Graduated filters (PYSICAL, not in post processing)

Challenge #4 in the Use your eyes... after that: use your shutter series. Hosted by drmatiz.

Challenge has finished

The picture has to be shot with a PHYSICAL graduated filter, so not a gradient added in PP Personally I tried it for the first time last week (and took the sample entry ;) ) and was completely blown away by the results. Immediately I bought a set for myself and it's fantastic. People seem to be under the impression that you could do this in post-processing but to keep the real colors of the sky this works a million times better. (And no, I don't have any stocks in the graduated filter market)

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Announced:

Monday, 25th June, 2012 (GMT)

Submissions:

Monday, 2nd July, 2012 – Sunday, 8th July, 2012 (GMT)

Voting:

Monday, 9th July, 2012 – Sunday, 15th July, 2012 (GMT)

Processing rules:

Minimal PP allowed.
The graduated filter has to be PHYSICAL and is not to be applied in PP

Capture date rules:

No restrictions.

Additional rules:

No watermarks
No frames
Please make it an honest vote, don't sollicite votes please.

Maximum number of entries per user:

Maximum number of entries in challenge:

100

submission
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50 entries

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754 votes

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Sample entries

These entries were provided by the challenge host(s) as samples and cannot be voted on. Upload sample image.

Challenge comments

Total comments: 8

I am trying to enter the challenge however am unable to get to the portion of the page where I upload my photo. I click on the top of the page that appears after ENTER however am unable to page down to the lower right hand corner and continue. I see that DP review did post that the weekend storms created some technical difficulties; is this one of the problems they identified? Will the challenge remain open long enought to get this problem resolved?

0 upvotes

NavyJoe, no, the thought is a graduated filter, not ND

0 upvotes

Does the challenge require a graduated filter, or a neutral density filter in general? I have been experimenting with long exposure photography and have a few with a non graduated ND filter. Would it be acceptable?

0 upvotes

Well not exactly; if you underexpose to get sky detail and bring the foreground back up you can get a similar effect. There isn't really anything (aside from infrared photography etc.) that a lens filter or physical attachment could do that couldn't also be done in software.

But who has time to sit and work on images for hours? The better it is out of the camera the faster you get your work done.

0 upvotes

The sample photo shows the problem of the "physical" filter - whilst darkening the sky it has also darkened the top of the tree and all detail has been lost. Software could get over this problem. Use of grads should be restricted to photos with an uniform texture in the filtered portion - any objects protruding from the unfiltered section will be affected

Comment edited 10 minutes after posting

0 upvotes

Yes indeed, I will add 'physical filter' to the description. Thanks for the heads up. I'm sorry, but English is not my native language.

0 upvotes

I believe the challenge host means a physical filter, not a digital graduated effect.
I wouldn't get too picky about english as some of the challenge hosts are ESL.

0 upvotes

"ANALOG graduated filter " ???... Hm, something new in the photography world...

0 upvotes

Total comments: 8

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