Having the right equipment
AND USING IT!
A couple of weeks ago I went out on a shoot with my buddy Nick, and managed to leave the holder for my Lee ND grad filters in the back of his car. I didn’t get a chance to get it back before I left for the roadtrip, so being the lazy person I am, I decided I’d just hand hold the filter if I needed to use it.
pffft…
Both of these images are straight from the camera, since I shoot med jpg and raw.
This is what happens when I get too lazy….handling camera bag, tripod, camera AND filter, on a rickety pier…..I decided it was just too hard….
So here’s the image without the filter….and most of the other shots I took that evening were as useless as this….also because I’d upped the exposure to +0.67! Sheeesh….check your screen Mel!!!
Since I managed to settle into one position for a few seconds, I grabbed the filter, since I knew it WOULD make a difference….and I STILL hadn’t realised I was shooting two thirds of a stop over-exposed…...sigh….the filter at least has managed to help capture some detail in the sky….
The moral of the story, don’t pay any attention to the idea that I might know what I’m doing here…...LOL
roybarry
you only did this to make the rest of us feel better….........
Mel Brackstone replied
ha!
chijude
I will take note !! Thanks for sharing Mel!!
Mel Brackstone replied
Learning from mistakes is what got me where I am today…..making more! :)
Garth Smith
Great Mel,
I have lots of storys like that because of inadequate photography backpack making me pick and choose what I take these days. So glad (sadistically) to hear other people can have similar problems.LOL :-)
Mel Brackstone replied
So glad to know you’re a sadist…..LOL :)
Matt Penfold
It’s a great example Mel, and a great reminder of what happens when we don’t check everything. Is it schadenfreude to take solace in knowing that even the guru can stuff up? LOL ;-)
Mel Brackstone replied
guru???????? hahahaha
Jess Andrews
lol you should see most of the shots I take Mel, i the most unorganised person you will ever meet so I can get a little lazy behind the camera haha
Thank you for sharing :-)
Mel Brackstone replied
I’m VERY lazy….and waste lots of shots with stupid mistakes….glad to share :)
CLiPiCs
I am renowned for Having the right equipment
sadly I can’t take pictures with it :-)
big backpack Mel, BIg backpack,
what were you thinking ?
Love ‘N’ Laughter Kriss
Mel Brackstone replied
Oh lord, it’s hard to be humble…...
heh :)
Heather Hartkamp
Funny – I did the same thing last weekend in Bright. I was somewhere at the foot of Mt Buffalo near a stream trying to take some moving water shots (had the tripod luckily). Started raining so I just grabbed the ND filter and held it in front of the lens. Worked a treat – but the shots were rather ho-hum.
Mel Brackstone replied
I’ve read that some of the most amazing photographers out there always hand hold the filters…..I’m way too clumsy….just need to remember to get the holder back from Nick….and SOON!
Garth Smith
Just had a thought….. handholding the filters would mean that any scratches on said filter would disappear because of the movement during a long exposure.
? is this why they do it – or are their filters spotless and get tossed when they arent any more?
Mel Brackstone replied
I’ve never had a problem with scratches on filters showing up….
Jan Piller
You were obviously reading my recent bestseller…. What NOT to do…....Oh gheesh – just reading some of those posts up there! I can barely hand hold a camera let alone a filter on the front it!! hahaha
Mel Brackstone replied
I’m with you Jan, holding all the bits just gets too difficult!
Garry Schlatter
You just wanted to see Nick asap after your road trip. And now you have an excuse to go back there and do it again…on your next road trip
Didn’t you have an assistant to hold those filters for you?
A terrible feeling I know, it’s like if you forget your ISO settings from your last shot and you do everything in ISO1600
Mel Brackstone replied
You know I never need an excuse to catch up with Nick, or you, for that matter! No assistant, unfortunately….scott drives, I shoot ;)
DragonFlyer
I’ll show this to my partner when he asks me ‘do I REALLY need that next bit of photography paraphenalia that I haven’t got yet (including ANY indoor lighting and ANY filters beyond screw on UV and polarisers…)’
Thank you very much!
K xx
Mel Brackstone replied
Good luck!
Karen Cougan
how was the trip mate, looks interesting with or without the filter…........now what the hell is a filter anyway…......lol
xkc
Mel Brackstone replied
Oh you’re beyond help…..LOL!!
BYRON
at least you remembered to take the lens cap off!
Mel Brackstone replied
LOL!!! I lose lens caps so often I never have one ON!
PhotogeniquE IPA
only you could do things wrong and still come up with a cracking photo! :-)
Mel Brackstone replied
LOL….thanks for the vote of confidence!
Ann Van Breemen
I love your tags, Mel. Don’t be so hard on yourself. It’s not really that bad. Well, maybe it is. For you anyway. For me it just sounds like an ordinary day.(haha)
Mel Brackstone replied
Yeah, that’s the trouble, it’s pretty much an ordinary day for me too, I don’t seem to be improving my workflow!
CLiPiCs
Humble Moi ?
Love ‘N’ Laughter Kriss
Mel Brackstone replied
heh…..gotta love it :)
Steven Lippis
I ran into Nick last weekend!
I really need to get some ND filters I think, especially some graduated.
Mel Brackstone replied
I hope you didn’t hurt him? :)
Wendi Donaldson
Great lesson for us all….half the time I have the wrong lens with me!! Sigh…..........
Mel Brackstone replied
I do that all the time too….lol!
Steven Lippis
Of course not, I’d be bragging about my new gear by now if I had. :D
Mel Brackstone replied
I’ll keep an eye on your bragging then, shall I?
Steven Lippis
Only if I suddenly switch to Canon!
Mel Brackstone replied
Nick has a very old camera…..no point in nicking that…..his lees are worth more than the cam….lol
Steven Lippis
Out of curiosity, how do the Lee’s compare to Cokin? Looks like a similar system.
Mel Brackstone replied
The system is a little similar, the filters that Cokin supply do a reasonable job, although they leave a magenta cast….not so much a problem with digital and custom white balance…Hi Tech, Tiffen and Cokin…they’ll all do the job…
Lee filters are a huge step up in cost, and quality. I switched when I went full frame, because the cokin P system wasn’t large enough to cover the full width 16mm of my lens. I could never go back….
Steven Lippis
I have a couple Cokin bits and pieces, but not the P, and they barely covered the lenses I had at the time, so I’ve got to reinvest anyhow. Lee sounds a good place to start!
Mel Brackstone replied
Want Nick’s address? heh….jk
Lee aren’t easy to find, I had to buy mine from sydney.
Steven Lippis
Haha.
So I’m finding! Looking on B&H, bloody expensive too!
Mel Brackstone replied
Oh, I did mention the Lees were worth more than Nick’s camera, didn’t I? :)
Ann Van Breemen
Workflow?? What the heck is that?? :)
Mel Brackstone replied
You know….that’s when you take the right gear, and use it properly….one day I might actually get it all together :)
Steven Lippis
Haha, yes you did. I just want to start with a couple basics, ND and graduated ND, so can slowly build them up. :D
Mel Brackstone replied
Pray for a tax refund, hey?
Louise Cooke
phewww…she’s human!
Mel Brackstone replied
hahaha
Louise Cooke
well, your stuff up makes me feel…umm comforted!!! Sad isn’t it?!!
Mel Brackstone replied
It’s a stuff up amongst stuff ups I’m afraid…..they dont call me hit and miss for nothing :)
simonesphotos
Oh so you’re not Super Woman after all eh Mel?? LOL!! We’ll forgive you ;DD
Mel Brackstone replied
Oh, I WISH!!! :)