Obviously, the amount of light present in your scene determines the strength of ND filter required-or if one is required at all. Without an ND filter, either you would have to shoot at a very high shutter speed (ruining the film aesthetic) or with a very small aperture (increasing depth of field). Keep in mind, the camera must be on a tripod or secured in some way for the effect to work. The other key use of ND filters is for shooting video when a shallow depth of field is desired and a 1/50th of a second shutter speed is needed to mimic the look of film. As the water continues to fall over the duration of the shutter being open, it blurs into a “cloud,” but the surrounding ground-which is not moving-remains sharp. This is the result of using a dark ND filter to allow for a very slow shutter speed. Everyone has seen the classic waterfall shot, where the water looks like a cloud of mist. However, there are two key areas where they are very important. There is little use for an ND filter for general photography as even entry-level SLRs can shoot up to 1/4000 of a second, plenty fast enough to take pictures in bright daylight. Neutral density filters are like sunglasses for your lens: they make things darker. If you initially find you’re not getting what you want, it may be as simple as changing your position. Be sure to experiment with different camera angles to notice how the effect increases and decreases depending on your orientation to the sun. This latter use is of particular importance to landscape photographers, but the level of polarized light in the sky depends on your angle to the sun, so results can very. They can also increase contrast in the sky by cutting out light polarized by electrons in the air. Polarizers will allow you to “see through” the reflections in a window, for example. Light becomes polarized when it bounces off of other objects, so this filter can be used to reduce reflections off of shiny surfaces, like glass and water. Higher-end UV filters are multi-coated to reduce flare and cut back on internal reflections, minimizing the effect they have on your images.Ī circular polarizer functions by limiting the amount of polarized light that passes into the lens. There is no point in spending $2,000 on lens to only put a cheap piece of glass in front of it.

If you do opt for a protective filter, make sure you get one that matches the quality of your lens. If you’re shooting landscapes on a tripod, and your gear is secure, there’s no real point to having a UV filter on your lens. I say, definitely use a UV filter if you’re going to be shooting at the beach, a rodeo, or inside a hurricane. The other says that any negligible decline in image quality is a worthy sacrifice for protecting the front element of your lens. (In our tests, this is certainly true, though the effect is barely noticeable on high-end filters, and only in certain situations). One claims that no matter how good the filter, adding another piece of glass in front of your lens can only make it worse. When it comes to whether you need one or not, there are two competing camps of photographers on this. And if it shatters, at least it’s a relatively inexpensive replacement. If you ever happen to drop your lens, the filter will help absorb the brunt of the impact. Hence the term “protector.” UV filters now serve simply as an insurance policy for your lens. Digital cameras actually have a UV filter built in over the image sensor, so there is no benefit to image quality by using a UV filter on a digital SLR. The effect was not huge, but it was noticeable.

Unlike with film, there are really only three standard filters that apply to digital photography: ultraviolet/protector (UV), circular polarizer (CPL), and neutral density (ND).Īn ultraviolet filter was used on film cameras to cut back on atmospheric haze, helping to keep images sharp and clear. Digital photography changed most of that, but you can still buy filters in camera stores today. Before Photoshop, photographers relied on these filters for color correction and contrast control, as well as for a myriad of other special effects. In the days when film reigned supreme, any serious photographer carried a stack of filters wherever they went: UV, polarizer, orange, red, yellow, blue, green.

Blogger worthy filters for photos