Bryce in Black + Edit

[JimFox]

Black and White that is.

One from Bryce Canyon in Utah from a few years back. I used to use ND filters more back then, and in this case the ND filter caused quite an odd color cast to the sky. So after working on this for too long to try and get the sky to look right in color, I just went with B&W.

This is a shot where I will probably donate the original to Ben so we can use it in Let's Play sometime.

All comments are welcome,

Jim

This is the edit based on Alan's suggestion.

 

[AlanLichty]

This works as a B&W but the hoodoos seem a little on the flat side.

Even the most neutral of ND filters will leave a magenta cast to the skies. I typically use a graduated filter in Lightroom to isolate the area covered by the GND filter and correct the color cast with Temp and Tint.

 

[JimFox]

This works as a B&W but the hoodoos seem a little on the flat side.

Even the most neutral of ND filters will leave a magenta cast to the skies. I typically use a graduated filter in Lightroom to isolate the area covered by the GND filter and correct the color cast with Temp and Tint.

Hmm, I think in the conversion they did lose a life from the color version.

This is an old archive shot, so I was still using real ND filters, and usually they didn't give off much of a cast, but on this particular morning the light was such that they did. I don't use Lightroom, just Photoshop and for my photos today I use layer masks as they are easy to contour to the exact shape of the horizon.

The benefit of using a real life ND Grad is that they eliminate bracketing. You can take one photo and you have your image. So there is much to be said for that. Now most of us today are used to bracketing and blending, so it's not that big of a deal, but there is still something to be said for getting it in one shot.

 

[Ben Egbert]

I like this one. I also had trouble with my Lee ND grads and eventually got rid of them.

 

[JimFox]

I like this one. I also had trouble with my Lee ND grads and eventually got rid of them.

Thanks Ben.

I think no matter what they say most brands could have some color cast, I think it depends on the light as to whether the color cast is obvious or it ends up being beneficial and maybe provides a slight boost to a sunset or sunrise. Usually the ND Grads were a benefit I found. My biggest issue was to use one seamlessly so there was no tell tale sign was they were really only useful (to me) when the horizon was flat. In mountain environments I wouldn't like using them because then the mountain would get too dark.

I think today most people use layer masks or use the graduated filter like Alan mentioned.

 

[AlanLichty]

Almost the only time I will use one anymore is for coastal shots where the horizon is flat and I have waves I want to capture along with a sunset without blending. Mountains and even sea stacks can be messy to isolate although Lightroom will now let you create masks for their graduated filters.

 

[Ben Egbert]

I spent some time at the Galen Rowell gallery in Bishop and I could always see the nd grad line in his images. Once the NR got better, I stopped using them. I also think I have all the into the sun images I need, and ten to go to places with light at my back. This greatly reduces the need for grads.

 

[JimFox]

Added an Edit.

 

[Ben Egbert]

I like the edit, but was ok with the original.

 

[AlanLichty]

I like the edit - much better definition of the hoodoos.

 

[Jim Dockery]

I like the edit.

 

[JimFox]

I like the edit - much better definition of the hoodoos.

I like the edit.

Thanks you guys, I am glad you like the edit, and thanks Alan for pointing it out.