This guy is one of the best presenters on UA-cam with his warm, friendly and natural style - and more importantly, I have learnt so much from him, and for this, I say thank you Mike, if you are reading this! Excellent stuff!
Loves: 1) Your ability to pass your knowledge, in a simple way 2) The different situations you chose to present to us 3) Your fine English accent... Hates: 1) I m not a hater 2) I respect the work of other people 3) Love, love, love I liked so much that tutor... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU (Dont forget the camerawoman -> Thank you too... Nice video!) Greetings from Greece... PS. Sorry for my bad English
Thank you. Yes, there are different densities of ND filter and you choose the one for the job. If you only want to lose a couple of stops for a wider aperture ND2 is perfect. I was being extreme here wanting to blur movement so needed to lose lots of light and still had to use a small aperture to get shutter slow enough
Thank you AeroImagery. That's really cool to know your daughter is into our vids too. It is a lot of work but I find it really rewarding when you guys and girls get Eureka moments. And the vids are also an ad for my ebooks and workshops too of course.
Yes I have adjusted density and contrast a bit which i always do. And yes you can correct a colour cast in camera raw. Take a shot of a white card through the filter so you can copy and paste the WB settings over.
Hi Kieron - absolutely. There is a slight risk of light flare creeping round the holder if they don't have padding like the Lee. But i've done it before using 2 or 3 Cokin's and a polarising filter all together.
You have just opened a whole new chapter in my photography learning experience. I love landscape and living in S.W. US where mountains, deserts, rivers and lakes are everywhere filter shooting will help me to create amazing shots. Well done sir!!!
Thank you. Some cameras do leak a bit of light through the viewfinder. Mine certainly do. If i put my thumb over the viewfinder when looking at the light meter in the LCD there's almost a 1 stop difference. I'm not a technical expert but it could be because my cameras are a bit old now and well hammered.
I just purchased a 10-stop ND filter today for a photo workshop in Iceland. Thanks for the video lesson. Now I won't look totally inept when it comes time to use it.
As ever a brilliant instructional video Mike, I couldn't agree more with your comments below about the individual decided wether between the expense of a high end product against a budget alternative. £100 for one filter is a huge expense for someone starting out on their own especially when there are sets available for around £30 which will give similar results (at lower resolutions). The difference in quality will be apparent when the images are going to be used in large print formats. Everything said you can always buy the superior product as an when your business budget grows and the need arises. Great video Mike.
Yes Mike, I think you should consider making one. The efforts that you (and your dedicated team) put in is phenomenal. Even my 15 yr daughter loves your videos amongst so many others on you-tube. As she says, "... and they go to so many places, at different times of day and night, just to make theses small clips. But actually its so many days work...."
Hey Clint. Thank you. One of the great things about digital cameras is it costs no extra to give it a go. And if it doesn't work it's just a lesson learnt.
Mike and Laura, thanks again. Im not a photographer but I get a great deal of pleasure being out and about keeping myself happy taking pictures. I am on the tightest of budgets and to save for one of these 'stoppers' would take me about 6 weeks. That's without the adaptor rings etc etc. It took me months to save for my D7100 but I treasure it like I do my children! After watching this video I have decided to start saving hard and treat myself. Love all your vids. And I like cheese.
I have watched several of your videos. Congratulations! You are one of the few photographers on You Tube that knows what he is doing. Going through your camera bag you might have been going through mine! I thought I was the only one who carried a compass, Sticky Tac, gaffer tape and the lot. Your videos are interesting and spot on! Thanks a bunch and keep putting out that good advice and info!
When you make an exposure the mirror flips up to reveal the sensor to the shutter. Using the mirror lock up you can flip the mirror a few seconds before opening the shutter so any vibrations (which could cause a blurred image through camera shake) can die away. Camera shake can be a big problem with long exposures. A heavy tripod with a metal head helps eliminate it, I used mirror lock up for additional protection.
Yes - Big Stoppers ten towards the blue. you can minimise it by setting a cloudy / shade white balance - but it's only a couple of clicks to correct it in post production which is how I do it.
My learning curve yust had a giant leap watching this well spent 15 min.video. The closeup of Lee's big stopper exposure guide at 6.11 min. Until now I thought ~ when you have 1,000th of a second without the filter you need to click it up 10 times to 2 seconds.... with the big stopper(10 stops). Yust downloaded the Lee big stopper guide app which contain charts for the 6 stop - 10 stop and the 16 stop. So easy to use! Thank you Mike for saving my first fieldtrip with the big stopper from beeing a big downer to probarly a promising and inspiring trip!
