When is Exp Comp NOT applicable?

It was one of those mornings for me when 1+1=2 and 2 was the right answer for the day. After a solid, productive shoot at Mono Lake, as McNally would say, we heard the call of the wild pancake. After breakfast the light was getting had so perfect time to hit the falls. Up the hill we went and we were rewarded with a couple of hours of sweet photography.

I was just starting to get in the grove when I came up to this subject. The nasty highlights on the left just wouldn’t leave though the cool light on the right was fading. I’m already shooting at f/32, ISO L.1 and polarizer attached to get the blurred effect I want. Normally I would just dial in exposure compensation and be done with them, but what’s the problem with the solution? Yeap, you got it, it would increase my shutter speed making it faster and the water sharper. That’s not a solution.

So what was the solution? I’m so proud of myself to think of this. I used a 2 stop screw-in neutral density filter and rotated it so it basically darkened the left side while not effecting the right side. of the image That’s such an obvious solution and when I actually think of those right at the time I need them and not after I’m putting the tripod in the trunk, I’m proud of myself.

Photos captured by D3x, 45PC-E on Lexar UDMA digital film