Edit question

I found this photographer on Flickr and love the look. I was wondering how they get the smooth water and that gloomy fog like feel?

https://www.flickr.com​/photos/windrides/

neutral density filter and a very long exposure.

edit: many of them are done in post.

As Left Handed Brisket said, the photographer used a neutral density filter (probably a 10 stop like Lee Big Stopper) and a long exposure. It looks like the EXIF info had been stripped out of the images otherwise you would've been able to see exactly how long the shutter was open.

Thanks guys! I will have to look into one of those filters. Really like that look.

Really they are this cheap??

http://www.amazon.com …427203403&rnid=​1258872011

http://www.bhphotovide​o.com …2673_55mm_x_0_7​5_101.html

I also see there are different densities?

Cost will obviously vary depending on brand and filter size. Cheap brands will often degrade image quality more so than premium ones. Different ND filters block different amounts of light. Each value of 0.3 blocks out 1 stop of light. So a 0.3 ND filter blocks out 1 stop, 0.6 = 2 stops... 3.0 = 10 stops

So the link I posted above, do you think he uses a darker filter?

It would be hard to tell without the full EXIF data because you don't know the exposure settings as well as how much natural light was present.

mamaof2 wrote in post #17489634
So the link I posted above, do you think he uses a darker filter?

I doubt that he used a .3 ND (1 stop) filter. It's more likely a 10 stop, 3.0 ND one.

Ok thanks again guys!

So I did not know you can send a message in flickr (yes I am blonde ). I wrote him and asked...

You can get something like that if you use a 10 stop ND filter and you paint your photos with gradients in photoshop.
The editing takes many hours.

See POTN thread: Show us the motion of your water ! for ND filter examples

https://photography-on-the.net …php?t=904067&go​to=newpost

mamaof2 wrote in post #17489583
I found this photographer on Flickr and love the look. I was wondering how they get the smooth water and that gloomy fog like feel?

https://www.flickr.com​/photos/windrides/

Heya,

First, those are composites. A long exposure image, with something else layered in. There's more post work in these photos than actual photon capturing. They're probably black and white because the filters are extremely dense and the discoloration is probably too heavy to deal with even in post for whatever he's using (just a guess); they may also just like B+W for the mood.

Just looking at some the sky shots, they look like at MINIMUM 10 stop filters at morning/evening to allow for very long exposure (2 minutes to 8 minutes) to get that level of smear. Alternatively a 30 second smear at those times of day (morning/evening) with some post work (further bluring) will do it too. So it could go either way.

Bottom line is, if you want to smear water without doing all the post work and you want to do it in camera, it takes filters. 10 stop filters are the start for this if you want the glass like smear, fog/mist look. Even then you still want to try and do it in the morning and evening as the sun is not directly hitting the water yet, it's the best time.

You could get a single normal filter that is 10 stops by Hoya/B+W and be set. But this will not account for the difference in sky and foreground. This is why a lot of us use plate filters (squares and rectangles) to allow for several filters stacked, one high stop power, and then some gradual ones that have a clear side and darker side to blend in sky without touching the foreground.

I do not recommend you even play with cheap filters. It's a waste of money. If you really want to do it, choose between a single high stop filter that is normal (like a 10 stop (3.0x) Hoya or B+W), or a plate system with a filter holder and 2 filters (a high stop filter, like 6 stops or 10 stops, and a gradual soft/hard edge 3 stop as a starting point, Lee & HiTech make great ones that are easy to get, as do Haida.

Some extreme smears are done with 16 stops. I've done 8 minute high-noon long exposures using 16 stops of stacked filters.

Also you'll want an intravalometer. This allows you to use your camera in Bulb mode so that you can then program the exposure time as long as you want.

I use the Lee Big Stopper (10 stops). And I use 3 stop soft edge gradual ND filters by Format HiTech for my skies, stacked on my Big Stopper. I only ever use these two filters for everything I do.

For times when I do not need the gradual ND filter, I have two normal filters (threaded, non-plates) that are 3 stops each, so I can do 3 or 6 stops in a quick motion. I use this in dense areas with no sky involvement, like creeks, rivers, etc, or when I'm shooting wide aperture in bright sun, etc.

Here's some examples:

No filters used in this one, this was at around midnight, using only the moon's light, at F4:

2 minutes:

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oFju​tb

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oDuM​AS

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/oH8f​sn

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/rbLG​g1

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qDZK​wL

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ryGN​Co

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/qDZH​S3

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/ruKQ​Ds

Wow can not thank you enough for writing this all up for me! There is a lot more to it then I thought that is for sure. I love the way the pictures look so I really want to get a filter and start messing with it. You will prob hear from me again .

Thanks so much!


I sent you a PM

Choderboy wrote in post #17490533
See POTN thread: Show us the motion of your water ! for ND filter examples

https://photography-on-the.net …php?t=904067&go​to=newpost

Thanks for sharing this post! I will check it out.