Which GND filters do you really need?

GND (Graduated Neutral Density) filters are key to balanced exposure in scenes with strong brightness contrasts—such as sunsets, mountain silhouettes, or stormy cloudy skies. But which filters do you really need? And where should you start?

The best way to get started – Soft GND & Hard GND

To get started, we recommend two classics that cover most lighting situations:

• Soft GND 0.9 (3 stops) – with a smooth transition. Ideal for irregular horizons such as mountains, forests, or urban skylines.

• Hard GND 0.9 (3 stops) – with a hard transition. Perfect for straight horizons such as oceans, deserts, or fields.

With these two filters, you are flexibly equipped for most landscape subjects – both at sunrise and sunset.

Additional filters for special situations

If you frequently work in very high-contrast lighting conditions or deliberately compose with sunlight in the image, the following filters also make sense:

• Reverse GND 0.9 – specifically for sunsets. The strongest darkening is in the center of the image, perfect when the sun is directly on the horizon.

• Center GND – for centrally placed light sources or particularly bright image centers. More of a special filter, but very effective.

Conclusion

Soft GND and Hard GND are the perfect start to working with GND filters. Add the special versions depending on your subject—and you'll have the right filter for every lighting situation.

👉 Tip: It is best to use GND filters on a modular rectangular filter holder, such as the LC-PRO 100 from FILTERFOTOGRAF®, which allows precise alignment and combination of several filters.