 BetterPhoto Member |
Black and White Filters I will be taking B&W photos this spring outdoors of people (mostly closeups). Some will be in bright sun and others will be in the shade and I intend to use a fill flash. Any recommendations as to the type of filter I should use. I am using a Sigma 28-200 lens on a N-80, with a SB-28 flash. Thanks.
|
|
|
|
||
|
Jeff S. Kennedy |
Generally speaking no filters should be your first choice. From there it all depends upon what effect you want. A red filter is nice on women. It gives their skin a smooth milky look. Beware, however, it will turn red lips white. Keep in mind, when using it, that makeup like lipstick should have blue tones to make it appear darker. Also bear in mind that a red filter cuts out up to 3 stops of light. For men a green filter will give strong skin tones. Again, it all depends on what you want to achieve.
|
|
|
|
||
|
John A. Lind |
Jeff's comments about the effects of red and green filter usage in portraiture are good . . . and often overlooked. I have also used a Yellow #6 which renders caucasian skin to a natural looking gray scale with a slight amount of the same effect a red has. Three of the most common B/W filters are a Yellow, Green and Red, plus a fourth is an Orange . . . generally used to achieve something between the effect a Yellow and Red have. If using a yellow or red filter in portraits, pay attention to your subject's hair color too. A yellow (or orange) can make a blonde's hair unnaturally light. A red can do the same with a redhead, just as Jeff mentions with lip color. I suggest experimenting using several subjects and several filters (none, yellow, green and red) with each subject. It will give you a "benchmark" for the effects they have. If you use filters, don't "cheap out" when buying them. Go for high optical quality. A filter adds another piece of glass to your lens. Mediocre ones risk image degradation. -- John
|
|
|
|
||
|
This old forum is now archived. Use improved Forum here
Report this Thread |
||