ND Grad/GradPro is a plugin written by Roger Barnes for Bibble, the camera RAW image processing program.
ND Grad simulates a graduated neutral density filter. GradPro extends support to allow multiple graduated filters that are colored. Either plugin can be used, for example, to darken a bright sky or brighten a dark subject so that both the sky and subject can be properly exposed. In an ideal world, a real physical filter would be used as this maximises the dynamic range of the image hitting the film plane/sensor, but this plugin is still quite useful in many situations where one doesn't have such a filter to hand. In some ways, the plugin provides a greater amount of flexibility, by stretching the physical constraints of a real filter to allow the "addition" of light.
ND Grad is available for free and includes a functional set of features for applying a graduated neutral density filter.
For additional features provided by GradPro, you may purchase via PayPal for US$20.
Please allow up to 48 hours for the registration to be processed (usually it will take less than 12 hours).All available compiled versions for Linux, Windows and Mac and install instructions are included in the archive.
NDGrad-0.6.zip (Linux and Windows only)
NDGrad-0.5.zip (Linux only)
Please provide feedback via email to roger at mindsocket (add .com.au) or in the bibble support forum
Before and after...
Jervis Bay, NSW, Australia
Canon 20D, 10mm f/11 1/500 ISO 200
GradPro, 3 filters: 1 ND brighten lower half, 1 blue hard edge darken sky, 1 orange darken foreground
SiggyPro applied in both before and after images
Copyright 2007-2008 Roger Barnes
North Head, Sydney, Australia
Canon G2, f/8 1/250 ISO 50
ND Grad settings:
Strength=76, Edge=33, Offset=39, Rotation=-90
Copyright 2007 Roger Barnes
Dumbea, New Caledonia
Canon 20D, 28mm f/25 1/30 ISO 100
ND Grad settings:
Strength=45, Edge=26, Offset=61, Rotation=-4
Bibble AutoLevel applied
Copyright 2007 Roger Barnes
Enables the filter effect
This option throws the laws of physics out the door and lets you simulate an ND filter that can increase the amount of light passing through! This turns out to be very useful for brightening foreground shadows when the sky is correctly exposed. The effect of the option is to change the filter transition from the default dark→clear to clear→bright.
Draws a black line across the image where the center of the transition effect occurs to assist with rotation and offset adjustment.
Applies the effect on a constant white image to let you see the transition affect without distraction from the source image. With the brighten option turned, the effect is applied to a constant grey image.
Strength of the filter. The lowest setting is equivalent to no effect. The highest setting darkens the image by 90% at its darkest point. With the above brighten option enabled, the highest setting increases the brightness by 900% at its brightest point.
Specifies how quickly the filter transitions. The lowest setting applies a linear gradation, whereas the highest setting has a very sharp transition.
Locates where the filter is centered. The default is the center of the image, with the extreme settings moving the effect towards respective edges
Sets the rotation of the filter in degrees. You probably need to set this to +/-90 to start with for rotated (portrait) images.
Up to 3 separate filters can be applied with independent settings.
GradPro allows selection of a color for each filter.
ND Grad/GradPro is Copyright 2007-2008 Roger Barnes. ND Grad is free for non-commercial use and may be redistributed in its full archive format as available from this site, and as long as the full archive contents are left intact, with no additions, modifications or ommissions. GradPro is licensed for use (including commercial use) only by registered users who have been given access to the GradPro download site.