How do you get that graduated filter look?

[Chris71]

You know, as favoured by Top Gear for film work and Evo, Car etc. for stills...

Does every pro snapper get presented with a graduated filter along with their first comission or are these all photoshopped?

And more to the point - how? It must be easy to do, but my attempts to create a graduated grey filter just ended up with a sort of fog over the whole image.

[AndyKH]

I do it in photoshop using the gradient tool set to darken on a seperate layer. Simple as that. Just play about until you get the desired effect.

[Stig]

Commonly called a vignette - later versions of photoshop have it built in as a filter (under lens correction).

[DIW35]

Photoshop is easiest.

Create a gradient fill on a new layer, using whichever colours you require, and change the opacity of the layer to obtain the desired effect. Can use colour to transparent or grey to transparent depending on what you are trying to achieve.

Here's one I did earlier.

Edited by DIW35 on Tuesday 25th March 16:26

[Deanphoto]

I think you mean this kind of shot rather than vignette?....



In which case you'll need a grad filter. I have some ND grads also and they are great, combine them with PS graduation and they look even better..

[Deanphoto]

Try this for size...

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Create-a-digital...

[Chris71]

Deanphoto said:

Try this for size...

http://www.ephotozine.com/article/Create-a-digital...

Yep, that's the sort of thing I'm after! (As are Dean's examples.)

Looks like I had the basic technique right, but I was trying to apply it to the background layer direct, rather than blending it with another layer.

Haven't quite got the hang of the layers thing yet.

[ROADRUNNER3]

I use the Lee grad filter system to get this effect.....



www.fluidimages.co.uk

[Chris71]

ROADRUNNER3 said:

I use the Lee grad filter system to get this effect.....



www.fluidimages.co.uk

Very nice. Is that an optical filter as opposed to post processing?

[ROADRUNNER3]

Chris71 said:

ROADRUNNER3 said:

I use the Lee grad filter system to get this effect.....



www.fluidimages.co.uk

Very nice. Is that an optical filter as opposed to post processing?

Yes, 99% of the shot is done at the point I shoot, I find PS boring & time consuming!

[tim-b]

ROADRUNNER3 said:

Yes, 99% of the shot is done at the point I shoot, I find PS boring & time consuming!

more to the point, using a grad filter (properly) means that you can correctly expose the sky in cases where it would normally be blown out - preserving more detail/image quality.

one of mine - using nd4 or nd8!

Edited by tim-b on Sunday 30th March 15:12