Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: OutdoorsLover on December 27, 2013, 02:48:37 pm
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I just recently picked up a new Lee Foundation Kit and a .6 (2 stop) soft graduated ND filter. I got it all setup and connected to a one of my lenses, set the lens to ƒ/22, stopped it down, but for the life of me, I can't see the linear graduation, and therefore I can't place it where I'd like to. Granted, it's a pretty overcast day, I'm just out on my front porch playing, and there are only 2~3 stops of light difference between the sky and the roofs of the houses & cars on the street, where I'd like to place the filter graduation.
Any suggestions on how to see and place the graduation a bit better?
Thanks!
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You don't say which camera you have but if you have LiveView then zoom in to the horizon and "introduce" the grad and see it fall on to the horizon line. Then check another part of the horizon is OK and you're good to go - it works for me
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The reason for using a soft grad, rather than a hard one, is that you don't want to be able to see the transition. So don't worry.
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You want a soft transition, and you know it will occur about halfway across the field of view (or wherever it hits on the filter you're using). My problem was in placing it rightside-up or upside-down, so I put a small dot of red nail polish on the outside rim at the center of the darkest part of the filter. I orient the dot to where I want the greatest effect (sky, water, whatever). Helped a lot. --Barbara