@@MikeBrowne Hi Mike - I had a great debut trip with my new 10 stopper thanks to you! I find it convivient to have both RAW and Jpeg so I can see the picture right after taken it. There's yust something I can't figure out.. When I set up my tripod down with the sea - then take 2-3 shots at automode with autofocus with wide area and no filters so I can see the shuttertime due to the bigstopper shuttertime. Then put on a CPL and a 10 stop and switch over to manual. I didn't do any focosing after that. My question: Will the camera (Sony 7) stick with the same focus after switching from auto to manuell-mode? Or will the camera 'forget' the focus I had in automode? Here's 2 shots from yesterday's trip. www.pexels.com/photo/cpl-nd1000-10stops-f14-16mm-30sek-3993792/
Thanks also for your videos to keep someone who understood the English language not so well understands. I've been so well understood, and wish I also called such a big purchase stopper. I would like to get on with it. With greetings from an old male from Belgium
So glad I found you! Your videos are clear and to the point, you are also a skilled professional, who does not mind giving up your time and tips to newcomers to photography like myself, and make it easy to understand. Thank you, I look forward to watching all your vids, and recommending you my friends!
Thank you - Very good point. If i was using anything other than that huge manfrotto tripod then definitely. But that thing weighs a ton and with me sheltering it...
Thanks Mike,my big stopper was gathering dust after the initial first burst when I got it,your clip will encourage me to dust it off :) Just to mention a little matter you didnt cover here,with exposures over 30 secs switch to bulb mode. Thanks again,glad ye got the coffee :)
It's good practise to make sure the camera doesn;t vibrate when the mirror jumps up. I meant to do it on all of them but what with remembering where I have to stand, points to cover etc - I forgot. Luckily my old manfrotto tripod weighs a ton so no worries.
Thank you mervyn. Lee's are excellent but at the top end of the price range. Cokin are OK and I hear stories about making them from the glass in a welders mask. Search ND filters online and I'm sure you'll find loads.
Thank you. And no worries about not liking the images in this one. As with all things creative it's subjective. What one person likes another may not. It'd be a boring world indeed if we all liked the same things.
Thanks Jenny. I've been wondering if I should do a film about this (and more about me maybe?) because i get asked about it quite a lot. I'm looking into it and hope to have something fairly soon. If anyone else is interested please comment...
hi, thanks for your videos.................once you set your camera and took a test shot you put on the lens.......did you focus the camera again ? it must focus okay with such a dark lens on the front I suppose
Hi Mike Thanks for the Vid. As a beginner, I am finding your videos of the greatest worth. Very informative and simple to understand, Two thumbs up mate. Cheers
Thank you Damian Alleyn it's great to know they're helping. Please help us spread the word and grow the community by 'liking' 'G+ing', sharing our videos and linking to us on photo forums, Facebook etc
I had the feeling that getting a D7100 + 50 mm f1.8G + Manfrotto tripod would cover all my requirements. But it seems, the more you invest, the more are the possibilities. CPL, ND, Flash Diffuser. Turning out to be an expensive hobby :D
It does feel like that sourav de It's like learning new stuff. The more you learn about something the more you realise there is still more to learn... Fun though :-)
I absolutely love using my 10 stop filter, another fun use for them is in busy cities, where the long shutter speed makes everything moving just disappear, so you can even make a busy London street look like a ghost town :)
I have been studying & trying long Exposure for about 6 months now. Thank you for your video. My question is: After I focus & then switch to M does any of the movements I'm making ie putting on filter cause any movement in the focus?
Sandeep Krishnan mike only uses Fuji xt1 camera which is a compact system camera - so i think he can only speak on what he uses, but i will ask him when he gets back - MELISSA ( for Mike )
Mike, Just geting into photography and find your videos really helpful and encouraging. Most of my work is record keeping for my job but really love long exposures and night time photography for me. Which is better in your opinions and possibly the advantages and dis-advantatures of a square filter like the Lea filter used here as a-posed to a screw on filter? Could you also maybe look at doing something on how to capture stars in your photos at night? Cheers Ross
Thanks Ross +Amanco85 I've never used a screw on ND filter but if it's optically good and you like working with one - go for it. And thanks for the Stars at Night suggestion. We'll see what we can do but it won't be for a while... - MIKE :-)
Thanks Mike for getting back to me Ill try both when I can afford to buy a good quality square filter. and even if its not for a while I really look forward to it.
