Neutral Density Filters

Guide takes Montanans statewide for waterfall tour

Waterfall photography tips from Larry and Nathan Johnson, authors of "Montana Waterfalls: A Guide for Sightseers, Hikers and Waterfall Enthusiasts."

• Use a camera with a wide-angle lens: Many compact digital cameras have great telephoto capability but sacrifice the wide-angle end.

• Use long exposures to get the classic silky veil effect. You'll probably have to manually set the exposure rather than let the camera's automatic program handle the shot.

• A tripod is essential for those long exposures.

• Pack a polarizing filter and a neutral density filter to cut reflections from the water surface and keep the shot from overexposing.

• Choose a cloudy day or wait until direct sunlight has moved out of the waterfall area. Too much contrast makes it hard to capture the detail of a waterfall.

• Keep your lens dry. Waterfalls often throw clouds of mist that can blur a photo. Bring a camera-approved absorbent cloth and/or an umbrella.

• Stay safe. The edges of waterfalls are often unstable, wet and slippery.

• "Look for the uniqueness of that waterfall," Larry Johnson said. "See what makes it stand out from another one. And take your time."

Waterfalls have the best manners in the wilderness: They always introduce themselves before making an appearance.

They’re one of the more visible and beautiful and audible things out there,” said Larry Johnson, who’s dedicated a big chunk of his life to visiting Montana’s cascades. “You can always hear them before you can see them. There’s this little bit of building excitement as you get closer.”

For generations, the extended Johnson family has been visiting favorite waterworks, like Mission Falls near St. Ignatius, Palisade Falls by Bozeman and Kootenai Falls near Libby.

Then his son Nathan, a Missoula software designer, got the idea of sharing their experiences on a website.

“We put together WaterfallsMontana.com , and it got quite a bit of interest,” Nathan said. “Pretty soon, we were getting 12,000 hits a month.”

The Johnsons mulled what to do with that interest and their archives. They considered postcards and a calendar but got the best response from publishers for a new book. The result was “Montana Waterfalls: A Guide for Sightseers, Hikers and Waterfall Enthusiasts,” released in June.

The full-color book has photos, directions and details about 52 waterfalls sprinkled across Western Montana.

Comparing Gradient Neutral Density Filters To Lightroom Gradient Tool

The filtered image has more information and visually is less overexposed. They both have a problem with clipping so let’s go back to the original images to see how much data we can gather.

Here are both shots, unedited, and cropped down to the waterfall. I then brought down the exposure to help grab more detail from the waterfall. The top image, still the unfiltered image, is brought down 2.45 stop in exposure while the filter image is only decreased 1.4 stops.

The histograms are nearly identical yet the information is not the same.

What am I trying to prove in this demonstration? That using tools in the computer after the fact is not a replacement for making sure data is captured correctly to begin with. In this case HDR would be a great candidate for making a proper exposure using many exposures and combining them. And in this case I had the luxury of time to be able to do so. Yet HDR is not the answer in each case, especially when moving objects are involved, such as if a Yeti were to suddenly walk down to the stream for a drink.

What’s the tradeoff? First, there’s cost and having to pack the filter with you. This isn’t the largest problem in the world, but it does add one more thing to the list of, “What should I not forget?”. That can be a big item for some people (while I should also note that seeking simplicity in packing may mean more time editing at home, which is not simple in some cases). Also this filter will not work with every lens. Guess what happens when you put it in front of a nice wide Sigma 8mm-14mm lens?

See the horrid reflection of my horrid shirt and the sky behind me? Not to mention the fact that the filter reached the limits of the wide angle at 8mm and was hard to position.

Lastly, there is the matter of filter holders. They add weight and complexity to a setup but can be beneficial in place of hand-holding filters like this, which is what I prefer.

The bottom line for me is a quality gradient neutral density filter will yield better results right out of the camera. And if you have tremendous Photoshop skills? Then you have even more latitude to make your vision a reality.

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