Use Your Hand as a Graduated ND Filter for Landscape Photos

[rhythmworx]

Interesting article here, may be of some help to someone who doesnt have or has forgot to bring an ND grad filter

Here’s a simple trick for landscape photos: when shooting a landscape photo that needs a hard edge graduated ND filter, you can use your hand. Yes your hand! It’s a technique I’ve been using in my own work recently.

I haven’t purchased a graduated ND filter because I’ve relied on Lightroom and Photoshop to even out the exposure of skies when I need too. But I am liking the result I’m getting by using my hand. Here is an example of a situation in which I would use this technique:

http://petapixel.com/2016/02/04/you-can-use-your-hand-as-a-graduated-nd-filter-for-landscape-photos/

[shaggy1969]

Hi Rythmworx

Was thinking of you and the post you made here,whilst I was on the beach at Scheveningen a couple of weeks back.

I am also not in possession of a any ND filters (yet) and so I gave the magic cloth (in my case hand) method a try out.

Very much trial and error,but it does work quite well.Still nowhere as good or as much control as a filter,but when needs must!!!

Apologies for the images not being taken in Thailand,but I wanted to show my results.

Five second exposure for the first image and six seconds for the second,both were @ f/18.

[rhythmworx]

You've just sparked an idea shaggy so i thought I'd share it.

If you've ever looked at the Lee filters website they have all kinds of gradiated orange sunset filters, blue ocean filters etc...

If you own a printer you can buy transparent sheets in A4 for printing onto, some are only 100 microns thick/thin.

In theory you could load up photoshop create your own gradient that fades into 100% transparency and print it off.

[shaggy1969]

In theory,it could work!!!

I suppose the only thing that yo would need to be careful,is scratching the surface!

Give it a try fella and let us know how it goes.

I have just acquired an old welders glass screen from my work, which will give me a 30 second daylight exposure at f4.

It will however throw a really nasty green colour cast over the image,but am sure nothing that can't be corrected.

Just got to make a mount for it and it will be good to go!!!

El cheapo's or what?

[rhythmworx]

2 decent elastic bands of the right size is all you need shaggy, over back of your camera on eaxh side and onto the sides of the glass.

Photo here http://www.alexwisephotography.net/blog/2013/07/07/create-yourself-a-neutral-density-filter-for-under-10/

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As for the scratches on the printed gels, thats a good point, glue some silk to cardboard and make a wallet for them. I'm not joking either.

[shaggy1969]

Cheers for that mate.......suppose I'd better fork out on some rubber bands now,although I did see some pretty nice ones in our office

Sorting out the colour cast wont be an issue.

https://youtu.be/K0UncSBqn3k

Am happy with that link you sent showing how the guy set his up.It also had a chart showing different grades of welding glass and their equivalent grades

to the ND filters.Looks like I have got myself a free 10 stop ND filter and as of tomorrow,an 12.8 one also