Graduated Filter USA - Photography Terms & Glossary

Glossary Of Photography Terms [1]

Graduated Filter A graduated filter is a photographic filter that features a gradual transition from one density or color to another across the surface of the filter. Graduated filters are commonly used in landscape photography to balance the exposure between the sky and the foreground in high-contrast scenes, such as sunrises, sunsets, or landscapes with bright skies and darker foregrounds.
The graduated filter is positioned in front of the camera lens with the denser portion covering the brighter area of the scene, gradually transitioning to a clear or less dense portion that covers the darker area. This helps reduce the overall dynamic range of the scene, preventing overexposure in the sky while maintaining detail and clarity in the foreground. Graduated filters come in various types, including neutral density (ND), color, and graduated ND filters, each offering different effects and degrees of light attenuation.