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ND

When and why you might want to use ND filters for your photography

Jun 23, 2021 by John Aldred 1 Comment
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Along with polarizers, Neutral Density (ND) filters are pretty much the only filters most people really need these days. But what are ND filters? How do they work and why might you want to use one for your photography? Put simply, though, ND filters are sort of like sunglasses for your camera to darken down the view coming through your lens.

But how can they really be useful? After all, aren’t we typically looking for more light when we shoot and not less? Well, in this video, Mike Smith gets into the nitty-gritty of ND filters to answer that question, illustrated by images he’s shot using one.

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Wallet-friendly magnetic Filters from K&F Concept

Apr 27, 2021 by Paul Monaghan Add Comment
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K&F Concept has just released a new magnetic filter kit that you can get for as little as $110.

The Kit comes with a magnetic adapter ring, UV filter, CPL filter, and 10stop ND.  That all fit nicely into the included case that can hold four 82mm filters.

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Aurora Aperture’s new magnetic rear filter system for ultra-wide and fisheye lenses now on Kickstarter

May 20, 2020 by John Aldred Add Comment
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Putting filters on ultra-wide-angle lenses isn’t usually an easy or inexpensive task. Sure, it’s possible, but you need to get some pretty large filter holders and filters to match. The trend amongst some lens manufacturers lately has been to support rear “gel” filters. Filters that sit behind the lens that you attach before you mount it to your camera.

Aurora Aperture has recently announced their “next-generation” of rear mount filters. And best of all, they actually work with lenses that don’t have built-in mounts as the system uses its own magnetic mounts, tailored specifically to your lenses. Now, they’re available on Kickstarter and they’ve already doubled their goal.

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How to shoot smooth timelapse of fast moving subjects during the day

May 8, 2019 by John Aldred Add Comment
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Timelapses are a lot of fun to shoot. I don’t shoot them anywhere near as often as I would like, but I try to shoot them as often as I possibly can. Shooting them in daylight, though, can present some challenges, especially if you have fast-moving subjects like people or vehicles. Yes, when it comes to timelapse, people are fast moving subjects.

It often results in very jerky motion with one frame looking drastically different from the last, losing that flow of motion we like to see in a timelapse. There is a way to solve the problem. Two, actually. And in the above video from Fenchel & Janisch, Moritz Janisch walks us through both of them.

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The problem with variable NDs and why fixed NDs are still relevant

Oct 2, 2017 by John Aldred 4 Comments
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Variable neutral density filters are quite a wonderful thing. In theory. They let you adjust your exposure outside of the camera’s own systems as the light on your scene changes. They’re quick and convenient, and expensive if you want a good one. But are they really all that good?

Lok Cheung used variable ND filters during his tenure at Digital Rev. He was typically the one manning the camera filming Kai. But since he’s gone solo, he’s noticed that they’re not really as practical as he’d like. Nor do they really offer the quality that one needs today. In this video, he explains why variable NDs just don’t hold up to the job, and why fixed NDs reign supreme.

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How to get that cinematic look with an f/1.2 lens in bright sunlight

Apr 12, 2017 by John Aldred 4 Comments
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Shooting stills in bright sunlight with fast glass with super wide apertures is fairly easy. You just knock down your ISO and speed up your shutter until you have your exposure under control. But when you’re shooting video, that’s not really an option if you want that cinematic look. Your shutter speed’s generally locked at 1/50th of a second for 24p video (1/100th for 50fps, 1/125th for 60fps, etc).

It’s a bit like working outdoors in bright conditions with flash that doesn’t support high speed sync. Once you hit that sync speed your shutter simply won’t go any faster. The go to option in both cases is neutral density. Filters that go over your lens to reduce the amount of light entering it and hitting your sensor. This video from weird lens guru, Mathieu Stern, shows a slightly different approach.

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The Power of Shutter Speed In Two Photographs

Apr 28, 2016 by Rowan Sims 3 Comments
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Shutter speed is one of the first elements of photography that you learn as a beginner. Learning how to control your camera’s shutter speed to make sure your images are sharp and well exposed is Photography 101.

Learning how to use shutter speed creatively to manipulate the look and feel of an image is something else entirely, and something that I continue to experiment with a lot.

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Think 10 stops of ND is a lot? How about 17 hour exposures with Lee Filters’ new 15 stop Super Stopper

Mar 5, 2016 by John Aldred 14 Comments
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Announced today via Lee Filters UK distributor, Linhof Studio, a new member joins the Stopper family, adding to the 10 stop Big Stopper and 6 stop Little Stopper.

That new member, the Super Stopper, blocks a massive 15 stops of light, reducing the incoming light hitting your sensor to 1/32,000th of its original intensity!

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Udi Tirosh: from diyphotography.netUdi Tirosh is an entrepreneur, photography inventor, journalist, educator, and writer based in Israel. With over 25 years of experience in the photo-video industry, Udi has built and sold several photography-related brands. Udi has a double degree in mass media communications and computer science.

Alex Baker: from diyphotography.netAlex Baker is a portrait and lifestyle driven photographer based in Valencia, Spain. She works on a range of projects from commercial to fine art and has had work featured in publications such as The Daily Mail, Conde Nast Traveller and El Mundo, and has exhibited work across Europe

David Williams: from diyphotography.netDave Williams is an accomplished travel photographer, writer, and best-selling author from the UK. He is also a photography educator and published Aurora expert. Dave has traveled extensively in recent years, capturing stunning images from around the world in a modified van. His work has been featured in various publications and he has worked with notable brands such as Skoda, EE, Boeing, Huawei, Microsoft, BMW, Conde Nast, Electronic Arts, Discovery, BBC, The Guardian, ESPN, NBC, and many others.

John Aldred: from diyphotography.netJohn Aldred is a photographer with over 20 years of experience in the portrait and commercial worlds. He is based in Scotland and has been an early adopter - and occasional beta tester - of almost every digital imaging technology in that time. As well as his creative visual work, John uses 3D printing, electronics and programming to create his own photography and filmmaking tools and consults for a number of brands across the industry.

Dunja Djudjic: from diyphotography.netDunja Djudjic is a multi-talented artist based in Novi Sad, Serbia. With 15 years of experience as a photographer, she specializes in capturing the beauty of nature, travel, and fine art. In addition to her photography, Dunja also expresses her creativity through writing, embroidery, and jewelry making.

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