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How to Use Filters in Color Photography

Neutral-density, color-graduated, color-compensating, enhancing, polarizer, soft-focus and specialty filters are used in color photography. Experiment and play with various filters to create your unique, personalized style.

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    Difficulty:
    Moderate

    Instructions

    Things You'll Need

    • Camera Bags
    • Camera Filters
    • Camera Polarizer Filters
    • Cameras
    • Film
      • 1

        Study the scene you wish to photograph. Look for any extreme contrast in light. In a sunset or sunrise, the foreground is darker than the sky.

      • 2

        Use a graduated filter to compensate for these differences in contrast. A graduated filter is half clear glass and half neutral or a color. It allows the foreground to absorb more light and make the contrast between the sky and foreground less extreme.

      • 3

        Use a polarizer to prevent glare from the surface of water or from bright sunlight. A polarizer will deepen the blue of your sky.

      • 4

        Create richer colors or a mood with an enhancing filter. Fall colors such as red, orange and yellow will really snap with color when you use an enhancing filter.

      • 5

        Try a blue or cooling filter such as the 80A or a FL-D to counter the greenish hue your photograph may have when shooting under tungsten or fluorescent lights. A good place to try this filter is in basketball gymnasiums, where photos can take on a green tint.

      • 6

        Use a warming filter such as 81B when taking pictures on an overcast day or in open shade. It will add a golden glow such as the late afternoon sun emits to your photograph.

      • 7

        Play with some of the specialty filters such as the soft focus for portraits or a filter to give the lights of a city a "star" effect.

      • 8

        Choose the filter to fit the lens you wish to use or use an adapter ring to fit filters to various lenses.

    Tips & Warnings

    • Filters are expensive. There are several good starter kits you can purchase to help you get started in the wild world of filters.

    • Carry and store your filters in a special filter case for easy access. Label each pouch with the filter enclosed for quick reference.

    • You can stack your filters to create different effects.

    • Colored filters are classed by a number and a letter. The number represents the color and the letter is the density, with A being the least dense.

    • Check the filter factor and adjust the aperture to compensate for the light blocked by the filter.

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    Comments

    • gusichka Feb 25, 2010
      Than you so much, just what i was looking for a basic brake down of filters! The only question is, which filter gives the lights of a city a "star" effect? i am very curious ;) Thanks

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