#neutral density

This video is for any photographers who follow my feed, and want to get more creative with their work.

It is a comprehensive breakdown of just one facet of trickery accomplished by significantly slowing down your shutter speed. This is a traditional method of shooting that I first began experimenting with using my film SLR, long before I touched a digital camera. It is an essential skill as old as the artform itself.

My kit only consists of 2 filters, a split ND grad filter, and my big stopper (the 10 stop Neutral density filter described in this video). Even without a filter, I often stop down my aperture and slow the shutter to create movement in my street shots… but things always get interesting when the big stopper comes out. Whether it is blurring the water of the sea, catching the movement of the clouds, capturing light trails, or making pesky crowds vanish into thin air - when long exposure comes into play the photograph is often transcended from a boring image, to a moody piece of art.

As a photographer, the option of long exposure should stay on the mind (unless you are shooting under controlled lighting situations). It is what differentiates the snapshot from the art piece, and it has the power to add movement, depth, and atmosphere to an otherwise boring photograph.

The video here is excellent, and well worth watching for anyone who considers themselves a photographer.