When only a single graduated filter is used, it is nearly always for darkening (an excessively) bright sky. Exposure metering should be performed without a graduated filter, with the camera’s meter (or a sepa-rate manual exposure meter) measuring the foreground that is to be exposed correctly. The sky will then nearly always show the desired effect.With the combination of two gradu-ated filters (one of them upside down in relation to the other), for instance a red one for the sky and a green one for the foreground, take the measurement through both filters. For a more dramatic effect, a slight under-exposure, perhaps by half an f-stop, is often desirable.

This graduated filter is often referred to as the sun-set filter, because it can simulate a missing red sky in the evening or in the morning or to enhance one that is too pale when the line of sight is towards the sun. By the sea or by a lake, the horizon line should be positioned high enough for the red portion of the filter also to cover the reflection in the water.

Screw mount: 62mm