Thank you wayne. The exposure depends on how much light there is where you are at the instant you take the exposure so I can't say if 8 sec will work or not unless I'm with you when you take the photo. Have a look at the exposure playlist and that will help you understand.. /playlist?list=PLeu1p5jL9GONyuUf92ngOvRN41TxrQsQ-
Hello Mike, I looked with passion at your tutorial and, after reading a lot about the ND filters, because I want to understand more about long exposures, I realise that you mentioned using the smallest aperture of the camera F22 which is in contrast to what other professional photographers recommend. When I say that I mean that after a certain value of aperture diffraction starts to kick in and it softens your images that they become unusable. From what I read on Internet, each lens has a sweet spot of the best sharpness corresponding to an aperture between certain values (for example F4.5 to F11) and beyond that the diffraction starts to kick in gradually the more you decrease the aperture. Can you reply with your thoughts? Regards
No worries Alex. Yes around f8 /f11 is the sweet spot, but what do you do if f8 or11 are too wide for the light levels, you need let's say 2 seconds and are already on your lowest iso? What would happen to the exposure, because too much light is getting in? If you don't have a 2nd ND filter to hand then the shot will be overexposed. So there's only one place left to go, smaller aperture. This is what i mean about Thinking like a photographer. I'm not saying these people are wrong, they're just not telling you the whole story... MIKE
G,day Mike I have been just on the edge of wanting to try some long exposure togophy but what has put me off has been all the tuts showing you how to take photos of waterfalls and the ocean I don't live near falls or ocean and was wondering if you could do this using other subjects as long as there was movement now I know it can be just clouds or grass or flags flapping in the wind I am happy to now try this myself thank you for showing us that I really am getting excited of getting my ND filter and getting started thank you again
Cool Sandy De Jong - try busy streets, fun fairs, trees on windy days and anything else that's moving, but with some solid stationary things like buildings etc in the composition as well. Love to see how you get on if you're up for posting a few pics on our Facebook page... facebook.com/DigitalPhotographyVideos
Hi Mike. Great tutorial. I saw the one before with you're friend Tom Mackey and I'm glad you've given up cheese gorging.ND filters are on my to buy list. Thanks, JA
I like this explanation but I'm wondering if a filter like this will help me when I'm doing sunrise/sunset shoots that include people in them? It was suggested that I get an ND filter as I have been blowing out my backgrounds. I'd really like to have the skies/clouds in my shots. Thanks so much!
Hi Shannon Whit Thanks. A high density ND will make for slow shutter speeds so you can blur movement. So the people will need to either keep still or let them move and you get a lovely blurry movement outline to them. To darken skies only you need an ND Graduated filter to darken the sky but not the entire image.
Thank you Ipadbloke. NDs up to about 4 stops you should be able to. But not with a 10 stop ND like the one I used in this video because not enough light gets trough for your camera to work out the exposure so you must do it your self the way i showed you.
I yanked and turned some wrenches, more than I would like my arms to; almost shocked myself as I fixed some heating systems for several different people. I now have the dough for a stopper. Now it is just thinking of where to use it in cold NYC. Excited, even though my arms are cursing me; they are probably puzzled as I told 'em I we were going to stop this type of activity:)
Great video Mike, big fan of your content. I’ve been looking at filters, I saw Cokin at first but then swaying towards glass filters such as Lee for the quality. If I get Lee filters, what would you suggest to start off with? Also Photography Show at NEC Birmingham next month, maybe see you there?
Thanks jkd1984. Which filter depends on what you want to shoot really. Suggest a couple of ND grads to darken skies down (assuming you're into landscapes) I'm pretty sure Lee do a starter pack so do a bit of googleing... Yep I'm speaking at Photoshow on the Monday at 12. Use this promo code and they'll give you 20% off your tickets - SPKTPS19 - Hopefully see you there... MIKE :-)
Can't believe people are nit picking over the use if 'A' and 'An', G.A.L. Anyway, great video as always Mike, very useful. Liked the piece of advice at the about going out and getting 3 great images as opposed to dozens of mediocre ones or just snapshots. Kind of echoes Jarid Polens (Froknowsphoto) about harking back to the back to the days of film when you only had 36 exposures etc and were limited with cost of developing, so you had to really think about what you were shooting.
Loved the video, thanks. Instead of blocking the rear viewfinder to prevent light leaking in, would it not work just as well to run the camera in Live View? (it may be a dumb question as I am totally new to DSLR photography, so don't laugh! - When I bought my 80D it came with a piece of rubber to do just as you have said. To be honest, I thought this was some sort of mistake / misprint or a joke, I never thought that they were serious, like I say, totally new to this so any explanations are most welcome - The other thing was about your choice of F stop. Why do you go for the f25 rather than opening up the aperture to take more advantage of the filter?
Thanks Richard. Yes I guess you could use live view. I never use it persoanlly, prefer a viewfider but don't see whay it wouldn't work. Aperture choice is to remove as much light as possible to slow the shutter. If it was wider open then the shutter speed would have to be faster to compensate. I know, photography is full of confusing stuff like back to front numbers. Please come take a look at my online beginners course. I know it'll help you. There's lots of free stuff about it's true, but if you don't know the right question (and how can anyone who's starting out) there will be gaps in what you need to know in order to make things work. Take a look and try a free sample at the link below... MIKE www.photographycourses.biz/ubc
Probably the best video I have seen on ND filters. I think one of the things I have been missing is using auto focus first and than setting it to manual for the shot.
