Friend's engagement

[Evertking]

6d
135 mm f2
Ad600 34 inch beauty dish.

I am thinking about buying a 3 stop ND filter. I read that it makes colors look better and add contrast.
That and it would be useful in bright sunshine.
I have never used one and have no clue.
I was thinking that maybe someone here would be able to help and have used one before.

 

[Derrel]

I would not count on the ND filter making colors look better. But I would count on a good circular polarizer making colors look richer, and most often, better.

I mostly like this shot, but the very shallow depth of field is a sight bit of a turn-off for me. His shirt, and her hand, kind of distracting to me due to being rendered out of focus. This shot is high on "realism" and veracity...having the OOF parts does not really add to that feeling of realism or veracity, but instead looks like a creative choice that leaves only a small bit of the frame in crisp focus. Their gaze, her eyes, her long lashes, her good teeth, her smile, and his (wrinkled) face are all nice elements; but, on the other hand, his very OOF hair, he OOF wallet and shirt, her hand on his shoulder--those things are "in the photo", and are "there"...but are rendered out of focus...that causes a disconnect.

Just my 2.5 cents..YMMV.

 

[Evertking]

I would not count on the ND filter making colors look better. But I would count on a good circular polarizer making colors look richer, and most often, better.

I mostly like this shot, but the very shallow depth of field is a sight bit of a turn-off for me. His shirt, and her hand, kind of distracting to me due to being rendered out of focus. This shot is high on "realism" and veracity...having the OOF parts does not really add to that feeling of realism or veracity, but instead looks like a creative choice that leaves only a small bit of the frame in crisp focus. Their gaze, her eyes, her long lashes, her good teeth, her smile, and his (wrinkled) face are all nice elements; but, on the other hand, his very OOF hair, he OOF wallet and shirt, her hand on his shoulder--those things are "in the photo", and are "there"...but are rendered out of focus...that causes a disconnect.

Just my 2.5 cents..YMMV.

Thank you and appreciate it.
So, ya think the 3 stop would be a waste?

 

[TreeofLifeStairs]

I’ve not heard of a nd filter changing the colors. At least not intentionally.

The cp takes some getting used to. I’d suggest getting some good practice in before using it on a shoot.

You’ve posted a number of pics from that session. I think this was the best so far. The DoF didn’t bother me the same way as @Derrel but I am viewing it on my iPhone so it could be a size thing. What did distract me was the back of his shirt. Is that light coming through a tree or does his shirt really have that spotted faded coloration?


Sent from my iPhone using ThePhotoForum.com mobile app

 

[snowbear115 46]

I've read that some NDs will cause a cool cast. I haven't bothered to check mine since I shoot raw and set WB in post. It might be an issue for me in film, though.

 

[Evertking]

Thanks, that light coming through the trees was awful so I turned them so it was not on their face but it got the shirt and I tried frequency separation to bring it down and it started looking funny so I just left it. I get caught up in the details and try and fix everything and people more than likely don't even notice those things. Does that makes sense?
I would post the link to the ND but don't know if it's a rule breaker. But anyway... Thanks and I aooappreci all the feedback

 

[Evertking]

I've read that some NDs will cause a cool cast. I haven't bothered to check mine since I shoot raw and set WB in post. It might be an issue for me in film, though.

Yeah, I have noticed this also. If you look at Zack Gray and Kyle Congs work. You will see this look to them. And I, with all my geniuues wissdom have came to the conclusion that this "LOOK" is the ND filter. Now, I could be wrong as all get out but.. maybe someone with some experience can explain it.
I understand it as the ND filter will allow the flash to not work as hard and give you more power than HSS, right?

 

[Derrel]

I'm pretty sure that they are using the ND filter as a way to effectively cut down the brightness of the sunlight, to overcome shutter synch speed limitations using non-HSS type flash bursts. So, for example, let's use the so-called Sunny 16 rule as an example, and say that the correct exposure is the ISO speed for the shutter speed. So, if we use ISO of 200, then the shutter speed would be set to 1/200 second, at f/16, in sunlight. And that would be the correct, Sunny 16 exposure. But let's say we do not want to use f/16; what to do,using our regular,non-High Speed Sync type flash? Well, add a 3-stop ND filter over the lens, and then we can still shoot at 1/200 second, but can open up the lens three whole f/stop values, from f/16 up a stop, to f/11; the second stop from 11 to f/8; and the third full stop, is to f/5.6, which with a longer lens and typical portrait distance, will give a more-defocused background than f/16 would have given.

The F/stoppers website had a nice,short article on the benefits of using a polarizing filter for portraiture, a couple years ago.

 

[Evertking]

I'm pretty sure that they are using the ND filter as a way to effectively cut down the brightness of the sunlight, to overcome shutter synch speed limitations using non-HSS type flash bursts. So, for example, let's use the so-called Sunny 16 rule as an example, and say that the correct exposure is the ISO speed for the shutter speed. So, if we use ISO of 200, then the shutter speed would be set to 1/200 second, at f/16, in sunlight. And that would be the correct, Sunny 16 exposure. But let's say we do not want to use f/16; what to do,using our regular,non-High Speed Sync type flash? Well, add a 3-stop ND filter over the lens, and then we can still shoot at 1/200 second, but can open up the lens three whole f/stop values, from f/16 up a stop, to f/11; the second stop from 11 to f/8; and the third full stop, is to f/5.6, which with a longer lens and typical portrait distance, will give a more-defocused background than f/16 would have given.

The F/stoppers website had a nice,short article on the benefits of using a polarizing ,filter for portraiture, a couple years ago.[/QUOT

Thanks! Is there really any difference between HHS or the ND?? I wii search and see what I can find. How do you think the focus would be through a 3 stop on a 6d?

 

[Derrel]

There's a lot of difference between HSS and using a 3-stop ND filter. One is High Speed Sync flash, and full-daylight viewing...the other is using the camera with "sunglasses on"...

 

[Evertking]

There's a lot of difference between HSS and using a 3-stop ND filter. One is High Speed Sync flash, and full-daylight viewing...the other is using the camera with "sunglasses on"...

Would I be able to move the light further back with a ND filter as opposed to the HSS placed up close?

 

[Derrel]

I suppose that would depend on the actual, specific lights in question, and their power options: some lights dial down to 1/128 power, others only to 1/16 Power---a huge difference. Some
Lights are ttl and can emit incredibly tiny blips of light, others cannot.

I can't answer your question as asked.