Keith Johnson
Two filters no landscape photographer should be without are a polarizer
and a graduated neutal density filter. The polarizer will deepen hues and
get rid of glare and deepen colors. A graduated ND filter is dark on the
top half fading to light on the bottom half. This will keep the sky in a
landscape shot from being burned out compared to the darker ground.
I use a Tiffen but Cokin makes a version that is cheaper. It is not
truly neutral and will give a slight cast to your shots.
These are just a couple of recommendations that should be useful. I would
also recommend a good book like John Shaw's "Landscape Photography".
Good Luck
Paul Wilson
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"On a cycle the frame is gone. You're completely in the
scene, not just watching if anymore, and the sense of
presence is overwhelming."
- Robert M. Pirsig
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
At the most basic, get a UV and a polarizing filter.
> I am new to photography, and need some help in choosing filters. I'll be
> mainly taking landscape photos, and I wantomething that will really deepen
> all the hues and colors for a warm effect. I'm going up to Minnesota in a
> week, and would really like to take some nice lake photos and the like. Any
> advice is appreciated in advance.
>
> Keith Johnson
Keith
The four most common filters used in colour
landscape photography are:
1 UV filter : cuts haze
2 Polarizing filter
Controls reflections off
glass and esp water. Blue skylight is part polarized
This filter deepens the colour saturation.
3 81B filter
Called a warm up filter it lowers
(reddens) the colour temperature slightly to give
a warmer feeling to the colours.
4 Graduated neutral density filters
Used to even up the difference in brightness
between bright sky and dark foreground. Film
does not cope with the same brightness range
as your eye so frequently a blue sky will end
up white if the photograph is exposed to record
a dark foreground.
Never combine filters as too many layers of glass destroy
a sharp image from a good quality lens (no brands mentioned<g>)
Be wary of using polarizers and warm up filters with
warm balanced films like Velvia. IMHO Velvia needs
no polarization or warming.
I would start with a polarizing filter first.
Work with that awhile then try a warm up filter
if you are using neutral balanced films.
Graduated ND filters need to be well constructed
and used carefully else they can put horrible
colour casts in your sky.
--
Joseph A. Cali ph 61-6-2493246
Research School of Earth Science email joe....@anu.edu.au
Australian National University
Canberra 0200 Australia
--
H. Brian Gill Voice: 604-230-6753
D.I.T. Digital Image-Tech Inc. Fax: 604-581-0246
Bri-Mar Photographers
P.O. Box 94458
Richmond, B.C.
Canada V6Y 2V6 E-Mail: s-br...@deepcove.com