Pic(k) of the week 13: Silky waters in Dubai
While in Photography we are often fighting the lack of light, sometimes there can also be too much light... One of the remedies for the latter one, is using a "neutral density filter" (ND). While these dark filters are used to reduce the amount of light entering the lens, a side effect allows us to make the exposure time longer. Needless to say that a good sturdy tripod is a must under these conditions.
On some of these filters, one can select a given amount of darkness by turning the front filter element; even though these Vari-ND filters are often more pricey, they allow for much more flexibility.
While setting up for some night photography near Dubai Marina, I wanted to start by photographing some of the rocks on a nearby beach. Even though the sun had just set, normal exposure without the filter, was still giving me less than half a second of exposure time using a small aperture of f16. This would have been not sufficient to blur the water.
Adding a Vari-ND filter, it reduced the light by 5 stops of light (EV) and therefore increased the exposure time to the needed 20s. Perfect for the silky look of the water I was after...
Image details:
FujiFilm Sexy1 (X-E1) with the 18-55 lens
ISO 200, 43mm, f11, 20s
RAW development in Lightroom 4.4. RC
Nik ColorEfex for contrast and colour fine-tuning
To continue on the subject of landscape photography, I'm presently spending a week in Alentejo, Portugal. Expect some more landscape images in the coming weeks.
Till then,
remember, "Water is the driving force in nature" - Leonardo da Vinci
BJORN
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