How to use camera filters for photography

There are many camera filters and many brand that make them. This page describes what the filters do, examples of where to use them, and howto use them.

=Filter Types=

=List of Filter Names=

=Manufactures=

Protection & Haze
A protection filter is usually used. You scratch a protection filter 10-20$US, you scratch you lens 100-200$US or more. But opinions vary.


 * UV filters
 * Remove ultraviolet rays, which can decrease the appearance of haze.


 * Skylight filters
 * In many places haze reflects more blue. The skylight filter removes a small amount of blue, to help clear up haze, while not effecting the picture. It also has the effect of giving clouds a little pink.

Color Enhancement and distortion

 * Enhancement
 * Enhances reds and oranges, but does not effect the rest of the picture too much. Look amazing in fall colors.


 * Blue Enhancement


 * Brightens blues. good for glaciers, water, and sometimes snow.


 * Green Enhancement
 * Enhances greens. Makes brilliant greens, but more noticeable effects on the rest of the photo


 * sepia
 * Makes the photo have old fashion look like earlier photographs. It makes the pictures a tan tobacco color.

Polarizers
when light hits something it reflect back light, in the color of the object. That light can hit another thing reflecting its color. the light will keep bouncing till all of its absorbed by something. This makes light waves come from all directions into the camera lens. polarizers only allow light to come from one direction.


 * The effect is
 * 1) Remove reflections from water or windows
 * 2) Enhances colors
 * 3) Remove haze (somewhat)
 * 4) Make things look less shiny

Graduated filters

 * Graduated Neutral Density
 * comes in .3, .6, .9, and less commonly 1.2


 * Graduated Color
 * Usually blue for skies or golden for sunrise/sunset

Black and White Photography filters

 * 1) 8 Yellow
 * Improves contrast in landscapes, and corrects natural tones, some contrast between clouds and sky


 * 1) 15 Deep Yellow
 * Enhances landscapes and water scenes, more contrast between clouds and sky


 * 1) 11 Green
 * Improves portraits and flesh tones


 * 1) 25 Red
 * creates strong contrast between clouds and sky, can be used for partial IR photography.

This site describes the different effects of filters on B & W film, in a nice table.
 * http://www.searlstudio.com/digital-photo-blog02270507.htm

Other

 * Neutral Density Filter
 * This filter darkens the cameras input uniformilly, red, green, and blue are equally darkened. This allows you to brighten the picture to normal brightness by opening the shutter speed longer. This allow nice waterfall pictures, and other blurring effects. Comes in .3, .6, .9, and less commonly 1.2, which lower 1, 2, 3, and 4 f-stops, respectively




 * Close up
 * usually a set of three filters to allow close up, macro, photography. At about 50$US, they're much cheaper than a macro lens. These filters may have more distortion on the edges. Usually negligible.


 * IR
 * This filter blocks all visible light, and allows only Infra red light.
 * Traditional Cameras: To take IR photographs you need IR Film
 * DIGITAL CAMERAS: Some cameras use IR for range finding so there lenses block IR. These cameras will not be able to take IR photography. See Howto check to see if your digital camera can use an infra-red (IR) filter


 * Star Effects
 * This filter makes lights in the photo become stars


 * mist effects
 * these filters can add an overall mist over the picture or a mist on the edges of the photo.

=See Also=
 * Guide to photography

From HowTo Wiki, a Wikia wiki.