Filters

<p>I am looking to buy a filter but am not sure what I need. Can anyone suggest any? I mostly want to do landscaping photography and just want really vivid colors.</p>

<p>Are you talking about filters for film bodies or digital bodies? Most digital body image manipulation is done by post processing software, although polarizing filters can eliminate unwanted glare and reflections, and neutral density (or gradient neutral density filters) can allow for different exposure of either the entire scene, or things like skies, etc. Film is a different issue, although if the images are scanned, they can be manipulated much like images from digital cameras.</p>

<p>First filter to buy is polarizing filter. These darken sky thus clouds stand out. Cuts haze - cuts reflections add some saturation without changing overall color balance. </p>

A polarizing filter can work to get deeper colors since it eliminates glare when used at the correct angle. Skies will seem bluer as will ocean water. The glare eliminated from tree leaves and grass will also make them seem deeper color.. <P>

 

<center><img src="http://jdainis.com/polar_bkyd1.jpg"><BR>

Without polarizer<P>

 

<img src="http://jdainis.com/polar_bkyd2.jpg"><BR>

With polarizer</center>

<p>Welcome to P.net, Tina.</p>

<p>Polarizer is a good choice for increasing saturation by eliminating some reflections.</p>

<p>At one time there were some filters made for color film that were claimed to "pop" up the colors, but they seem to have disappeared (natural selection?) and I can't locate them right now. "<em>Chroma</em>" ring a bell for anyone?<br /> LATER<br /> found one of these called an "intensifier" (didymium) at http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/142165-REG/Hoya_S77INTENS_77mm_Enhancing_Intensifier_Glass.html</p>

<p>One thing that is available is the combination of a "warming" filter with a polarizer in a form known as a "Moose" filter after its popularizer...</p>

<p>I'm with Stephen on this, you can do it in post. Here, for example, is James' first shot with green channel saturation pumped up in Photoshop. How much difference will you notice? And make a difference?</p>

<p> </p><div></div>

<p><em>and just want really vivid colors</em><br /> <br /> Most cameras have image control settings. Don`t know which camera you are using.<br /> E.g., Nikon digital cameras offer different options; Neutral, Standard, Vivid... you can even personalize either of them up to the extreme. It`s also common to offer "filter effects" as well, but only as a b&w film simulation (as said above, it doesn`t makes sense to filter digital color images with traditional film filters). You can also play with the white balance control to achive different tones. There are different color spaces just in case you prefer to print, internet, post-processing, screen viewing, etc., etc.</p>

<p>The color managing possibilies in digital are almost unlimited, and most cameras offer built in control without the need of using any filter. Just read your camera user`manual. There are also tutorials on the web for specific camera users.</p>

<p>On digital, the only filters that make sense are a polariser (*) and a neutral density filter. I would use neither of those as a way"to get vivid colours. While a polariser can make seem some colours more vivid, it's biggest benefit is removing some reflections (* and in that sense, there is a clear difference between the photo of James and Jeff, at least for me there is). Getting the colours to pop is much easier done in post-processing (as Jeff showed).<br>

Do take note that good filters are expensive; cheap polarisers seem nice, but their effect is very limited up to the point where they're basically useless (or worse: cause other issues). It's really worth it saving up to get the right, good quality, filters (B+W, the high-end Hoya ones, for example), and get one for the largest size lens you use - think a bit ahead there (<em>if you have 58mm front thread lenses today, but are eyeballing a lens with 72mm filter thread to buy next, it might be worth it getting a 72mm filter from the start</em>).</p>

<p>And you may not need filters; not all of us do. Well over 90% of my photos with a DSLR are without a filter, and I could quite easily live without filters on digital.</p>

<p>Playing with the white balance, either in-camera, or in Photoshop, can also make colors pop. As can creative exposure, shooting during the golden hours (early morning and late evening) or simply shooting very colorful and vivid scenes!</p>

<p>A couple of filters that I've owned for years (bought for film) might interest you. Tiffen made an intensifier filter that punched up foliage; this is probably obsoleted by colour adjustments in digital. The other is a Haze2 filter; most haze filters cut some ultraviolet light. The Haze2 had a very sharp cut-off at 400nm (nano-metres) and was very useful at higher altitudes for cutting through light scatter. It won't cut fog or smoke but it prevents the film or sensor seeing an overabundance of ultraviolet. These are both screw-in filters so you should buy a size for the lens that needs the biggest filter and get adaptor(s) for lenses that are smaller across. The other useful type of filter is the holder-held gradient filter. (Cokin is the basic name in this style of filter.) This can cut 1, 2 or 3 stops in part of the image so you can get, for example, the main part of the image shot through the clear portion and the sky cut by a factor, limiting the dynamic range the sensor is asked to cope with. Now many people shoot multiple images at different shutter speeds and combine the images, but the neutral gradient filter, which can be shifted up or down quickly has a regular place in my camera bag. It's useful unless you wish you were spending more time with your computer!</p>

<p>My advice to someone starting out in landscape photography would be to forget about filters for now. Learn how to recognize good lighting (quality and direction). Learn how to compose well. Learn about depth of field and focus. Get a solid tripod and learn about camera stability and creating sharp images.</p>

<p>All of these things are more important than any filter that you can place over your lenses.</p>

<p>I use neutral density and graduated neutral density filters for landscape work. But these are not of much value until they can be coupled with an understanding of the elements listed above.</p>