106 Better Available Light Digital Photography
The green fi lter is usually my
favorite fi lter for portraits because
of the pleasing things it does for
skin tones, but green also maxi-
mizes Emily’s freckles (which is
not a bad thing). There is no one-
size-fi ts-all approach to which
fi lter works best. The text provides
some guidelines, but to get the
optimum results, experiment with
the kind of pictures that you make.
© 2005 Joe Farace.
In-camera monochrome color effects
Monochrome images can be fun, but sometimes you might want
to add some color—but not too much! That’s when your digital
SLR’s digital toning modes come in handy. The camera lets you
apply one of four different digital toning effects, including sepia,
blue, purple, green, and none. Digital fi lters and toning can even
be applied together, and because you get to see the results right
away, you can decide if you like the effect or want to make any
changes. There is no one-size-fi ts-all approach to which toning
effect works best. It depends on the subject itself, the original
colors in the image (if you want to provide hints), and the mood
you’re trying to achieve. When’s the last time you heard the
words mood and digital in the same sentence? But that’s what
the monochrome fi lter and toning capabilities of many digital
SLRs are all about. Not every photograph should be in color;
sometimes a black-and-white or toned monochrome image tells
a better story.