ND Grad soft filters - How do you place them on a non straight horizon?

[Gandhi]

I think that you are always going to need a solution to cope with different variations in brightness. I think the best one is to adjust the shot to suit the scene, and maybe back it up with some subtle filtration. HDR is a good tool but beyond a certain point it stops being photography and starts to become CGI with the final image no longer representing the true scene.

Back to the OP.......

Stacking soft grads the way Les described has always worked for me. Sometimes you have to accept that you can't get the perfect exposure though and then it's a matter of judgement as to exactly how you want to portray the subject.

 

[HuntingMartians]

What's not to like about HDR?

Richard.

Everything

By that logic, Low DR must be better then

Then your logic is seriously flawed. As I never once mentioned anything worse or better. Dislike is it not synonymous with "worse".

I could dislike it and think it is a good or the worst solution for increasing dynamic range with current technologies. Then that would make your logic seriously flawed as previosuly said.

I dislike HDR as it gives a horrible representation of a scene. I think you might as well paint something on canvas if you do HDR. I much prefer ND filters to give a far better photograph.

 

[HoppyUK]

HM, your confusing semantics are lost on me, but no matter

I agree that if HDR is overdone it looks false. But the same can also be said of grads when they're over-used. But to dismiss HDR out of hand seems a bit narrow minded. Photographers have been trying to extend dynamic range by all sorts of techniques since the dawn of time, and I think this is unquestionably a good thing. By conceding that you like grads (I assume that's what you mean by ND) then you must also think HDR techniques are good, at least in principle - it's HDR technique under another guise. So I still don't understand why there is "everything" not to like about HDR.

And I hope I'm right in assuming you mean a grey grad when referring to ND filters. An ND filter (Neutral Density) has no effect on dynamic range at all.

Regards,

Richard.

 

[HuntingMartians]

And I hope I'm right in assuming you mean a grey grad when referring to ND filters. An ND filter (Neutral Density) has no effect on dynamic range at all.

Regards,

Richard.

A graduated Neutral Denisty filter is still a ND filter, And yes, ND filters are grey.

 

[HuntingMartians]

But like other people say the debate on computer assisted HDR can go on and on and has been done may times on these forums. Is there really a need to go down this route again?

 

[Mr.Orb]

How about bracketing the exposures and blending the sky in photoshop or something? Don't end up with the hdr look then.

 

[HoppyUK]

...the debate on computer assisted HDR can go on and on and has been done may times on these forums. Is there really a need to go down this route again?

No. Sorry, I'm a newbee and I'm sure I've got nothing new to add on this one. But I do think it's important to use the least ambiguous terminology, whatever the debate

Richard.