I get this question a lot…short answer is yes! Digital darkroom editing has come a long ways, and it is incredible what is possible. Now with the click of a button I can select my subject or sky, make all sorts of changes, and be done in minutes instead of hours. One area photographers often need to work on is opening shadows and reducing highlights…i.e. dealing with high contrast images that go beyond the dynamic range we can record on our sensors. One method photographers use is expose for highlights and open up shadows later. But what about those flaming sunsets that need stops of underexposure so the red highlights don’t blow out?
I constantly use Singh-Ray filters in my work. And for contrasty landscapes, I love using my 2 and 3 stop graduated ND filters. By using a three stop graduated ND on sunsets (and other high contrast scenes) I can record more detail in the sky, and still have enough shadow information to bring out details later. By compressing the dynamic range in the field using a filter I can record more data on my sensor. This gives me more to work with in post production if I need to open shadows and tone down highlights.
Another reason I love using filters in the field is I may change my composition on what I see in the viewfinder. For me I always try to get it right in the camera, and seeing different exposures in the field using filters may give me new ideas on how to compose a shot. Of course I will edit my RAW files in PS or LR like all photographers do, but I do as much as I can in the camera. Every photographer will have to decide what their style and technique will be, and some may prefer working on the computer rather than using a filter in the field. I focus on camera craft on location as much as I can.
The two Singh-Ray graduated filters I use the most are the rectangle 100mmx150mm 2 stop and 3 stop soft edge versions originally created by Galen Rowell. The gradual transition from clear to dark works well in mountain areas that don’t have a sharp horizon line. If you shoot on an ocean you might consider the hard edge transition version. Sometimes I use a filter holder, and other times I handhold the filter if I need to work fast.
Summer is here, and dramatic contrasty light is bathing the landscapes. Make sure you are ready to capture that award winning shot!