Filters for Colour & Monochrome photography

 

 

Filters for Monochrome photography

Yellow, red and green filters increase tonal separation between subjects of middle tones but different colours. The most useful filter for B&W photography is probably a yellow or green filter. My first recommendation is yellow however, photography stores always seem to have green filters but no yellows in stock. The yellow and green filters brighten green foliage and help render the blue sky a natural grey tone at the same time separating clouds and sky. They also give more natural skin tones in portraits. Orange and red filters dramatise skies with brilliant white clouds set on a dark grey background but vegetation records almost black in these circumstances.

Yellow filters render skin as a more natural tone. An orange or red filter can make the lips of a person appear the same colour as the skin and make the skin a ghostly white.

 

Filters for Colour photography

A polarising filter allows the photographer to control reflections of the surfaces of some objects. The polarizer helps darken blue skies and has an effect that is strongest at the two 90 degree angles to the line between you and the sun ie both north & south when the sun is east & west. It will also reduce reflection glare from water or metal surfaces and will cut reflections from glass (such as a window). It works with either colour or black and white film but the effect on black and white film on clouds and blue sky is similar to an orange or red filter. On colour film it deepens the blue. At high altitude ( above 3000 - 4000m) the sky may go black so use polarisers judiciously in these conditions.

A warming filter makes cold blue light a little more neutral and can improve the skin tone in portraiture. It can also "add an hour" to the time of day that you are taking a shot. They come in various strengths. The stronger ones are too strong in my opinion. Stick to the 81A

If you are using film intended for daylight indoors lit by incandescent bulbs (tungsten) light, a blue #80A filter will correct the very orange appearance.

A graduated filter has the top section of the filter darker than the bottom. The effect is to even out the difference between bright skies and dark foregrounds.

 

Diffusing filters are used to scatter and soften the light going into a lens. I attended a talk given by a professional photographer once. He said, "I never use diffusion in the camera. If I want any, I use it on the enlarger." He obviously didn't know what he was talking about. When using negative film, a diffusing filter used on the camera causes the bright patches to bleed into the dark areas. When a diffuser is used on an enlarger, the black bleeds into the light patches. I have the Hoya diffuser. However I also experiment with lots of other things. Billabong Willow was taken with a piece of glad wrap stretched over the lens. Overhead projector acetate transparency sheets make excellent diffusers. I cut one sheet into 4 pieces. As they get damaged, I discard them.

Special effect filters are a waste of money IMHO. Every shot ends up looking the same and you'll stop using them pretty quickly.

 

 

Filter shopping list

In order of usefulness

 Monochrome

 Colour

 Yellow(K2)/Green (XO)

 Polariser

 Orange(G)

 Warming filter (81A)

 Red (25A)

 Diffuser

 Grad Red

 Grad Blue



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Last modified 20th March, 2000.