I just purchased my first Neutral Density ND8 Filter... now what do I do? :)

[Geoff79]

Up until now I've been taking a lot of HDR images, but the post-processing is so time consuming and I'm not sure my images are as clear and sharp as they could/should be.

The reason I shoot so much HDR is to get that well lit foreground as well as the striking morning skies I aim for, getting up for sunrise so often.

However, I noticed a lot of great shots I've seen on the net lately are still brilliantly lit in the foreground without the use of HDR techniques. This then led me to investigating filters, which I have thus far not used. And I bought one just today. No real reason for the ND8... it was just affordable and available before I depart for a holiday. I have a few questions as it's going to get a good workout straight away considering I'm off to Fiji in 2 days!

1. Is this filter going to be good use around sunrise when I'm looking for single shots with plenty of foreground detail? Or am I still better off with HDR? Also, is it a good filter for shots around sunset?

2. Is it advisable to use it in the middle of the day for photos with people in them, or just scenery shots on the tripod?

3. I have a Canon EOS 40D and I tend to use the P (Program) setting a lot... which is kind of an Auto setting but a bit better as I understand it. As I'm not too familiar yet with manual settings, is this a good setting to be using with my filter on?

Thanks guys, really appreciate any help, hints or tips etc.