Today's episode is for Jim out in Sacramento, California. Jim's been having some trouble shooting with ND filters and ending up with soft focus images. So Jim, this one's for you and for anyone else who loves long exposure, but can't quite figure out why their shots aren't tack sharp.
Let's dive in and break down what might be going on. The first thing to ask is, are your filters clean? And are you stacking them? Always make sure your lens and your filters are spotless. As much as possible, try to avoid stacking filters. I personally removed my UV filter before shooting with ND or polarizing filters. A simple bit of dirt or smudging can be the difference between a sharp shot and a soft one. Next, think about your subject.
Is it moving? Long exposures even make subtle motion noticeable. Solid objects like mountains or buildings aren't an issue, but trees, grass, or foliage almost always move because there's pretty much always a breeze. One of the things photographers love to shoot most are waterfalls. But waterfalls can introduce motion in unexpected ways too. For instance, rocks near rushing water might be moving just a little bit, and a long exposure may capture that motion. Softness in your image isn't always the camera. Sometimes it's just nature doing its thing.
And then you gotta ask, is your camera completely steady? If your tripod is on soft or uneven ground, your tripod may still be settling in when you are in the middle of your long exposure. So set your tripod on firm ground, press the legs fully down, and if possible, hang a weight from the center column for extra stability, just in case a breeze comes by. Make sure the weight touches the ground and you'll dramatically reduce the risk of blur from movement. Vibrations in the ground can also sneak into your long exposure. If you are set up right next to a rushing waterfall, the ground you are on might be vibrating.
Now, this one's obvious, but it happens all the time. Are you leaning on your tripod or touching your camera in the middle of the shot? Keep your hands off your equipment during the exposure. Use a remote shutter release or the 2-second timer to ensure there's zero vibration. Here's the big one: strong filters like 10-stop or 15-stop filters block so much light that your camera's autofocus struggles to see anything. So here's my workflow: remove the ND filter, focus manually or with autofocus, switch to manual focus to lock it in, and carefully attach the ND filter without bumping the focus ring.
If you leave the camera in autofocus after adding a dark ND filter, it may try to refocus, and since it can't see through the filter, your shots will probably come out blurry. Now, on the other hand, for those of you who like to use back button focus, take the filter off, press your back button to focus, and then put the filter back on, making sure that you don't press that back button focus again. Otherwise, you're faced with the same problem.
And speaking of nature doing its thing, if you're in a situation where there's a strong breeze or wind, it might move your tripod. In those instances, the only thing you can do is to use a bigger, badder tripod or to move your tripod as low to the ground as possible, so that it's more stable. But other than that, there's very little you can do.
Let's recap: check for motion in your subject, make sure your filters are clean, make sure your tripod is solid, and keep your hands off. Focus before adding your filter, then switch to manual focus. Follow these tips and you'll see a noticeable improvement in sharpness and long exposures. Jim, I hope that clears things up. I hope that was helpful. Until next time, keep on shooting.
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