Balmacarra Neutral Density Filter Test

Today I experienced one of those forehead slapping moments when I finally realized the value of neutral density filters as the images hit my LCD. On some level I’d always understood how they affected the ways certain elements could be photographed in the middle of the day, bud I’d never fully appreciated how dramatic the difference could be. While shooting a quick series of test photos at Balmacarra beach in Victoria, BC, I was astonished to see how the addition of a neutral density filter changed my photography.

Behind the scenes: The screenshot below illustrates the difference between the same scene shot at f/22 with and without an 8 stop neutral density filter. Both images were processed with the same Lightroom settings.

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