I love that I can create a milky sea with the ND filter. I wasn't brave enough to place my camera too close to the water or sand. The camera and lens is supposedly waterproof... I didn't want to test it :)
I'm sorry I'm falling behind with comments. Two weeks until our trip and still lots of work to do. Hope to catch up very soon. I'm getting withdrawals...
@seanoneill that's so kind of you Sean, thank you! Any tips for something that really shouldn't be missed? I guess that's like asking how long is a piece of string...
@bobfoto I'm never quite sure whether you are serious or not but will answer anyways. Neutral Density filter... I ordered mine from B&H in the US, they didn't have one at Doug Kemp's in Townsville (which is no surprise).
@seanoneill - not at all. I have read threads on ND filters and it has left my head in a spin. And I have seen people post images and say "thanks to my ND filter" and I wonder what has the filter done to assist? Some of these shots don't appear any different from a regular shot.... However, in this lovely shot by Sheralee, this is a distinction from a regular shot, so I was wondering if someone can explain to me in layman's terms just what is going on here...
@bobfoto Ok, cool. An ND filter is a piece of darkened glass, either one darkness or graduated from top to bottom. It enables you to lengthen exposure without burning a shot out. So if you take a +10 ND filter, often called Big Stopper, it has the effect of stopping your photo down by 10 stops, or lengthening the exposure by a factor of 10 because it is generally increasing exposure that is the desired outcome from using one. So this photo from Sheralee has an exposure of 25 seconds. If she hadn't used a +10 ND the normal exposure would have been about 1/25 of a second. The effect ot has in this photo is of making the sea appear like mist as it has captured all of the movement and flattened the ripples and waves out. You can get a similar effect with clouds as well. Here is a good link to Lee Filters website, they explain it much better than I can. http://leefilters.com/index.php/camera/bigstopper
and link to a website that has some wonderful long exposure work. http://www.oceancapture.com/photo-gallery
@seanoneill - Hmmm? So has Sheralee here opened her shutter for 25seconds? Or has the filter simulated what would happen for a 25 second exposure and Sheralee has simply fired off a 1/25th shot?
@bobfoto@seanoneill I really thought you were just messing with me Jason ;-) Yes, I did use a 25 second exposure. Mine is a nine stop filter, so it reduces the exposure by nine stops, allowing the long exposure. I posted a couple of earlier shots using it at the weir and also the solar eclipse was using the filter. You must try one, you have some beautiful spots to use it over there.
@seanoneill We are only there for a few days, we are going to Brighton on the train one day and will probably take the Hop On Hop Off bus one day also. We will possibly walk across the street to see "Wicked" one night, have you seen it? So I guess we don't have a lot of free time and if it's raining there will be even less. So we are pretty much restricted to London, just thought I would ask in case I was missing something important.
@bella_ss The best way to see the sights is to do the bus tour for certain. They start at Haymarket, near Piccadilly Circus, and there are 3 different routes http://www.theoriginaltour.com/tour-information/tour-routes.htm.
I haven't seen Wicked, but lots of folk that I know have love it. You should book before you travel to avoid disappointment. You can book and collect at the box office. I go to the theatre a lot in London, and recent shows that I enjoyed that are still on are The Audience (not a musical), Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, Chicago. http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/wicked-london.asp
If you like your photography exhibitions, there is an incredible one on at the Natural History Musuem which is on the blue tour bus route. You need to book it is Sebastiao Salgado's Genesis exhibition. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/salgado-genesis/index.html
I also like the Tower Bridge Museum, which is very close to the Tower of London. http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/
For views to photograph, The Houses of Parliament from Westminster Bridge, St Paul's from Millenium Bridge, the whole of the city from the London Eye (need to book, but you can Fasttrack) http://www.londoneye.com/
I guess if you're not here long, the bus tours will be the best way, but you can do all the above from the tours, so a few thoughts for you. If you want any more info, just ask.
@seanoneill Thanks so much for all that information Sean, it all sounds like things I would love. I didn't realise you could book the London Eye, the last time we walked past there we decided we couldn't line up for the 2 or more hours that people were waiting. Great suggestions for photos too, thank you, I will definitely try for those!
@bella_ss - sounds fair. Oh and you can book everything nowadays, all the Galleries and museums and exhibitions. They normally give you a window of 15minutes, for you to get there and get inside. It just gives you an alternative shorter queue to stand in....
@bobfoto And if I was smart I would have all those tickets on my iPhone! I haven't so I have a huge pile of paperwork to take with me just for our hotels and train trips. Sometimes technology scares me...
@bella_ss - that's how I travel too, with piles of paper. But I at least order them into days, and I have the first day on top. Unlike a recent travelling companion of mine.... sheesh.
A def. FAV for me!
@cjainmd I agree, you must! ;-)
@espyetta My first try was at our local river but I had the benefit of the weir to help with the speed of the water.
@lepi @elaine55 I would love you both to tag me so I don't miss it when you try your filters.
@seanoneill Mainly Europe Sean... can't wait!
@seanoneill - you can help answer my queries too... ;)
and link to a website that has some wonderful long exposure work. http://www.oceancapture.com/photo-gallery
HTH :)
I haven't seen Wicked, but lots of folk that I know have love it. You should book before you travel to avoid disappointment. You can book and collect at the box office. I go to the theatre a lot in London, and recent shows that I enjoyed that are still on are The Audience (not a musical), Les Miserables, Mamma Mia, Chicago. http://www.wickedthemusical.co.uk/wicked-london.asp
If you like your photography exhibitions, there is an incredible one on at the Natural History Musuem which is on the blue tour bus route. You need to book it is Sebastiao Salgado's Genesis exhibition. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/visit-us/whats-on/temporary-exhibitions/salgado-genesis/index.html
I also like the Tower Bridge Museum, which is very close to the Tower of London. http://www.towerbridge.org.uk/TBE/EN/
For views to photograph, The Houses of Parliament from Westminster Bridge, St Paul's from Millenium Bridge, the whole of the city from the London Eye (need to book, but you can Fasttrack) http://www.londoneye.com/
I guess if you're not here long, the bus tours will be the best way, but you can do all the above from the tours, so a few thoughts for you. If you want any more info, just ask.