ND Grad or multiple exposure blend?

This topic is something I see quite regularly on the various forums. People want to know if they need ND grads or split neutral density filters anymore since digital allows us to take more than one exposure to compensate for the difference in brightness (dynamic range) between the sky and ground.

Well the answer is you actually need both to cover all circumstances, as there a pros and cons to using each which I'll cover next.

ND Grad / Split Neutral Density

The filter method is quicker and allows you to get the photo as close to correct as possible 'in camera' which will greatly reduce the amount of time you need to spend in Photoshop. Also if you need to take the picture quickly or hand-held then this is the only way to go.

the main disadvantage to using the filter is the obvious change you will see between dark and light over objects that appear in front of the sky such as trees and buildings. Personally I quite like this effect and I don't think it detracts from the image. Some people really hate it though.

Multiple Exposures

This method is handy if you don't want to shell out for ND Grads or you want to capture more dynamic range than you would with the filter method. Basically you would take 2 or 3 exposures to cover the entire dynamic range then blend them in Photoshop.

The main disadvantages to this method are more time in front of the computer, no hand-held shots, tricky selections to get the blend right (can be a real nightmare with trees!).
you could use a program that specializes in HDR which will blend for you, however these type of pictures always have that HDR look to them that is not always what you want.

So it really comes down to personal preference, personally I like to use both methods depending on what I'm shooting at the time.

Thanks for listening.

Tip for Canon HDR and exposure bracketing limitation

Many of you that use Canon DSLR's may have noticed that when it comes to exposure bracketing, the Canon is quite limited. not all Canon's mind you but certainly the 40D and 50D are.

Exposure bracketing is limited to three shots at -2, 0 and +2. While this may be ok for some people, if like me you occasionally like to take HDR images then the default exposure options are quite limited. What really annoys me is the fact that my old Olympus E500 went to +3, and I know that Nikon cameras (including the cheap ones) will do five exposures from -5 to +5!

If you do need more than what the standard options offer then try the following trick that I use to get -4, -2, 0, +2 and +4.

Set the camera up for normal exposure bracketing of +/-2, then use the exposure compensation to set the exposure to -2. When you take the bracketed shots you will get -4,-2 and 0. Now move the exposure compensation to +2 and shoot again. you will now get 0, +2 and plus 4.

What you will end up with is -4, -2, 0, 0, +2 and +4. Delete one of the '0' exposures and you have five exposures covering 8 stops!

Cheers for now.