It was a cool -20°C outside as I prepared this special featurette for PHOTONews Flash. I grabbed my new Z 9 with the 24-70mm lens, and headed out to play in the snow, using the H&Y circular ND64CPL filter and the magnetic graduated neutral density filter GND 0.9.
During my chilly photo session near Québec City, I immersed myself in the assignment, spending about an hour in total, including the time to reach the falls, and about 30-45 minutes on site. Normally, I would have taken more time to explore the nearby scenic locations, but the goal was to put the filters to the test, and once the desired images were captured, it was time to file this story to share with the readers of PHOTONews Flash!
Using the H&Y filters produced images with beautiful contrast, enhancing the deep blue sky and giving the images a dramatic, three-dimensional impact.
Among the shots on my “wish list” I wanted to show you how to use these filters to capture a perfect long exposure shot under bright winter skies, using the ND and polarising filters to achieve an image that would produce the maximum possible details at slow shutter speeds up to 10 seconds at f/22. With the H&Y filters, the shot was easy – without the filters, an image like this would be impossible.
The winter weather proved to be an excellent opportunity to experience the sheer convenience of the H&Y filter system. While my fingers were freezing, it took only a second to slide the circular filter into the holder and adhere the magnetic ND filter in front of the holder. Everything fit perfectly – the operation was a complete success, and it was the most fun I have had with filters in the winter cold!
Enthralled with the H&Y system, I decided to add the Starkeeper filter to the stack, to see the difference compared to the GND 0.9 – I was shooting for an effect like a sunset.
It was a whim, but it worked like a charm… it is part of my passion for photography to always be open to try something different. I was very impressed with the filters, and the result of my experiment. The two filters stayed together perfectly thanks to the ingenious magnetic mount, and I was able to position the filters with ease to achieve the final result.
Looking for a project to challenge your creativity, and let you laugh at the winter cold? Why not pick up some of these H&Y filters, grab your camera, and head outside to have some fun!
By Jacques Dumont
