Tag: variable neutral density filter

Photographic Gear – Filters

Here are the filters you should have in your camera bag.

This is the fourth in a series of articles that tour the contents of my camera bag. If you missed any of the previous three articles you can catch up with these links:

Photographic Gear – A Tour of a Photographer’s Camera Bag

Photographic Gear – the Camera Body

Photographic Gear – Lenses

In this article I want to discuss filters with you.

An Overview of Filters

Filters are a clear medium that is placed in front of the camera lens. The medium can be glass or, in some cases, a high-quality resin. The purpose of the filter is to enhance the image. Filters are one way in which photographers “get it in the camera,” a point of view that it’s better to get something close to the image you want in the camera so that it doesn’t require so much effort in the darkroom, digital or analog. Continue reading “Photographic Gear – Filters”

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Which Filter Should I Buy Next

A new filter is available that resolves my delema of which filter to buy next.

There are two filters I want really badly – a variable ND and a warming polarizer.

I want the variable ND to do special water effects with very long exposures.  This is a neutral density filter that allows you to vary the density from 2 to 8 stops.  Pretty cool.  It makes it possible to get very long exposures for those wonderful moving water images.  But I also want to try it on clouds, shadows, windy days and what not.  I asked several accomplished photographers if they could only buy one filter, which one would it be?  To a person they all replied “Variable ND.”

The other filter I want is a warning polarizer.  This is a circular polarizer that also acts as a warming filter – two filters in one.  Polarizer filters are used to darken skies and cut reflections from water, leaves, wet rocks and the like.  Warming filters are used to make the image appear warmer and richer.  Put the two together and you have a powerful combination.

Continue reading “Which Filter Should I Buy Next”

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