Some photographers might think that they don’t need lens filters anymore to work with digital photography. It makes sense since they can process the digital images later using digital imaging tools such as Photoshop. You can do lots of thing with the digital images using Photoshop including the filter effects – the warmth filter. But not all can be done easier using Photoshop, besides – editing the digital images in the computer will reduce the RGB quality of the photo images. See also digital photo coloring techniques.

Using the warmth lens filters will look more natural and you can preserve the RGB quality of the images. In nature landscape photography, the use of lens filters is an issue each photographer must work out for themselves. Some photographers want nothing to do with filters; others could not imagine getting by without them. See also saturation in photo coloring.

For my own photography, I fall somewhere in between those two positions. I always try to capture my subject in natural light without artificial effects…but occasionally conditions require that to get the best results, I need a little help. That’s why I have exactly one filter in my camera: polarizing lens filters.

A polarizer lens filters are not much different to polarized sunglasses. It does not color the photo, but it reduces glare and reflection. As a result, natural colors can appear stronger and more vibrant in your photos. The most obvious place this can be seen is in the sky, where a hazy sky can become a rich, saturated blue. But some digital camera such as Canon – provides a downloadable picture styles to upgrade into the camera and you can use “Clear” custom picture style to provide a deep blue sky effect.

The difference between using the polarizer and a blue lens filter is that the polarizer uses the natural color of the sky, while the colored filter adds artificial color. A blue filter, for example would also turn white clouds a shade of blue, whereas the polarizer leaves the clouds clear and white.

The polarizing lens filter also increases the contrast between the sky and the clouds, making the cloud formation stand out more clearly against the background. An attractive cloud formation can be enriched to become a feature of real impact in your photo.

Polarizing lens filters can be rotated on the lens to adjust the level of polarization. It is important to practice with your polarizer to get the most natural effects.

A polarizing lens filter in the hands of an inexperienced photographer can be a frightening thing. You see, at maximum polarization, the filter can produce some fairly extreme effects. The contrast in the sky can be so strong that some areas will become navy blue, even black. The saturation of other colors in the photo can also be exaggerated beyond recognition. These effects can certainly be eye-catching and impactful, but they go far beyond anything you could call natural.

The trick with a polarizing lens filter is to find a level that reduces the glare and provides a nice saturation of color, while maintaining a natural appearance. This is a simple matter of rotating the filter on the camera until you find the right level, and with experience you will get the hang of it.

There is a lot more to a polarizing filter than just colorful skies. Eliminating glare and reflection can be an enormous benefit in all kinds of situations; even in the places you least expect.

One situation that might surprise you is in the rainforest. On a cloudy day under the canopy of the trees, you would not expect glare to be a problem. But there can be a lot of reflection off the glossy leaves of the rainforest vegetation, and a polarizing filter can reduce it significantly. The result will be a more saturated green throughout your photo. Just like in the sky, the effect is not the same as simply using a colored filter; the polarizer does not add artificial color, it enhances the clarity of the natural color.

Of course the elimination of reflections can also transform any photo of water, and shiny surfaces like the glass walls of a high-rise building. With practice, you will find all kinds of ways to employ your polarizing lens filters.

There are some drawbacks. The lens filter will darken your exposures, so you will often have to use slower shutter speeds than you would otherwise (and keep your tripod handy). The usefulness of the filter also varies with the time of day, and your angle to the sun. Half the time, you will simply be better off removing the polarizer and taking your photo without it.

I recommend adding polarizing lens filters to your DSLR kit bag. You won’t use it all the time. With experience, you will learn to judge when to use it and when to leave it in the bag, but your photography will be richer for having a polarizing filter handy when the situation calls for it.

By: Andrew Goodall

See also:

• How to trick the photography background – regarding the exposure
• Photography techniques and guidelines
• How to work with Digital white balance
• Digital camera SLR Lenses – some terminologies
• Types of SLR Lenses