Depends entirely on that you want from the photo John so there's no 'rule'. In small aperture shot it makes almost no difference because DOF with wide lens is massive. Here's a 2 part video about it... MIKE www.photographycourses.biz/videos/technical/getting-sharp-images/where-to-focus-Pt1
Thank you Christopher Please help us spread the word and grow the community by 'liking' 'G+ing', sharing our videos and linking to us on photo forums, Facebook etc
Hello Mike, First of all great video, this is the first that I've seen from you and I will surely check out more. I have a question for you though... first you focused on auto and then switched it to manual when you used the filter? Greetings from Romania
Thank you Adrian Luca cameras cannot auto focus through 10 stop ND filters because they are too dark so I focused first, switched to manual (effectively switching off AF) so focus wouldn't change when I pressed the shutter, put on the filter and made the exposure... Glad you like the video(s). Please help me grow the channel and make more free vids by sharing them here, on Facebook, forums etc :-)
hello mike, great video you did there. I want to ask something, you used f/22 in your video, wouldnt it make the image become soft? thanks for the advice mike.
This guy is one of the best presenters on UA-cam with his warm, friendly and natural style - and more importantly, I have learnt so much from him, and for this, I say thank you Mike, if you are reading this! Excellent stuff!
No question! :)
I agree!
Loves:
1) Your ability to pass your knowledge, in a simple way
2) The different situations you chose to present to us
3) Your fine English accent...
Hates:
1) I m not a hater
2) I respect the work of other people
3) Love, love, love
I liked so much that tutor... THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU
(Dont forget the camerawoman -> Thank you too... Nice video!)
Greetings from Greece...
PS. Sorry for my bad English
hi +Spyros Theodoratos thank you for the lovely comment! - MELISSA ( for Mike )
Thank you +Spyros Theodoratos - and your English is fine and much better than any 2nd language I speak - MIKE
i do love long exposure photography and the results it can give you, its like no other form of photography.
Thanks you two for another great film
Thank you. Yes, there are different densities of ND filter and you choose the one for the job. If you only want to lose a couple of stops for a wider aperture ND2 is perfect. I was being extreme here wanting to blur movement so needed to lose lots of light and still had to use a small aperture to get shutter slow enough
Thank you AeroImagery. That's really cool to know your daughter is into our vids too. It is a lot of work but I find it really rewarding when you guys and girls get Eureka moments. And the vids are also an ad for my ebooks and workshops too of course.
Yes I have adjusted density and contrast a bit which i always do. And yes you can correct a colour cast in camera raw. Take a shot of a white card through the filter so you can copy and paste the WB settings over.
Hi Kieron - absolutely. There is a slight risk of light flare creeping round the holder if they don't have padding like the Lee. But i've done it before using 2 or 3 Cokin's and a polarising filter all together.
You have just opened a whole new chapter in my photography learning experience. I love landscape and living in S.W. US where mountains, deserts, rivers and lakes are everywhere filter shooting will help me to create amazing shots. Well done sir!!!
delighted it helped ***** - Please help me make more videos like this one by sharing it with other photographers on forums, Facebook, Flickr etc.
You bet!
Your videos are simply the best tutorials on youtube, in my humble opinion.
Thank you. Some cameras do leak a bit of light through the viewfinder. Mine certainly do. If i put my thumb over the viewfinder when looking at the light meter in the LCD there's almost a 1 stop difference. I'm not a technical expert but it could be because my cameras are a bit old now and well hammered.
I just purchased a 10-stop ND filter today for a photo workshop in Iceland. Thanks for the video lesson. Now I won't look totally inept when it comes time to use it.
Our pleasure Mike Hailey Have fun with your new filter and don't ever worry what other people think - just go for it regardless :-)
As ever a brilliant instructional video Mike, I couldn't agree more with your comments below about the individual decided wether between the expense of a high end product against a budget alternative. £100 for one filter is a huge expense for someone starting out on their own especially when there are sets available for around £30 which will give similar results (at lower resolutions). The difference in quality will be apparent when the images are going to be used in large print formats. Everything said you can always buy the superior product as an when your business budget grows and the need arises. Great video Mike.
Thank you rayeasom - MIKE
I learnt more in this video than my 10 years if shooting !
Wow that's big praise I_troll_cows thank you
Yes Mike, I think you should consider making one. The efforts that you (and your dedicated team) put in is phenomenal. Even my 15 yr daughter loves your videos amongst so many others on you-tube. As she says, "... and they go to so many places, at different times of day and night, just to make theses small clips. But actually its so many days work...."
Hey Clint. Thank you. One of the great things about digital cameras is it costs no extra to give it a go. And if it doesn't work it's just a lesson learnt.
Yes - Hengistbury Head near Christchurch. I run workshops there every month and it's a great place for photography.
