In this video, we’re going to look at the new range of ProGlass IRND filters by LEE Filters.
These filters have been two years in the making.
They were originally developed for use by cinematographers in the film industry.
The film industry has very exacting standards. They needed filters that were completely neutral.
Now, they’re available for stills photographers, too.
I’ve been working with them for a while, and I’m very impressed with them.
They absorb infrared light, so there’s no infrared pollution.
The colours are not only completely neutral, but also very punchy and vibrant.
They also have very accurate stop values, so a 10-stop filter is a genuine 10 stops.
They’re available in a range from two stops to 15 stops.
I’m going to be shooting with the 100mm system,
but all these filters are also available for the Seven5 and SW150 systems.
Here I am at Swanage Pier.
It’s about half an hour before sunrise.
I want to get a shot of the pier curving round into the distance.
I’m going to start without any filters at all.
I have an exposure of 6.5 seconds at f/11.
It doesn’t look too bad, but the sky is a little overexposed.
I’m going to put on a grad to darken the sky.
I also want to use a long exposure so the water appears smooth.
First, I am going to fit a two-stop medium grad
and pull it down over the sky to stop it burning out.
According to the live histogram, the exposure is about 6.5 seconds.
The four-stop filter will take this up to about 90 seconds.
One thing you’ll notice about the four-stop filter in comparison to the six, 10 and 15-stop
is that there’s no rubber seal on the back.
It’s obviously not quite as dark as the other filters,
so reflections are less likely to be a problem.
It’s not necessary to seal off the light in quite the same way.
It’s looking good. The exposure is spot on.
As you can see, the colours are wonderfully neutral with the ProGlass filter,
but still punchy.
There are some lovely, rich blacks, too.
If we look at both pictures side by side,
you can see just how neutral the ProGlass IRND is.
I’m delighted with this shot straight out of the camera.
It’s a few minutes before sunrise and it’s now considerably lighter.
I’m going to switch to the slightly darker six-stop filter,
to make sure I get a long enough exposure to smooth out the water.
As you can see, the six-stop filter has the foam seal on the back.
This is because the darker filter is quite reflective,
and any light leaking in from the side will reflect between the filter and the lens,
and cause flare.
This seals it all off to stop any light getting in.
Remember to put the filter in the slot nearest the filter holder, to seal it properly.
Here we go – 45 seconds.
The result looks fantastic with the six-stop filter.
The water is smooth and there’s a hint of a reflection from the pier’s posts.
I like the way the pier curves around into the distance,
leading the eye through the shot.
Again, the colours are neutral but punchy.
I’m often asked, ‘Which ND filter should I get?’
There’s no right or wrong choice – it’s entirely dependent on the effect you want.
I’m going to demonstrate the different effects you can achieve with these filters.
I’ve set up on the beach and am taking a shot of this groyne stretching out to sea.
I’ve fitted a polariser to take the glare off the water,
and a two-stop medium grad to tone down the bright sky.
That’s given me a base exposure of 1/60 sec at f/11.
I’m now going to add various ND filters
to demonstrate the different effects they create.
First of all, the ProGlass two-stop, which gives an exposure of 1/15 sec.
As you can see, there’s a little water motion, but it’s still rather static,
so next I’m going to try the four-stop ProGlass ND.
This gives an exposure of 1/4 sec.
This has introduced a little more movement.
I like this effect, because where the waves have drawn back,
you see the movement but you also see the texture in the water.
It still looks like a wave.
We’ll now try the six-stop ND and see what it does.
Here’s the result of a one-second exposure at f/11.
Things have started to blur a little more.
There’s a lovely impression of the wave drawing back out to sea,
but still keeping its texture.
We’ll now jump four stops from six to 10.
This gives us an exposure of 15 seconds.
I’m going to cast a shadow over the front of the filter
to safeguard against any bright light leaking in around the edges.
With some cameras, when using these darker filters,
you’ll need to cover the viewfinder to stop any stray light getting in,
bouncing around and causing flare.
Here’s the result. There’s quite a difference in the 15-second version.
The sea has taken on a much more milky texture.
We’re now going to go all the way up to 15 stops,
which gives an exposure time of 8 minutes.
With many cameras, that means going into Bulb mode and locking the shutter open for 8 minutes.
Depending on your camera, you may need a stopwatch to keep count of the time.
Some cameras allow you to programme times of up to 8 minutes or even longer.
As you can see, 8 minutes has made quite a difference.
The sea is completely smooth, with an almost glassy surface.
Some people like this effect, and some don’t. It’s down to personal taste.
I love it, but that doesn’t mean you have to.
Hopefully, this has given an idea of what the different strengths of filters do,
and the effects they create.
Here we are on the Dorset coast.
It’s a bright, sunny afternoon.
I’ve set up a shot looking along the coastline
with the waves breaking on the ledges down below.
For the first shot, I’ve used a polariser to take the glare off the surface of the sea,
and enhance the blue sky and clouds,
and a two-stop medium grad to ensure the sky doesn’t overexpose.
That’s given me a meter reading of 1/60 sec at f/16.
The result looks OK, but is a little flat.
There’s a lot of white water and the movement is frozen.
To add more interest and atmosphere, I’d like to slow down the exposure.
In normal circumstances, it would be difficult to get a long exposure in this type of light.
This is an ideal opportunity to use the 10 and 15-stop ProGlass filters.
First, I’m going to try the 10-stop,
and I’ll use the LEE Filters app to calculate the exposure.
This is 15 seconds at f/16.
I’ve captured a lot more movement this time, and the water is blurred nicely.
There’s some texture in the waves.
Once again, the ProGlass filter has rendered a neutral result with punchy colours.
Time to try the 15-stop filter. That works out at eight minutes.
That’s the exact effect I was after.
There’s quite a difference in the waves.
They’re a lot more silky and misty-looking.
There are some nice trails in the background.
Again, the colours are looking wonderful and are very neutral. Love it!
There you have it – the ProGlass IRND range.
Definitely the most neutral and precise ND filters I’ve ever used.