My New Best Friend – .6 (2 stop) medium Lee Filter

I have recently acquired a .6 medium or 2 stop graduated ND Lee filter and I must say I couldn’t be happier. While I have been a long-term exponent of the Lee system the type of filters I have used, and the way that I have used them has changed over the years.

Looking back to my film days I was shooting a Pentax 67 and a Nikon f5 for Wild Garden. Released in 2011 the project was shot exclusively on transparency film. With such a narrow dynamic range and the potential for burn out in my highlights my hard filters were top of my go too filters. My .6 hard and .9 hard especially. As I moved to digital my soft filters became much more prominent with my .9 soft leading the charge. If I was still getting burn out I would generally reach for my 1.2 soft.

I still value the above 4 filters and they play a key role for me in my landscape photography. However, there’s a new kid on the block for me and it’s the Lee .6 medium. It does what it says on the tin placing itself somewhere between the hard and soft filter graduation.  It packs a punch but doesn’t leave a hard mark. Perfect for controlling more dramatic lighting situations.

A few images below from recent trips to the Faroes and Irelands West Coast that have employed my new found friend. Hope you enjoy !

I got mine via Conns if you fancy one of your own ..