Filters
For Landscape Photography.
By: TJ
Tierney
Filters are used in photography to bring back an image to
the way our eyes have perceived the original scene. Some times
it’s not possible for our cameras to record an exact scene
- so we have to rely on the manufacturers of camera products.
Filters also help us to create mood in our images and bring
out the best in a scene. A small selection of filters is well
worth packing when heading off for a trip. They don’t take
up too much space and will definitely add a bit of spice to
your images.
Filters work by being placed in front of your camera lens.
You can also place several filters in front of your camera
at any given time.
Lets take a look at the most important ones to use.
Neutral Density Filters (ND): Neutral Density filters will
certainly help you with tough exposures. These filters work
by cutting down the light that reaches your lens. These filters
come in a variety of strengths with the most popular being
0.3, 0.6 and 0.9 - these filters will help with exposure without
affecting colour.
One half of these filters is dark and the other is completely
clear. They basically work by reducing brightness. The different
numbers stand for the amount of brightness they reduce - 0.3
ND reduces light by one stop - 0.6 reduces light by 2 stops
- 0.9 reduces light by three stops.
Lets say you arrive at a high contrast scene, - you take a
light reading of the sky and get an exposure reading of F/22
at 1/8 second; you take a reading from the ground in front
of you and get a reading of F/22 at 1 second. This is a difference
of three stops of light. You need to reduce the brightness
of the sky. By using the 0.9 ND you will reduce the light
in the sky by three stops without affecting the light hitting
the ground in front of you.
Polarizing Filters: A polarizing filter should be top of the
list - a polarizing filter can be used with colour or black
and white and is probably the most important filter on the
market today. The polarizing filter will also darken the blue
sky to give it a strong rich colour. It will make mist stand
out and can be also used to give fast flowing water a misty
effect. This filter is most effective with side lighting.
Warm-up filters: In overcast conditions, don’t put your camera
away. This is an ideal time for you to switch your attention
to landscape detail. On an overcast day images often appear
cold and dull. Try using a warm-up filter. These filters will
remove the dull effect that you get shooting without the sun.
The 81-series are the best choice and will give your images
an extra bit of life. An 81A warm-up filter is ideal to use
in adding extra warmth to low light images.
Filters for B/W photography: Just because you use black and
white film it doesn’t mean that you can’t use filters - there
are several filters for B/W photography. The polarizing filter
is one of the few filters that work for B/W and colour photography.
It will help to darken shades of grey in your final print.
The red filter is one of the most popular. This filter will
darken the sky giving your image more impact. The most common
red filter is the number 25. Filters for B/W work by transmitting
light of its own colour, and holds back light of the other
colours.
There’s a large amount of filters available; these are the
most important filters for landscape photography.
There are also several filters on the market today that will
do very little for your photography. Colour graduated filters
should be left at home or placed in the bin - colour graduated
filters work by creating un-natural colours, destroying your
final print.
TJ Tierney. Award winning Irish Landscape Photographer. If
you are looking for more tips visit: Photo
tips. To view some of his images visit his on-line gallery:
Pictures
of Ireland
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com
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