process your photo based on a generic algorithm. If you want to get the most out of your negatives (RAW files) then try some of the free editing programs out there. Either way.. your image will be processed. If you are serious about taking your photography to the next level.. I feel that this is a must.

I used to have your outlook too.. if that helps at all. Good luck!