CPLs and Moab

In a few weeks, I am taking a week-long trip to Moab. Would you consider a good, high-quality polarizer a must have item for Moab landscapes? Having just started photography last summer, I haven't purchased any filters yet and I'm thinking about doing so before I go. These will be my first true landscape attempts and I will be out shooting nearly every day.

Thanks,
Bryan

A polarizer would certainly be useful. Also a tripod for bracketing those high dynamic range or for making panorama shots.

In a word, "yes." A couple of ND grad filters would be useful as well.

Thanks for the replies!

I hadn't looked at ND Grad filters before, so I just spent some time researching them here on POTN. In order to help fellow newbies that may be reading this thread too, I learned that a graduated neutral density filter works by stopping down the light so you can better expose for areas that would normally be blown out. For example, on a landscape scene where the foreground is not as bright as the sky. Without a ND grad filter, you could blow out the bright sky when you expose for the darker foreground. But a ND grad filter allows you to stop down the bright sky, allowing for a better exposure in relationship to the foreground. I learned that you can slide the filter around to position it in the frame where needed. I also learned that you can buy a ND grad with a soft or hard edge. This simply defines the area on the filter that transitions from the stopped down light to the part on the filter that is not stopped down at all. And last but not least, there are different filters for controlling how much light is stopped down. (1 stop, 2 stops, or 3 stops)

I do have a couple of questions:

1) Is there any way to achieve a similar effect in post-production?
2) Are square ND grad filters the best way to go? (I saw some round ones on B&H)
3) Does anyone have a picture of the contraption that holds the square filters on their camera and in-use?
4) Are they a hassle to use?

Thanks!
Bryan

1) Is there any way to achieve a similar effect in post-production?Yes, via HDR, but you need several shots at various exposures to get it right (well, at least 3 shots).
2) Are square ND grad filters the best way to go? (I saw some round ones on B&H) Yes.
3) Does anyone have a picture of the contraption that holds the square filters on their camera and in-use? Go to B&H Photo's website and search for Cokin or Lee filter holders (Cokin P size)
4) Are they a hassle to use? No more than any other filter.

One thing about GND filters for landscape work, especially the type you will see in Moab. The graduation from dark to light is very difficult to position on lines that are not straight; mountians, hills, mole hills. You end up with a dark portion at the highest point of land because the filter is too low or a bright spot in the sky because the filter is too high. This can be very difficult to overcome in PP. The photos I see that get the most advantage from a GND seem to be from flat areas, such as the mid west or large valleys, or pictures over large bodies of water.

I have and use Cokin P series filters. I believe they are the best for the money and allow you to use them on different sized lens with just an adapter rather than having another $100 filter. The Lee brand is said to be better but that is debatable. It can be a pain to use a CP and the GND filter together. If you do this a lot make sure to break the small tab off of the holder to allow it to spin without rotating the CP.

You don't have to do HDR to get exposure blending. The same thing can be done with 2 to 3 exposures and then layering them in PS. This sometimes works better because you have greater control and they don't look overdone like some HDR's do. Sometimes it is easier to just let an HDR software do it's magic. Each is different and it depends on your skill level in post processing.

The most important accessory you can take to Moab is a heavy-weight plastic trash bag large enough for your camera, your two largest lenses, and both of your hands. Wind+sand=disaster for changing lenses.

I assume you are bringing a tripod as well.

inward/outward wrote in post #4924715
I assume you are bringing a tripod as well.

Most definitely.

I'm really looking forward to this trip. I've spent an extensive amount of time in Moab (around 50-60 trips) but that was before I got into photography. I know the area very well and I'm looking forward to the opportunity to capture some of the things I've seen. However, considering that I'm very new to photography, and have a lot to learn, I'm sure I'll have to go back again and again as I continue to learn more.

Bryan

Post some shots after the trip.

Enjoy!

IO

Thanks again for all of the input on this thread! I'll definitely post some images when I return.

In eddarr's post, he made a good point: it may be difficult to line up a ND grad with a horizon that has tall formations in it, such as rock formations or mountains that are up-close. I wonder if a post-production tool like this in Aperture 2 could help bring the original color back to the sky if it was over/underexposed. Of course, this color-correction tool wouldn't help bring back highlights that were blown out, but perhaps Aperture 2's recovery tool could help mitigate this problem.

I'm not suggesting that post-production is the answer to everything, but I'm wondering if it is becoming a viable solution, especially in a situation like this.

Bryan

bps wrote in post #4920039
I do have a couple of questions:

1) Is there any way to achieve a similar effect in post-production?
2) Are square ND grad filters the best way to go? (I saw some round ones on B&H)
3) Does anyone have a picture of the contraption that holds the square filters on their camera and in-use?
4) Are they a hassle to use?

Thanks!
Bryan

1.) Yes. Provided your camera is mounted on a tripod, you can take two separate exposures (one for sky, other for foreground) and blend in Photoshop or other image-editing software. Just make sure that you adjust the shutter speed and not the aperture to account for the exposure variation...this will maintain the DOF in the image. You don't necessarily need to worry about HDR.

2.) Yes. Square and rectangular GND's let you adjust the demarcation line to suit your composition. Can't do that with round ones.

3.) See below for pic. Its my 5D/17-40L with two GND's and a Lee CPL mounted in front. I prefer the Lee holder, and I'm using Hitech filters.

4.) Not necessarily once you get used to them. It does take a little bit of practice at first to "see" the demarcation line but its not difficult.

GND filters are the best accessory I have ever bought (well, maybe after a battery grip).

You can try to get a similar effect in PP, but it takes longer and very rarely looks as good.

Thanks argyle! Your picture helped me bring it all together. It's much easier to understand now that I've seen it in a real-world set-up.

Bryan