david_clark10 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Hey all, I'am about to go travelling shortly and I'm having difficulty with filters. I mostly use Fuji Acros 100 or Ilford Delta 100 (using 120 roll film). I'm trying to achieve a good tonal range, contrast and dark blue skies. I'm not very sure what filter(s) to use. I've tried red but made the negs very contrasty and hard to print. Someone advised yellow to incease definition, any suggestions. I saw some posts afew threads down saying yellow had little affect on some films? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
db1 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Where are you traveling to? I've been told by several serious fine art photographers that they use a light yellow filter "all the time". Yellow will add a bit of contrast but not too much. Orange will also add more contrast. It falls between the red filter and the orange filter. Good luck, david b Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_davis2 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Go to the libary and read Adam's section on filters in "The Negative". It's impossible to tell you what filter to get and use. It depends on what you want. What you're photographing. When you are photographing. Sounds like you already have a red. #25 I guess? I'd suggest getting: #8 middle yellow #16 orange [if you can only find the darker orange then that's fine but you already have a red so I'd consider the lighter one first] #11 yellow/green. They are all different enough. The 8 and the 11 are relatively common and shouldn't be very expensive on the used market. All three are usefull a lot of the time. The 25 OTOH isn't something most people are going to want to use alot of the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_appleyard Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 The rule of thumb to remember is that a filter lightens its own color and darkens its opposite. If you want to make green foliage look lighter, put a green filter on. If you want red bricks to look lighter, but blue sky to look darker, use a red filter. Red can be a tough filter to shoot with. If you have older cameras like I often shoot with, the CDS meter in them does not read red very well and if I don't compensate, the image will be underexposed. Properly exposed, a red filter can make for stunning results. Like was said above, get some books at the library. There's more to filters than any one person can tell you here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_butner___portland__or Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 When shooting B/W (quite a lot) I almost always use a deep yellow (#15) with great results. When traveling, I always carry the deep yellow, an orange and a polarizer. These allow me to achieve basically whatever I want to in terms of contrast. The deep yellow and orange, combined with a polarizer if need be, are very versatile. QLP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhalide1949 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 I use a Yellow/Green no. 11 filter for most landscapes. It will lightens foliage & darken sky. If you want to darken sky (& reduce reflections) without changing tonal relationships a polarizing screen is helpful. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oskar_ojala Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 My view is that the stronger the filter, the more skill and practice its usage requires. For your use, a medium yellow or even an orange filter would probably best, although I suggest starting with just the yellow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_clark10 Posted March 7, 2004 Author Share Posted March 7, 2004 David B - I'm travelling to Australia (Sydney 1st). I normally use a Mamiya but decided to just take my Nikon and 24-120mm. Then got a Fuji GA645zi cheap on ebay which is slightly more versatile than the Mamiya. Below are 2 shots with the Mamiya both with the Red 25. It seems to suit some situations not others. Will try some filters before I leave, will I be able to test them on a D100 (digital SLR) as I'm running out of time? Will get a few books to and read up. I think my main problem is knowing what filter to use in what situation? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
david_clark10 Posted March 7, 2004 Author Share Posted March 7, 2004 sorry pics didn't quite work, taken from my site as having probs with Adobe see more at my site www.dcppro.com Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
discpad Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Robert, Be careful when using a polarizing filter: You'll need a circular polarizing filter if you have through-the-lens metering that has a beam splitter (like in an SLR). Cheers! Dan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverhalide1949 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 Not all SLR's have beam splitters. Neither my Nikon F2 Photomic nor my Nikon FM2n use beam splitters for exposure. You are correct for some manual focus cameras and I believe all auto focus cameras. I would assume that each individual has read their instruction manual. I nevertheless should have mentioned the difference in my original post. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
russ_butner___portland__or Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 The FM-2, as with the FE-2, can be used with standard linear polarizer's. QLP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
robert_davis2 Posted March 7, 2004 Share Posted March 7, 2004 I think that gif is classic red filter. Sky is okay. The green trees have gone black. Was it taken during the fall? Without knowing what you intended it's not possible to say anything. It may have been exactly what you wanted. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
titrisol Posted March 8, 2004 Share Posted March 8, 2004 yellow and yellow-green are my "standard" filters for black and white. They seem to brighten the greens and yellows and darken the blues. A polarizer is a great option for darkening the shy without altering the other tones (as a red filter would) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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