ND Filter advice needed for beginner

[The Pielander]

I'm going to be visiting the Elan Valley next month and I'd like to take some pictures of the dams with the water blurred out as you see in shots of waterfalls etc. I think this is where ND filters are used but I have no idea where to start I have a canon 10-22mm lens for starters but as the filters are relatively expensive I can't afford to buy a load to try out. Do I need 'straight' ND or graduated?

Can anyone recommend a particular make and model of filter for a complete beginner that is compatible with my lens, and that might give me some encouraging results?

 

[EOS7Pete]

personally, I would use FULL for waterfall shots. I am sure other people have different views. Grads maybe more of a benifit for any shots with a skyline to use them on. If you need to start of on a cheap budget, try a Cokin Filter Holder, with KOOD filters. They are not the best, but will be good enough to kick you of on a starter. Cokin are better than Kood, but Cokin are far from the best.

 

[Jim.R]

A normal ND is what you need
What you're probably thinking of is the B+W 10 stop ND, which gets used in quite a lot of the milky water type shots on here. This is a screw in (circular) filter rather than one that slots into a holder. This is desitable in this case as being a screw on, it doesn't let any stray light in.
Your 10-22 has 77mm filter thread (one of the largest), so if you buy the filter to fit that, you just need to get some step down adaptors to use it on your other lenses.

EDIT - Also, have a search on here for "welding glass". You can get this dirt cheap off eBay (as opposed to the filters, which are £££££) and it has the same effect).

As mentoined, ND Grads are used to hold back part of an image (usually the sky) and you are best getting the slot in filters for these as you are able to vary where about in the image the graduation falls, wiithout re-composing the shot just by moving the filter up and down in the holder.

 

[Donki]

You want the full ND filters not the grad ones (they are used when there is a bright sky and not so bright land).

Firstly if you are shotting in a forest where it cant be dark and shaded you may not need a filter at all simply keep you ISO low and use a smaller aperture about F16 and this can be enough to get the effect you are wanting (depending on how much light you have to play with).

If your going for a filter you have to decide if you want a filter kit ie holder and filers or just use a screw in filter?