afewimages: all black and white images

Today i took my Nikon and the 1.4/85MM for a test shooting. I screw off the lenshood and screw on the Singh-Ray Vari-ND filter. Then i put on the lenshood again. Because it is a variable filter, you can frame and focus the image in the lightest (min) position. I used manual focus to be sure of the right focal point. (but mosttimes i used infinity focus so that was easy) My experience is that the minimum density of the filter is light enough for precise framing and focusing of the subject. Certainly if you use the liveview option of the Nikon where you can zoom in on the subject.

After focusing i turned the filter to maximum density and made the photos. The weather was a mix of sunshine and cloudy conditions so i estimated the exposure times. You can’t use the lightmeter of the camera in these situations. Here comes the truly advantage of a digital camera. You can see immediately if the image is ok. I made my shots at F11 or F16 and used exposure times from 6 to 16 seconds.

I used a Feisol CT3371 tripod with a CB 50-D ballhead on it. It was also the first time that i used this combination. And i have to say that it is a fantastic tripod! Light but really firm. The ‘fixed’ points in the images are razor sharp. Next time more…