Using a 10 Stop Neutral Density filter

I had spent the afternoon in somewhat breezy conditions walking around the cliff tops trying to decide on a view point to photograph at sunset. The Butt of Lewis lighthouse is one of the only red brick lighthouses and as such I thought it might make a good focal point [see square photo]. Unfortunately the sun was setting in the wrong direction for this composition so I moved around the other side of the lighthouse.

The light was flat and the sky filled with horrible light drizzly rain clouds which made it hard to pre-visualise a photograph. I retreated to the shelter of my campervan for a cuppa and to review some of the images I had taken. To be honest they did nothing for me, and the way the weather looked, I wasn’t holding out much hope for a sunset shot either. The pink thrift made nice foreground interest but other than that, I was drawing a blank. I considered black and white, but there was no detail in the sky and although the waves were pounding the cliffs below, the size of them was dwarfed by the size of the cliffs and I knew this wouldn’t really come across in a photograph. If it had been stormy and the waves were crashing at a great height then I would have composed my shot around this. Unfortunately I had unspectacular waves, flat light, no cloud detail and drizzle.

As I sat there mulling over my options it occurred to me that I could test out my 10 stop Neutral density filter. This would blur the movement of the waves and maybe create an interesting image. As the rain stopped, I willed the tourists to move away from the cliffs and out of my shot. Then something magical happened. Out of the grey murk, some colour started to appear.

From past experience of Hebridean sunsets …a) you’re lucky if you get one and b) they don’t last for long. Out of nowhere a line of cloud appears on the horizon and the sun just plops behind it … and that’s it...then it gets light again (which I found a little strange)*. So I knew I had to work quickly. I went back to the pink thrift flowers and framed my picture around the shape of the cliffs jutting out into the sea but to include a nice smattering of pink flowers. A few seagulls came home to roost for the night in the thrift but with a long exposure, I was unsure what would record.

The techy bit...

A camera doesn’t ‘see’ the same way our eyes do. Our eyes really are marvelous pieces of kit but even the most modern camera can’t see both the details in the light and dark parts of an image at the same time without help. Had I not used filters here, we would either be able to see the cliffs and just a bright white sky with no detail or the colour in the sky and a black mass of cliff tops with no detail. Neutral Density graduated filters balance the light between the highlights and shadows enabling the photographer to take a photograph as the eye sees it. They are a vital piece of kit for a landscape photographer.

I lined up my ND grad filters over the sky to hold back the intensity of the light and balance the exposure with that of the cliff tops. Then I screwed on my 10 Stop ND filter. This is simply a piece of black glass. As soon as this is fitted you can no longer see through the viewfinder so it is very important that you compose the image before fitting the filter and also that you don’t knock the camera in the process thus accidentally moving your composition.

Because the light levels were low it’s impossible to capture any detail using the shutter speeds available in the AV settings. The longest shutter speed I have available is 30 seconds and I knew this exposure would run into minutes. I selected the bulb setting and using my cable release, to prevent passing on any movement from me to the camera, I stood with my back to the wind sheltering my camera (which was attached to my tripod). I attempted some basic maths to work out a starting point for my exposure, then added a bit more and came up with 5 minutes so I gave this a go. I knew the light wouldn’t last so I crossed my fingers and had a go at 5 minutes. I enjoy this kind photography. It takes me back to my film days and a mixture of excitement and anticipation at getting the shot. After a very long 5 minutes I checked the histogram and it looked spot on. I contemplated another shot… just incase… but confidently decided that I’d got the shot in the bag. Moving away from the rather scary cliff edge, I took off the 10 stop filter and composed another photograph of the lighthouse just as it started raining again.

Back in the campervan I reviewed my image and was very happy that I had captured the style of image I had pre-visualised. As the rain came down I watched the light illuminate the sky for another hour or so and pondered whether I had ever seen a sunset through the rain before….I think the answer is no.

I love this photograph. The pink thrift flowers complement the pinky sky and the milky water looks ethereal. It looks especially beautiful when printed large(around a meter wide). The detail is all there in the rocks and although the seagulls moved around during the 5 minute exposure you can still see them which adds another dimension to the image.

I usually try to capture scenes as I see them but the 10 stop ND filter enables me to capture something more…. For me, this is perhaps a more technical image and maybe more creative as it is not something that you could see with the human eye, but it captures emotion which simply wouldn’t be there if the waves were not reduced to a milky blur. It’s a peaceful and tranquil image.

There is a time and a place for a 10 stop ND filter. The effect doesn't always work but for photographs which have a simple composition, this filter can help convey impact or emotion which otherwise might be missing.

* This is taken from my experience over a 5 week trip to The Outer Hebrides and I'm certainly not saying this will be everyones experience.