Morning (2)

[E B]

Local time was 07:35 hours.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/TMAUR/Spring%202006%20Death%20Valley/Small/P5110220.jpg (http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v197/TMAUR/Spring%202006%20Death%20Valley/Big/P5110220.jpg)

Camera: E-330
Lens: DZ 14-54mm zoom at 14mm.
Shooting mode: P
Shutter speed: 1/180
Aperture: f6.7
ISO: 100
Metering mode: ESP

[Judd Kiteley]

Excellent pictures EB. I love how the early morning light and shadows intensify the colours.
I have followed your tips for processing and flash but have not seen anything on your use of filters on your lenses. What do you recommend for landscape photography? Have you any experience with graduated ND filters and their effectiveness?
Thanks EB, your pictures and posts are always educational for me.

[E B]

Thank you for the compliment. I used UV filters on my camera lenses for more than forty years. The primary purpose was to cut UV haze at high altitudes where a lot of my scenery shots were done and film had a relatively high sensitivity to UV. Since changing to digital, I find that the sensors are quite insensitive to UV and, in the case of all the E system cameras except the E-330, the manual warns that using a UV filter might upset the camera WB. Bottom line is I don't think there is a photographic need to use UV filters on the E system cameras. Occasionally, I will need to use a polarizing filter to cut reflection from water, but I almost never use a polarizer to darken the sky. Other than that, I don't use filters on the E system cameras under normal useage. I don't consider putting a filter on a lens to protect the lens from damage during normal landscape work. I'd rather replace a damaged lens occasionally (hasn't happened yet) rather than spend the next forty years capturing images that are degraded however minutely by having unneeded glass in the optical path. If I'm shooting indoors in a crowded situation and alcohol is in use, I do us filters on my lenses. As to graduated ND filters, I've never used them and can't comment based on experience.