Neutral Density filters are often overlooked by photographers, yet they offer a range of creative uses and can help achieve results that would otherwise be difficult or impossible. ND filters appear grey and reduce the amount of light reaching the film, without affecting colour balance.

They have four main uses:

• To allow slower shutter speeds, especially with fast films, for capturing movement in subjects such as waterfalls, clouds, cars and the sea.
• To reduce depth of field by enabling wider apertures, helping to separate the subject from the background.
• To lower the effective ISO of high-speed film (ie: above ISO400), making it suitable for outdoor use in bright conditions.
• To allow cine and video cameras, which have fixed shutter speeds, to film bright scenes such as snow, sand and other high-light situations that would otherwise cause over-exposure.