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FILTER PHOTOGRAPHY
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f/16 50
AS SOON as you begin taking landscape
photography seriously, the first filter you
need to get is a polarizer. For most, this will
be a screw-in type that fits the filter thread
of the main lens you use for shooting
landscapes. As you improve and demand
more, you’ll probably upgrade to a drop-in
filter system – a dedicated polarizer would
also be a wise investment too.
The most common use for polarizers is
to maintain detail in blue skies; they’re most
effective when the camera is positioned at
a 90° angle to the sun. If you are deepening
blue skies, take care not to over-polarize it:
you’ll create an unnaturally dark sky with
uneven tones. Without getting technical, a
polarizing filter absorbs polarized light.
Polarizing filters are essential for
landscape photography because they can
be used for improving blue skies. They can
also reduce or increase reflections, remove
glare, increase saturation, and even be used
as a low-strength ND filter, since they
can reduce exposure by up to 1.5 stops
depending on their rotation.
HOW TO USE A POLARIZER
Once the filter is attached, all you have to do
is rotate it while you look through the
viewfinder, or use Live View until the desired
effect can be seen on the screen. More on
using a polarizer on page 56.
THE BENIFITS
OF POLARIZING
FILTERS
The most versatile filter
you could ever have in
your kit bag
WHY IT WORKS
Introducing a polarizing
filter has fixed all the
issues that were
present in the first
image – most notably
with improved colour
in the sky and the
foreground, and with
improved highlight
detail.
THE EFFECT: Overall
the colours appear
richer, and the scene
has been captured
more faithfully
compared with what
the naked eye saw at
the time.
ROOM FOR
IMPROVEMENT
In this image the sky
is bleached-out
and white, and the
overall saturation
of the scene is lacking.
The highlights in
the crops in the
foreground have
also bleached out.
THE EFFECT: The
resulting image
looks more like
an unconsidered
snapshot that has
been unable to capture
a true representation
of the scene.
SHOOT LIKE A PRO WITH A POLARIZER
Using a polarizing filter here has enhanced the reflection of the tree in the
lake, and emphasized the blue in the moody morning sky. Another effect
of using the polarizer is that it increased exposure time by around 1-2 stops
to help smooth the water and improve the reflection of the tree and sky.
A medium ND grad was also used to retain sky detail. 16-35mm lens at
24mm | 4 sec, f/16, ISO50 | Polarizer + two-stop medium ND grad
BEFORE AFTER
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