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  • Hey all, just changed over the backend after 15 years I figured time to give it a bit of an update, its probably gonna be a bit weird for most of you and i am sure there is a few bugs to work out but it should kinda work the same as before... hopefully :)

Do I need to buy some GRAD ND?

Mario Gonsalves

Mario Gonsalves

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I'm currently preparing to shoot some landscape scenes in the Caribbean early next year.

Now, I've shot there before. Especially with sunset and sunrise I have to either expose for the sky or the ground.

I usually try and stay in between the post but I want to ask if anyone knows if a grad ND is really needed in these situations, or since we have budget for a good colorist for this project it would be okay cause he can pull some info back? (As long as we stay in between the goal posts)

Would love some feedback from people who use GRAD ND's, sunrise/sunset & landscape cinematographers.
 
I personally love them, I use a 2 & 3 stop Schneider soft edge grad ND all the time (sometimes even stacked, 5 stops) however I dont have a colourist or am very good in post so I try nail everything in camera. Have fun
 
Grads are really fun and a great tool, especially for landscape shots. Make sure you have a mattebox with a tray system you can rotate and slide up/down. You'll want to ability to match your grad line against the horizon or other important part of the frame.
 
My advice is expose for the highlights and apply the grad in post. You'll have a lot more control over it, and you can precisely put the grad only where you need it with a custom shape.
 
I think grad NDs are a great tool- especially for landscapes. The difference in exposure for clouds and sky compared to foreground elements can be massive. A grad ND can balance out the two to retain some detail in foreground that you will lose. The sensor can only see so much... That being said, another great tool for preserving detail in shadows and highlights is shooting in HDRx. You have up to 7 stops difference you can capture between your A and X track. This also helps with sunset timelapses...

My vote is to get the ND's and get as close to the look you want in camera. You can clean it up in post instead of relying on post to get your shot.
 
Thank you all! I'm looking towards formatt hitech firecrest! :) If I get a chance I'll post the results next year before summer when the project is dates to release!

If any of you have examples to show it would be really great as well!
 
HDRx? Total control over affected areas.
 
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