Mike and Laura, thanks again. Im not a photographer but I get a great deal of pleasure being out and about keeping myself happy taking pictures. I am on the tightest of budgets and to save for one of these 'stoppers' would take me about 6 weeks. That's without the adaptor rings etc etc. It took me months to save for my D7100 but I treasure it like I do my children! After watching this video I have decided to start saving hard and treat myself. Love all your vids. And I like cheese.
thank you +Busyboy 42 glad you are on fire, keep the passion burning! Melissa pp Mike :)
I have watched several of your videos. Congratulations! You are one of the few photographers on You Tube that knows what he is doing. Going through your camera bag you might have been going through mine! I thought I was the only one who carried a compass, Sticky Tac, gaffer tape and the lot. Your videos are interesting and spot on! Thanks a bunch and keep putting out that good advice and info!
I just watched this. Your teaching style is relaxed but thorough. I can't wait to get through all your other videos!
Thanks Jim - MIKE
When you make an exposure the mirror flips up to reveal the sensor to the shutter. Using the mirror lock up you can flip the mirror a few seconds before opening the shutter so any vibrations (which could cause a blurred image through camera shake) can die away. Camera shake can be a big problem with long exposures. A heavy tripod with a metal head helps eliminate it, I used mirror lock up for additional protection.
Never quite sure what a ND filter exactly does, but now I know. Many thanks for another excellent video.
FINALLY! I HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR THIS CHANNEL FOR 4 DAMN DAYS! I like how you teach photography.
Thanks TheRandomego delighted you like it. Please help me make more videos by sharing them with other photographers on forums etc.
I love "everything is ready for rock and roll"!!! Many thanks for the tips! You make all so easy...
Thanks Antonio Agb. And please share any of my vids you find helpful around - it helps me make more of them... MIKE
Yes - Big Stoppers ten towards the blue. you can minimise it by setting a cloudy / shade white balance - but it's only a couple of clicks to correct it in post production which is how I do it.
Just got my DSLR camera. Found your tutorial videos are concise but very informative.
Thank you very much and keep it up.
thank you Geoffrey! Melissa PP Mike
My learning curve yust had a giant leap watching this well spent 15 min.video. The closeup of Lee's big stopper exposure guide at 6.11 min. Until now I thought ~ when you have 1,000th of a second without the filter you need to click it up 10 times to 2 seconds.... with the big stopper(10 stops). Yust downloaded the Lee big stopper guide app which contain charts for the 6 stop - 10 stop and the 16 stop. So easy to use!
Thank you Mike for saving my first fieldtrip with the big stopper from beeing a big downer to probarly a promising and inspiring trip!
Thanks Falken, you're welcome... MIKE 🙏🙂
@@MikeBrowne Hi Mike - I had a great debut trip with my new 10 stopper thanks to you! I find it convivient to have both RAW and Jpeg so I can see the picture right after taken it. There's yust something I can't figure out.. When I set up my tripod down with the sea - then take 2-3 shots at automode with autofocus with wide area and no filters so I can see the shuttertime due to the bigstopper shuttertime. Then put on a CPL and a 10 stop and switch over to manual. I didn't do any focosing after that. My question: Will the camera (Sony 7) stick with the same focus after switching from auto to manuell-mode? Or will the camera 'forget' the focus I had in automode?
Here's 2 shots from yesterday's trip.
www.pexels.com/photo/cpl-nd1000-10stops-f14-16mm-30sek-3993792/
Wow that is cool, thanks for showing us! I think it makes landscapes look more peaceful and serene.
I love the emotion you have taking photos
Thanks also for your videos to keep someone who understood the English language not so well understands.
I've been so well understood, and wish I also called such a big purchase stopper.
I would like to get on with it.
With greetings from an old male from Belgium
Thank you Roy Verge - Greetings from an ageing man in UK :-)
So glad I found you! Your videos are clear and to the point, you are also a skilled professional, who does not mind giving up your time and tips to newcomers to photography like myself, and make it easy to understand. Thank you, I look forward to watching all your vids, and recommending you my friends!
Thank you. I think variable ND filters are a great idea and save space in your bag too.
Thank you - Very good point. If i was using anything other than that huge manfrotto tripod then definitely. But that thing weighs a ton and with me sheltering it...
I have an ND filter and never totally grasped the best way to use it. THANK YOU, this really helps.
Yes but you have to buy the Lee filter mount system. Have a look at their website
Great video Mike! I like how you take your time and explain things and show the before/after shots.
I am heading to Alaska for a BIG photo vacation and I am going to get an ND filter to try some shots, thanks for the inspiration!
Thanks John Hubickey - have fun and please come show us how you got on on our Facebook page facebook.com/DigitalPhotographyVideos
Thanks Mike,my big stopper was gathering dust after the initial first burst when I got it,your clip will encourage me to dust it off :) Just to mention a little matter you didnt cover here,with exposures over 30 secs switch to bulb mode. Thanks again,glad ye got the coffee :)
Top Gear for photographers
That would be DigitalRev
Sterby jr. But Mike is a true artist with the camera.
