SECTION HEAD
The
Mission
- Understand how
polarizers work and
how to use a circular
polarizer effectively
Time
- 30 minutes
Skill level
- Beginner
Kit needed
- Non-wide-angle lens
- Circular
polarizing filter
What’s a circular polarizer?
Mike Harris explains how circular polarizers work and
how you can use them to spice up your photos
There’s nothing polarizing about
this kit bag staple; it’s arguably
the most widely used filter of all.
Circular polarizing filters (CPL)
are used to help prevent glare, cut
through reflections and bolster the
intensity of blue skies. They’re
particularly handy when shooting
landscapes and architecture, but
their ability to reduce glare – even
the shine of a person’s skin- means they have a broad appeal.
You could write a very dense and
scientific book on polarized light,
but to put it simply, polarized light
creates glare, which is something
you can’t remove in post-
production. A polarizing filter
blocks polarized light from a
specific direction, and that’s why
it reduces glare, increases
contrast and boosts colour.
CPLs are a type of polarizing
filter. They are available as both
screw-on and slot-in filters.
A common misconception is that
the name refers to the shape of
the filter, when it actually refers
to the way polarized light is filtered
in comparison to a linear polarizing
filter. Without getting too
technical, linear polarizing filterscan interfere with the metering
and autofocus systems of
some cameras. As such, circular
polarizers are now much more
commonplace in photography.
If you’re going to introduce a
circular polarizing filter into your
workflow, there are a few things
you can do to maximize its
potential – chief of which is to
choose the right filter thread to fit
your lens. From there, we’ll explain
why it’s recommended that you
stand at a 90º angle to the sun and
which focal lengths will return the
best results.CORE SKILLS
P roject^ one:^ Core^ skills
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