Image by frank3.0
This one goes out to all you budding photographers out there. Today has been a backup day. I had been waiting to get a patch cord to connect my laptop to an external hard drive and then export some image libraries to other hard drives and so on an so forth. The point is, my network and computer has been bogged down today with all the digital information flying around, so I decided to read a few more chapters in my book on off-camera lighting techniques and get better acquainted with my Wacom Bamboo electronic drafting tablet. So far, I am pretty useless with it but I can write on images (as pictured above) so that's a start.
I thought I'd also take a little time to discuss one of the more frequently used photographic filter, the circular polarizer. Why circular? Well, so you can adjust the direction at which it allows light to pass into the lens in accordance with wether you are shooting horizontally or vertically. A polarizer reduces glare. As light travels from the sun to the earth it bounces off of reflective surfaces and rather than entering the lens (or your eye) in nice, tidy lines, it comes in from a lot of different directions. This "unfocused" light cases glare which in turn obscures detail. As photographers we tend to want detail, so we tend to want to reduce glare. A polarizing filter wont get rid of it all; they cut the glare from moisture much better than glare from metallic surfaces. A polarizer also reduces the overall amount of light into your camera, so while it improves details, you will have to adjust your exposure accordingly. The good news is, polarizers are generally only called for in bright lighting conditions so you should still be able to get your shot.
These filters enhance color, most notably in the blue part of the spectrum but they will also bring out other colors. On the downside, a polarizer can tend to accentuate lens vignetting (which I don't mind too much) and when used on a wide angle lens can cause a kind of harsh, circular graduation that seems to radiate from the horizon. None of these's limitations really outweigh the benefits in detail and saturation you get with a polarizer, but they are worth noting.
The mechanics of polarizing filters (which are not all circular, by the way) is less important than recognizing how to get yours to work. Hold the filter up to the sky on a sunny day and rotate it. When the sky is darkest, then you have it properly oriented. Make a note of the markings on the top of the filter when the sky is the darkest. Now, when you place the filter on your camera you want to make sure that this same marking is at the top of however you are composing your shot. Just remember, you have to rotate the filter if you change the orientation of your shot. Other than linear and circular polarizers there is a third type (generally circular also) called a Kaesemann filter. Unless you do some really serious outdoor photography, in some pretty extreme conditions, don't bother spending your money on a Kaesamann style filter. This final type of filter is sealed on the side to prevent moisture from getting between the pieces of glass. Save your money and buy a regular, circular polarizer (Hoya makes pretty good ones) and just replace it if you ever get moisture inside of the mechanism.
One last note, you will get the best results from a polarizer when you shoot with the sun at right angles to the lens. That is to say, put the sun at your shoulder for best results. If you are going for a lens flare effect or the drama of shooting into the sun then a polarizer is more likely to just cause ghost images, so you might want to just take it off.
Check out more at my blog, Lemons and Beans, for lots of photos, recipes, travel writing and other ramblings. I appreciate any feedback but, please do not post graphic awards or invitations in your comments.laptop glare filter
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