A moody May day at Dudley
I recently bought a set of lens filters and I was particularly excited about the neutral density (ND) filter. ND filters cut down on the light reaching the cameras sensor (or film) and thus allows longer exposures in bright light.
Given the recent rainy weather, I thought it would be a great opportunity to get some moody beach scenes. So I headed to Dudley beach.
I love the effect the long exposures have on the water, giving it a smooth blur. Very serene. However, I found that the variable ND filter I was using had rather severe vignetting when it was cranked right down and I was using a wide focal length. You can see a little of it in the above image in the top left and bottom right.
While reviewing the images at home, I noticed that the long exposure emphasised any dust that was present on the lens. I made an effort to remove the spots in post, but you can probably still find a few in the images here.
I really enjoyed spending some time at the beach today. Waiting for the long exposures makes you slow down a bit and enjoy the atmosphere. I’d like to get some fixed ND filters so that I can capture wide photos without the vignetting. I’d also like to try out this technique in some busy places as people in motion are effectively invisible in long exposures.