If you have seen the photos on  my Boracay:Puka Beach Post, you will notice that the waves looked like they have been brushed or something like that. That is because I used a longer shutter speed, Long shutter speeds are the ones responsible for those light streaks that we normally see on nightime photos. But that would be in another Photography Tips post, the purpose I mentioned long exposures is that it is quite unuseable during the day wherein the amount of ambient light is great. That is where the ND or the Neutral Density Filter comes in. In a nutshell, it allows one to use longer shutter speeds. This is  because the ND filter darkens (or reduces the amount of light) that can be read by your camera. Think of it as you camera’s sunglasses or shade minus the other effects. ND Filters comes in different flavors, mine is an ND8 filter and there are also other flavors of ND filters. Just take note that the higher the number, the darker the filter thus longer shutter speeds. But there are also times in which a single ND Filter won’t do, if this is the case you can stack several ND Filters on the front of your lens.

Most landscape photographers carry with the several ND Filters, it adds up to the drama and creativity of a scene. It also allows you to create a sensation of motion in your pictures. When using ND Filters, be sure to also have a stable tripod since a single vibration can really ruin your shot.