BALANCE EXPOSURE

Control the distribution of tones within your images for maximum detail

Before the advent of digital photography, neutral density (ND) graduated filters were necessary for landscape photography and other genres of outdoor imaging. The dynamic range of outdoor scenes is often well beyond that which a film emulsion or digital sensor can capture. meaning that detail is lost in either the brightest highlights or the deepest shadows. While the immediate danger to each differs between film and digital, the effect is the same areas of the frame that are devoid of fine detail and colour, due to either overexposure or underexposure.

But with the digital revolution came exposure blending techniques, from manual blending using layers to tone mapping and luminosity masking. These can be used to produce high dynamic range (HDR) images, but there are trade-offs, namely 'ghosting' of moving elements and colour interference. The advantages, however, are reduced kit and potentially improved resolution thanks to the removal of a layer of optical material from the light path. Both methods of exposure balancing have their places; indeed, it's both possible and advantageous to combine them, but either way, digital imaging affects the way hardware filters function, and so you need to adapt your camera workflow.