How to Use a Circular Polarizer

Video Transcript

"Hello I am Alex Compton with Luminescence Photography in Pahrump, Nevada, where we specialize in capturing the true spirit of your loved ones in special occasions. Now I am going to demonstrate for you how to use a circular polarizer. We start by removing the lens cap cover. If you have a filter on there already some filters it is okay, sometimes they suggest not to use another filter underneath it. Your circular polarizer has two little rings around it the one side attaches to the camera. Sometimes it kind of hard to tell if it is really attached, because the other side is going to just keep spinning, but that is the circular polarizer itself in action. With the circular polarizer you may or may not want to use your hood for your camera. Some hoods obstruct the view of your camera. It makes it hard to reach in without getting fingerprints onto your circular polarizer itself. The purpose of the circular polarizer is for glare reduction. It is typically not too useful indoors unless you are doing perhaps a lot of mirrored reflections or glass surfaces. Most of the time it is designed for outdoor use. It works in conjunction with the angle on the sun that creates the glare in the first place. It changes the amount of reflection on your pictures. Here is a series of shots taken with the circular polarizer so you can notice just how the glare is effected, and how it is changing. You will also notice on your camera that it will take it down, and drop it off a few F stops. Or if you have it set into a different position it will actually lower the film speed setting on your camera as it goes down."