When is the best time to take a photo? We've all heard about the Golden Hour but waiting for that can waste most of the day! Great moments happen all the time but bright lighting can make them hard to capture - unless you learn how to use Lens Filters that is.
Today I'll briefly explain how Polarized Neutral Density (ND) filters work then show you some real-life examples I captured using PolarPro's Mavic Pro Filters
What the heck is Polarized?
A Polarizing Filter is a tool affixed to the front of your camera lens to darken skies, manage reflections and/or suppress glare from the surface of lakes or the sea. When used on a drone, this increases saturation and reduces overexposure when shooting any body of water.
What is Neutral Density (ND)?
A Neutral Density (ND) Filter reduces the intensity of all colors entering your lens, reducing the amount of light in your shots. This allows you to capture images that would otherwise be overexposed and shoot videos at a lower shutter speed to produce motion blur.
ND Filters come in different strengths to adjust for your environment - the higher the number, the less light your camera takes in. This is especially useful on the DJI Mavic Pro where you do not control Aperture.
Do I need to buy a bunch of filters for my drone?
Like everything else in photography and videography, it depends! If you plan on shooting over water or reflective surfaces such as snow, you should invest in a polarized lens. If you find your footage is overexposed, you would benefit from buying a few ND Filters. If you're wondering which filters you need, PolarPro has a really helpful article that explains when to use which filter based on your environment.
My advice is to start with the PolarPro Cinema Series 6-pack; it covers the filters you'd use most and covers the widest range of conditions. If you need any other Drone equipment, they have some amazing accessories here - we've fallen in love with their Drone Trekker Backpack which has become our new travel must-have.
If you have any questions or want to share your photos, Contact Us or use the hashtag #aforeignerabroad. Now get out there and shoot something amazing!