It's good practise to make sure the camera doesn;t vibrate when the mirror jumps up. I meant to do it on all of them but what with remembering where I have to stand, points to cover etc - I forgot. Luckily my old manfrotto tripod weighs a ton so no worries.
Thank you mervyn. Lee's are excellent but at the top end of the price range. Cokin are OK and I hear stories about making them from the glass in a welders mask. Search ND filters online and I'm sure you'll find loads.
outstanding video, I learn more about neutral density filters than any other time. thank you and keep up the great tutorials
Thanks. Please help me make more of them by sharing them around other photographers. .. MIKE :-)
Always good tutorials Mike! Thank you so much for helping out novice like me. Cheers from the Netherlands.
you're more than welcome Duuve - Melissa pp Mike
Thank you. And no worries about not liking the images in this one. As with all things creative it's subjective. What one person likes another may not. It'd be a boring world indeed if we all liked the same things.
Great information as always Mike....and good job Lorna!!...panning when you should and keeping Mike in frame well!!
I don't know why I bother with other "instructors." You're the best.
Thank you steve! - Melissa pp Mike
Thanks Steve - MIKE
The best photography tutorial in youtube !
Thanks Jenny. I've been wondering if I should do a film about this (and more about me maybe?) because i get asked about it quite a lot. I'm looking into it and hope to have something fairly soon. If anyone else is interested please comment...
Thanks Mike for the practical and logical explanation. Really enjoyed the video and learned plenty too.
Thanks David Johnson. Please share it around as that'll help me make more like it... MIKE :-0
Very true. I didn't want to get side tracked into explaining about sweet apertures and spots etc...
hi, thanks for your videos.................once you set your camera and took a test shot you put on the lens.......did you focus the camera again ? it must focus okay with such a dark lens on the front I suppose
Hi Terri, think you mean I put the filter on... No focus was done first because the AF can't 'see' through the filter... MIKE
Good Job Mike. I am going to test my Big Stopper soon and you gave me some good ideas thanks for helpful video.
Thanks for sharing some great tips. Now I can get out and experiment :)
Hi Mike
Thanks for the Vid. As a beginner, I am finding your videos of the greatest worth.
Very informative and simple to understand, Two thumbs up mate. Cheers
Thank you Damian Alleyn it's great to know they're helping. Please help us spread the word and grow the community by 'liking' 'G+ing', sharing our videos and linking to us on photo forums, Facebook etc
Thanks Mike for the video! Very helpful insight.
Happy to help William Barnwell Please help me make more videos by sharing them with other photographers on forums, Facebook, Flickr etc.
Great video. Would have been nice if you talked about your focusing method for the landscape shots. Did you use hyper focus?
Thanks Yardley - here's a 2 part series on where to focus. PT2 is more landscape based... www.photographycourses.biz/where_to_focus.html
Thanks
Yes there are. Lee, Cokin and others all make them for their filter systems.
Thanks Mike for the great videos, great to have a teacher that is so clear and easy to follow. Regards Pat
Thanks for the informative video. I like the pace and inspiration you encourage in the video.
I had the feeling that getting a D7100 + 50 mm f1.8G + Manfrotto tripod would cover all my requirements. But it seems, the more you invest, the more are the possibilities. CPL, ND, Flash Diffuser. Turning out to be an expensive hobby :D
It does feel like that sourav de It's like learning new stuff. The more you learn about something the more you realise there is still more to learn... Fun though :-)
I absolutely love using my 10 stop filter, another fun use for them is in busy cities, where the long shutter speed makes everything moving just disappear, so you can even make a busy London street look like a ghost town :)
It's the Lee adapter which is part of the Lee filter system
I have been studying & trying long Exposure for about 6 months now. Thank you for your video. My question is: After I focus & then switch to M does any of the movements I'm making ie putting on filter cause any movement in the focus?
HiRosalie. No, not as long as you're careful not to touch the focus ring as you do it... MIKE
No worries. All you need is a lockable cable release and set the camera to Bulb mode, then time it with your watch.
I love British english accent , much nicer than american accent. Mike is such a warm person and I love his videos.
thank you Sandeep Krishnan that's a lovely comment , it's flattering you are amuse by his accent. - MELISSA ( for Mike )
You are welcome Melissa :)
Thanks Sandeep Krishnan - MIKE
Hi Mike, if you had to recommend one lens for micro 4 thirds ( for great Bokeh, potraits and landsacpe) , what would you reommend
Sandeep Krishnan mike only uses Fuji xt1 camera which is a compact system camera - so i think he can only speak on what he uses, but i will ask him when he gets back - MELISSA ( for Mike )
Takes a bow - thank you
Thank you. They are lovely folk at that restaurant. And the food's great too. I take my workshop clients there for lunch... Tempted?
