With an ND filter you can do one of two things:. Use a wider aperture to capture beautifully shallow depth of field. Use a slower shutter speed to capture long exposures and motion blur for a longer period of time. Wider apertures are great for portraits, when you want the person in the photo to be the sole focus of the image, and the background to be soft and not in focus.
With slower shutter speeds, you can add movement or blur to objects that are moving, while keeping the rest of the scene static. This effect is especially awesome when shooting moving water, such as waterfalls or choppy waves. It adds drama and visual appeal to an image. Whether lens filters affect image quality or not is one of the most debated topics in photography.
But in short, the answer is no. An ND filter has uses in almost any type of photography. By adding motion or shallow depth of field to images, you can bring otherwise dull scenes to life.
This is where a neutral density filter comes to the rescue. It lets you use a wide aperture to achieve a shallow depth of field, without causing any overexposure. Cutting back light reaching your camera reduces depth of field and isolates an image from its background. This makes it appear sharper, without causing overexposure.
Animal or bird images can be brought to the fore without any background interference when using this filter, for instance. ND lens filters also earn their worth when used to capture clouds and sky scenes. This clever filter can blur the motion of clouds making them appear more dramatic, streaky and magical, giving your scene an extra helping of visual intrigue.
Many landscape photographers shoot images of foliage and fields, and capturing the perfect scene can often prove tricky. If you take photos of water in motion , such as trickling streams, gushing waterfalls or the ocean being battered by waves, an ND lens filter is indispensable to achieve the perfect, ethereal shot. By using longer exposure times, this filter can capture silky, softened, smooth, foggy, dreamy or blurred effects from water.
If you want to achieve a polarizing effect, you need a polarizing filter for this task or you can check out our polarizing ND filter. Still w ondering whether to buy a fixed ND or a variable ND filter? Read this a rticle. Did you know Urth makes variable ND Filters that reforest the world? Five trees are planted in deforested areas for every filter purchased. Shop our range of variable ND filters here. Share this story Facebook Twitter Copy link.
New to variable ND filters? Words and Photography by Urth HQ. How a variable ND filter works Variable ND filters consist of two circular, polarizing layers of glass that are placed in opposition to each other. How to use a variable ND filter in your photography A single fixed ND filter reduces light by a set stop.
When should I use a variable ND lens filter? Shot with an Urth Variable ND This allows the photographer more control in selecting shutter speed and aperture combinations in a variety of conditions. Fixed ND filters, also referred to as solid ND filters, have coating s evenly distributed across the frame of the filter. The density of the filter is predetermined. Fixed ND filters come in a range of densities to meet the needs of the photographer and the conditions they might be shooting in.
A lighter density filter, like a 3-stop, will allow the photographer to select a shutter speed 3 stops slower:. A denser filter, like a 6-stop or stop will allow the photographer to select even slower shutter speeds for increased motion blur:. Photo by Matthew Leland from Pexels. A variable ND filter is an interesting piece of equipment.
With one, you can dial in a changeable amount of attenuation instead of being held to one fixed amount of density. While many photographers enjoy using these interesting tools, others may have some questions about them. Should you use a variable ND filter? How does a variable ND filter work? How do variable ND filters vs fixed ND filters compare? Are there any problems with variable ND filters to be aware of? Can you use variable ND filters for video?
One thing I like to do with specialty screw-in filters is to buy the largest size I need and adapt it to smaller filter diameter lenses. You can see it mounted on my personal camera above. The small handle makes it easy to adjust the variable attenuation and helps you avoid accidentally smudging the glass.
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