Garry Black Photography

ASK GARRY!
PAGE #3

Graduated Filters (1)

Equipment (1)

Question: from: photo.net Discussion Forums

After reading Mr. Greenspun's introduction on filters and many threads in the filter section, I would like to get my first graduated ND filter and experiment with it. I think I will get a Cokin P holder and a HiTech square soft edge grad ND. At this time I think I will just buy one and see how often I will need it. I am most interested in landscape shooting, and I have had experiences when I photograph people or just flowers or trees in the foreground and the mountains under an afternoon sun in the background are washed out (or the things in the foreground gets very dark in the print) My question is, for such situations, do I need a grad 2-stop or 3-stop? If I have to choose ONE grad ND, which one will be more likely needed, a 2-stop or 3-stop soft? On sunny days, what's the difference between the sky and open shade (2-stop, 3-stop or more)? What's the effect if I used 3-stop grad ND when it really should require a 2-stop grad ND?

Answer:

If you are really serious about using grad filters you should at least buy two of them, a 1 stop as well as a 2 stop. The great thing about having these 2 filters is that you can sandwich them together to give you a 3 stop filter. Don't overlap them completely together, place one slightly higher than the other to give you a softer gradation.

It is difficult to say which one you will need at any given time. During the day if you are photographing in open shade you will probably do best with a 2 stop, in darker shade - 3 stop. When photographing a landscape that is in bright sunlight try using the 1 stop filter on the sky, it will slightly darken the sky and make the landscape really stand out. When photographing at sunrise or sunset if you use a 3 stop grad filter you will have complete balance between the sky and the foreground. Sometimes you may want this or you may want to keep the sky a little brighter than the foreground, then use a 2 stop.

If you visit my web site http://www.travel-net.com/~black there is an excerpt about filters from Daryl Benson and Dale Wilson's new book. These 2 photographers are the masters on using filters; both of them have written articles for most of the photo magazines. I have just finished teaching a workshop with Dale; his use of filters is nothing short of fantastic.

Question:

I hope you don't mind my e-mail, but I read a posting at photo-net, and visited your site. I really enjoyed your pictures and the information about filters was very helpful.

My question is, (if you don't mind) I am wondering what kind of equipment you use mostly? (Camera - Lenses) or at least, what kind did you use, for the pictures in your photo gallery (Scenics). I really loved the picture of the beach, with blue water coming onto the shore and the desert dunes picture next to it.

I'll be getting some Nikon equipment sometime before too long. I have an old Olympus OM-1 now. I have heard that medium format is much better, but it's just too expensive for me. I might get an F-5 camera, 24mm f2.8d, 60mm f2.8d macro, and a 180mm f2.8d. I know that the photographer is much more important than the gear, but I suppose the gear can be pretty important also. Any ways, I'd love to know what kind of equipment you use.

Answer:

I am glad that the information was helpful and that you liked my pictures. The 2 pictures that you referred to are both taken with a 24mm lens. The ocean image is from the Turks and Cacaos Islands in the Caribbean and the sand dunes are from the Namib Desert in Namibia, Africa.

I use Nikon Equipment and at one time or other I must have owned every lens that they have made. What I would recommend as a basic "starting package" (this is what I use most of the time is): Nikon F4s camera body - this doesn't focus as fast as the F5, but since I rarely (almost never) use the autofocus this doesn't matter to me. The 3-D metering on the F5 is really good and you can depend on it only if you are shooting print film. If you are shooting slides the exposure is more crucial, with the F5's meter you are never really sure what it is seeing or what it "thinks" it is seeing. But you can always turn the 3-D Matrix metering off and just use the center weighted meter, which is what I use on the F4s. You should be able to buy a used F4s (they are discontinued) that is in excellent condition for about half of the cost of a new F5.

For lenses: 24mm F2.8 Great lens, but takes some time to get used to how it sees the picture space. Since it distorts the picture space it is almost impossible to pre-visualize what the scene will look like unless you look through the viewfinder. 28 - 70mm F3.5-4.5(?) pretty good lens, although all wide angle zooms are prone to lens flare. I use this lens quite a bit. Don't get the 28-80 it will vignette just with a polarizing filter. The third lens I would get, is the lens that I use most of the time, the 80-200mm F2.8 I would also get some extension tubes, you can use these on both of the zoom lenses. Rather than getting the 60 or the 105 macro (micro) lens. I have both of these lenses, but more often than not I end up using the extension tubes.

All of this really depends on the type of subject matter that you shoot, if you shoot subject that are similar to what is on my web site then the above list is what you should go for.

The lenses that I own right now are: 16mm F2.8, 18mm F2.8, 20mm F2.8, 24mm F2.8, 28mm F2.8, 35mm F2, 60mm F2.8 macro, 105mm F2.8 macro, 300mm F4, 400mm F5.6, 28-70mm F3.5-4.5, 80-200mm F2.8, 150-500mm F5.6 (TOKINA ATX).

I also have a complete Pentax 6x7 system but I haven't used it regularly in nearly 5 years. For the type of work that I do, 35mm works just fine. (I have had images that have been on highway billboards) Besides it is much easier to use and cheaper, and a lot cheaper on film and processing costs. If you only want to make large prints of your material, then the 6x7 route is the way to go.

I hope that this advice helps you in your equipment selection. If you have any more questions that you would like me to answer, just ask!

 

TIPS & TECHNIQUES | HOME | BACK TO ASK GARRY