Mike,
Just geting into photography and find your videos really helpful and encouraging. Most of my work is record keeping for my job but really love long exposures and night time photography for me. Which is better in your opinions and possibly the advantages and dis-advantatures of a square filter like the Lea filter used here as a-posed to a screw on filter? Could you also maybe look at doing something on how to capture stars in your photos at night?
Cheers Ross
Thanks Ross +Amanco85 I've never used a screw on ND filter but if it's optically good and you like working with one - go for it. And thanks for the Stars at Night suggestion. We'll see what we can do but it won't be for a while... - MIKE :-)
Thanks Mike for getting back to me Ill try both when I can afford to buy a good quality square filter. and even if its not for a while I really look forward to it.
Thank you wayne. The exposure depends on how much light there is where you are at the instant you take the exposure so I can't say if 8 sec will work or not unless I'm with you when you take the photo. Have a look at the exposure playlist and that will help you understand.. /playlist?list=PLeu1p5jL9GONyuUf92ngOvRN41TxrQsQ-
Hello Mike, I looked with passion at your tutorial and, after reading a lot about the ND filters, because I want to understand more about long exposures, I realise that you mentioned using the smallest aperture of the camera F22 which is in contrast to what other professional photographers recommend. When I say that I mean that after a certain value of aperture diffraction starts to kick in and it softens your images that they become unusable. From what I read on Internet, each lens has a sweet spot of the best sharpness corresponding to an aperture between certain values (for example F4.5 to F11) and beyond that the diffraction starts to kick in gradually the more you decrease the aperture. Can you reply with your thoughts? Regards
No worries Alex. Yes around f8 /f11 is the sweet spot, but what do you do if f8 or11 are too wide for the light levels, you need let's say 2 seconds and are already on your lowest iso? What would happen to the exposure, because too much light is getting in? If you don't have a 2nd ND filter to hand then the shot will be overexposed. So there's only one place left to go, smaller aperture. This is what i mean about Thinking like a photographer. I'm not saying these people are wrong, they're just not telling you the whole story... MIKE
G,day Mike I have been just on the edge of wanting to try some long exposure togophy but what has put me off has been all the tuts showing you how to take photos of waterfalls and the ocean I don't live near falls or ocean and was wondering if you could do this using other subjects as long as there was movement now I know it can be just clouds or grass or flags flapping in the wind I am happy to now try this myself thank you for showing us that I really am getting excited of getting my ND filter and getting started thank you again
Cool Sandy De Jong - try busy streets, fun fairs, trees on windy days and anything else that's moving, but with some solid stationary things like buildings etc in the composition as well. Love to see how you get on if you're up for posting a few pics on our Facebook page... facebook.com/DigitalPhotographyVideos
Hi Mike. Great tutorial. I saw the one before with you're friend Tom Mackey and I'm glad you've given up cheese gorging.ND filters are on my to buy list. Thanks, JA
Thanks John. Rarely go near the stuff these days... MIKE :-)
Love it horse . Needed a refresh on the ND and I knew where to go . Thanks .
I like this explanation but I'm wondering if a filter like this will help me when I'm doing sunrise/sunset shoots that include people in them? It was suggested that I get an ND filter as I have been blowing out my backgrounds. I'd really like to have the skies/clouds in my shots. Thanks so much!
Hi Shannon Whit Thanks. A high density ND will make for slow shutter speeds so you can blur movement. So the people will need to either keep still or let them move and you get a lovely blurry movement outline to them. To darken skies only you need an ND Graduated filter to darken the sky but not the entire image.
Great video, looking forward to getting out and using my B+W 10 stopper.
Great videos Mike and a great help to many photographers
Thanks a lot Mike for such an awesome explanation
Glad you found it helpful Chirag Mehta
Thanks again sir... it was really awesome...
love all yours video mike, good explanation easy to understand
than you Ridwan Lim - Melissa pp Mike
'fell in love, ate cheese, threw stones' 😂 great intro to another info-packed video. Tks.
really well presented and informative
Thank you Ipadbloke. NDs up to about 4 stops you should be able to. But not with a 10 stop ND like the one I used in this video because not enough light gets trough for your camera to work out the exposure so you must do it your self the way i showed you.
I yanked and turned some wrenches, more than I would like my arms to; almost shocked myself as I fixed some heating systems for several different people. I now have the dough for a stopper. Now it is just thinking of where to use it in cold NYC. Excited, even though my arms are cursing me; they are probably puzzled as I told 'em I we were going to stop this type of activity:)
Great video Mike, big fan of your content. I’ve been looking at filters, I saw Cokin at first but then swaying towards glass filters such as Lee for the quality. If I get Lee filters, what would you suggest to start off with? Also Photography Show at NEC Birmingham next month, maybe see you there?
