Do you recommend filters for B/W documentary and portraiture???

Hello,

 

I've recently enjoyed some of the portraits I've taken in

Africa, but I have a few questions before I get more technical with

portraiture. I travel with my Contax 645 and have got some real

great shots from Kenya, Mali, etc. I've heard of some people using

filters, especially BLUE to take portraits. If you recommend using

filters, which color for portraits. This is a side project, but I'd

like to get it right. I primarily use 400TX and my 210mm F4

Sonnar. What effect will a blue filter do to Africans? In what

situation will it be handy? Thank you!

 

Regards,

 

Adam

Adam,

 

I'm really surprised to hear you travel with a Contax 645. I hope it always comes home

with you. I give you credit, but I hope it is insured.

 

As for filters, well I am sure there are people who are better able than I to answer your

questions about blue filters and dark skin and eyes. I do use a yellow and sometimes an

orange to improve the contrast.

I'm surprised to hear that a blue filter would be used for portraiture, since it would darken (red) blemishes and freckles. Usually I hear more about the use of filters in B&W for landscape and nature. Maybe I'm out of the loop, though.

perhaps it's used to separate the lips from the face (for dark skin)?? I've read that green filtres are used sometimes exactly for that reason (especially for male portraiture)

I recall some sort of color filter being recommended to me for portraits, but I can't remember which one. Sorry. I only use a UV and a yellow when I shoot B&Ws.

Sometimes a 'blue-ish' type filter has been used in the past on one film to suggest the orthochromatic look of another particular film, a red filter lightens anything in the scene with red in it, these kinds of filters would be for use for b&w film.

 

Warming filters and blue filters for color film are a different issue , their use on color film affects the Kelvin temp. a film has been designed for, you need a good course/seminar/book to familarize yourself w/filters and how they affect the various films out there not just portraiture.

 

Filters transmit the light of the colors of objects that happen to be the same/or similar color to the filter color, they absorb the light of/darken the colors of objects that happen to be the opposite of the filters color. A red filter will darken a blue colored object, and lighten a red colored object in the scene. A blue colored filter will darken a red colored object and lighten a blue one.

 

When you look at an old John Ford western like 'My Darling Clementine', and the sky in an exterior scene looks almost black, that is a red filter over the lens which is making the blue sky appear dark/black. Filters affect skin, pale skin, black skin, it makes no difference, skin has varying degrees of red in it, so a red filter will affect it.

 

When you say Africans are you talking about skin color, if you are, then yes filters will affect how you render their skin, as it will anybody else. A blue filter will make someone with darker skin which has red in it appear darker, is that the effect you are after, that's going to be the question you're going to have to continually ask yourself, I suggest you study up on this and then do some tests w/these various filters.

 

There's nothing like seeing for yourself, and there are countless variables which are involved with this like exposure/film/lighting/processing which enter into the mix, there's no short answer if you want it right, good luck.

If I remember correctly what I read somewhere a long time ago a blue filter is sometimes used when photographing men as you get more rugged looking skin tones and an orange filter can help to subdue freckles. Hope this helps.

Blue?

 

Are you sure?

 

I've heard of green filters being used to increase the 'ruddiness' of skin, especially in male portraits. But not blue.

 

Blue is rarely used in B/W work - occasionally to enhance atmospheric haze to make scenes foggier than they really are.

Yellow-green (X0)is the classic filter for portraiture. If fact, yellow-green is becoming my favorite for landscapes too.

I believe blue would be a good filter to darken people with reddish/yellowish skin.