Thanks jkd1984. Which filter depends on what you want to shoot really. Suggest a couple of ND grads to darken skies down (assuming you're into landscapes) I'm pretty sure Lee do a starter pack so do a bit of googleing... Yep I'm speaking at Photoshow on the Monday at 12. Use this promo code and they'll give you 20% off your tickets - SPKTPS19 - Hopefully see you there... MIKE :-)
Thank you, yeah they got 2 starter packs; i'll wait and see if they got any offers on at the Photography Show. See you there :) @@MikeBrowne
Looking forward to it... MIKE :-)
Can't believe people are nit picking over the use if 'A' and 'An', G.A.L. Anyway, great video as always Mike, very useful. Liked the piece of advice at the about going out and getting 3 great images as opposed to dozens of mediocre ones or just snapshots. Kind of echoes Jarid Polens (Froknowsphoto) about harking back to the back to the days of film when you only had 36 exposures etc and were limited with cost of developing, so you had to really think about what you were shooting.
Loved the video, thanks. Instead of blocking the rear viewfinder to prevent light leaking in, would it not work just as well to run the camera in Live View? (it may be a dumb question as I am totally new to DSLR photography, so don't laugh! - When I bought my 80D it came with a piece of rubber to do just as you have said. To be honest, I thought this was some sort of mistake / misprint or a joke, I never thought that they were serious, like I say, totally new to this so any explanations are most welcome - The other thing was about your choice of F stop. Why do you go for the f25 rather than opening up the aperture to take more advantage of the filter?
Thanks Richard. Yes I guess you could use live view. I never use it persoanlly, prefer a viewfider but don't see whay it wouldn't work. Aperture choice is to remove as much light as possible to slow the shutter. If it was wider open then the shutter speed would have to be faster to compensate. I know, photography is full of confusing stuff like back to front numbers. Please come take a look at my online beginners course. I know it'll help you. There's lots of free stuff about it's true, but if you don't know the right question (and how can anyone who's starting out) there will be gaps in what you need to know in order to make things work. Take a look and try a free sample at the link below... MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/ubc
Probably the best video I have seen on ND filters. I think one of the things I have been missing is using auto focus first and than setting it to manual for the shot.
Thanks Robert Rosen - glad you found it usefull
I wish I had time to go out shooting for fun with mine - i love the look of these slow shutter images..
Hmm - never had that happen with mine. Is it a Lee Big Stopper or another make? Has anyone else experienced this. Love to hear from you......
Thank you - one day I will visit Indonesia. Always wanted to go there...
How easy is when Mike explains it!
Great video learnt a lot, but Just out of interest where was your focus point. Do you have a video explaining where you should set your focus point.
Depends entirely on that you want from the photo John so there's no 'rule'. In small aperture shot it makes almost no difference because DOF with wide lens is massive. Here's a 2 part video about it... MIKE
www.photographycourses.biz/videos/technical/getting-sharp-images/where-to-focus-Pt1
Thank you Christopher Please help us spread the word and grow the community by 'liking' 'G+ing', sharing our videos and linking to us on photo forums, Facebook etc
That is blu-tack added to my bag. Great tip.
Love your vids, Mike! Love listening to your accent and the funny bits you include.
Mike in the Colonies....
Hello Mike,
First of all great video, this is the first that I've seen from you and I will surely check out more.
I have a question for you though... first you focused on auto and then switched it to manual when you used the filter?
Greetings from Romania
Thank you Adrian Luca cameras cannot auto focus through 10 stop ND filters because they are too dark so I focused first, switched to manual (effectively switching off AF) so focus wouldn't change when I pressed the shutter, put on the filter and made the exposure... Glad you like the video(s). Please help me grow the channel and make more free vids by sharing them here, on Facebook, forums etc :-)
Mike Browne If I am using a 3stop ND filter I guess I should be following the same procedure
All I can suggest is try it Adrian Luca - if the camera can focus through 3 stops great - if not then you know what to do....
Thank You so much for answering Sir. I truly appreciate your time.
hello mike, great video you did there. I want to ask something, you used f/22 in your video, wouldnt it make the image become soft? thanks for the advice mike.
Is this at Mudeford Quay and Mudeford Spit Mike? I'm going there in two weeks to relive childhood memories of the place.
Sure is MrBooojangles. I spent a lot of my childhood around here too. Enjoy memory lane... MIKE
I certainly will. If i'm very lucky I might even see you around there. I would definately come and shake your hand if I do. Martin. :-D
Very good point and thank you
Great video, Mike! Thanks a lot for all this information. Really useful!
so good to find videos like yours
thank you +LI YUN please do share them on photography forums, and social sites to help us make more videos! -MELISSA ( for Mike )