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Photography Question 

Eddie Lagos
 

Filters


Hello everyone. I dont see a lot of talk about filters and polarizers here and the benefits or the downsides they give. Can someone please enlightment me with info on them? I'm about to buy my first lens and could use some advice on what brands are good and so on and so forth.


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March 06, 2006

 

Mark Feldstein
  Greetings Eddie: Rather than going into a dissertation on the use and abuse of filters, I recommend that you find a couple of booklets on the subject at some place like your local camera store, bhphotovideo.com, or barnes and noble. Two I'd recommend are: "Photographer's Guide to Using Filters" or "Kodak guide to Filters".

Generally, filters can be used to control or enhance contrast in black and white photography. In color work, they can be used to enhance or diminish various colors or saturation. Circular polarizing filters can be used outdoors to reduce or eliminate some kinds of glare or reflections. And a neutral density filter of one degree or another can help balance the light in an outdoor scene that has a very bright sky and a darker foreground (on earth). Also some of the skylight filters like an 81A, B or 81C, while intended to improve color, can be used to protect a lens.

Filters come in various sizes. The problem you may run into is buying one size filter to fit one particular lens, say a 55mm diameter, may leave you needing to buy another filter of the same kind but different size for a larger diameter lens if you get one later on.

The solution is to instead, buy a universal filter holder that accepts mounting rings of various sizes yet one size of filter. These holders, like Cokin or Hitech or Lee, among other manufacturers, also allow you to stack a few different filters at once.

For example, I shoot in 35mm, medium and 4x5 formats. If I had to buy the same set of filters for every size lens I have, I'd go bankrupt. So I use the Hitech system which uses square or rectangular resin filters in a universal holder. It's quite portable, the filters are optically excellent, won't chip, crack, warp, peel or flake (kinda like aluminium siding). And, I can carry around a whole stack of them in a pocket. It also allows me to quickly switch from one size ring to another by releasing a set screw and changing out the adapter ring.

There are some specialty filters I use from outfits like Tiffen or B+W, like redhancers, or circular polarizers, but by-in-large, the Hitech system works quite well and has for me for years.

Just consider all your options before you start buying filters, consider the type of photography you're doing now and what you may expand into later and build your filter system from the ground up to be flexible to accomodate those future needs. Otherwise, you could end up with a closet (or at least a drawer) filled with used filters that no longer fit the lenses you've recently purchased for a newer camera. And remember too, that with modern coatings have improved to the extent that generally you don't need a filter unless you're trying to correct for something. Lastly, it's not a good idea to store lenses with filters in place. A lens needs to breathe essentially. So, threading a filter on it and leaving it there may be trapping moist air beneath it that can serve to nurture any fungi growing on the lens. That oughtta get you started.

Take it light.
Mark


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March 06, 2006

 

Robyn Gwilt
  Eddie, Mark's given you some good advice. Also go to the box a the top (Q & A) and type in Filters, there are a whole bunch of threads for you to choose from.
Regards
Robyn


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March 07, 2006

 

Debby A. Tabb
 
 

BetterPhoto.com Editor's Pick  
AND THE SKY TURNED RED
AND THE SKY TURNED RED
D70-GRAD RED filter

Debby A. Tabb

 
 
Just My 2 cents,
The first filter you shoulc consider is a UV haze, you should have one of these for every Lens.
They will be a sorce of inexpensive protection for your lens,from scrates , dust . chips ect.
here is a exaple of a fun filter.


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March 07, 2006

 

Christopher A. Vedros
  One thing to add.

Will you be shooting film or digital? Most color-correcting filters are not really necessary when shooting digital, since you can adjust white balance seetings in-camera or color and levels in post-processing.

A Polarizer is still useful when shooting digital, because there is no way to simulate its effects in post processing.

Graduated Neutral Density filters are still useful when shooting digital, but you can usually get around using one by taking multiple exposures and combining them afterwards.

Chris


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March 07, 2006

 

Debby A. Tabb
  This is so true Chris,
They tell me I could get that effect as well from PS.
I am just not pickin' up all the PS work very fast thank God, I learned with film.
Some stuff for me is easier with the camera it self.
Image above untouched.


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March 07, 2006

 

Robyn Gwilt
  Debby, I started a Helpful Tip thread - http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/QnAdetail.php?threadID=22792
click and you'll find some very helpful FREE video's - (2 - 5 mins max) on how to do certain things in PS - coz if you're slow, I'm in reverse with it!!


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March 07, 2006

 

Debby A. Tabb
  lol,lol Thanks Robyn!
I am sure those will help and I will go check them out, when I get back from the Dr. and let you know who I did.
thanks for the help I am sure you are doing fine.But it's good to know someone else struggles to understand all this,how do they pick it up so fast?


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March 07, 2006

 

David A. Bliss
  While I realize that a lot can be done in PS, like combining multiple exposures instead of using a GND, I am a firm believer in getting the shot in camera, instead of processing later in PS. There are some things that can't be done on a digital, like a double exposure, but pretty much anything I did with my film SLR and do with my digital SLR. And, like Chris said, there are some things that just can't be simulated in PS, like a polarizer, or a neutral density filter to increase shutter speed when shooting waterfalls.

I filters I use are a polarizer, 3 different ND fitlers (2, 4, and 8), and a graduated ND (for compensation of wide exposure latitudes). I am currently getting ready to get a set of GNDs, so that I have 2, 4, and 8 stops with GND. I use the Cokin system for the GNDs, and want to get a Cokin mount polarizer, also.


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March 07, 2006

 

Eddie Lagos
  Thanks to all. Chris, I will be shooting digital. I think I will get a polarizer. Do I still need a uv filter if I'm shooting digital? It would seem that it would still be a good portection. Thanks again.


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March 07, 2006

 

Debby A. Tabb
  YES! Eddie, the UV filter is a great protection for your lens as I stated.
So here if you bump in to a wall, or a pebble flies from a passing car, would you want the damage to be done to a UV filter you picked for 6-8 dallors or your $100-$400 lens?
digital or film- buy one for every lens you have and leave it on. I was walking in a huge crowd,paying more attention that my kids did not get seperated from me and did not see a short pole , I bashed my 300mm lens right into it,
SO GLAD I HAD THAT FILTER!!
to bad it couldn't help when I droped the thing in a tide pool I fell in a year later,lol,lol


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March 07, 2006

 

Justin G.
  Debby for that effect create a new blank layer above your image. Now go to your Gradient took and select the colors you want to use by double clicking the bar towards the top of the screen. Now on your new layer click and drag and you'll create your gradient. Get the angle you want and then change the 'Blending Mode' to 'Color' or 'Soft Light'. Both of these will blend the pink color of the gradient into the image below. Hopefully this isn't too confusing.


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March 07, 2006

 

Maverick Creatives
  Debby asks a question, that upon reviewing, reminds me of why I don't shoot through extra glass (uv filter). "Would you want to damage a 400 dollar lens for the sake of a 8 dollar uv filter?"

I realize they are more than 8 dollars but it's still extra glass in my opinion.


Regards
Gary


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March 07, 2006

 

Debby A. Tabb
  Justin,
you little wise guy!!lol,lol
you want to help me out,lol,lol
PLEASE figure out how to do the porciline effect everyone want to know how to do. and then a simple way to discribe it to this PS goofball.lol.lol

your so sweet, this type I do enjoy captureing through my lens though.
that "OH that should be beautiful feeling, then to get home and see it,
You can beat that feeling!

Thanks though, YOu are just PLOWING through this stuff!!
take care,
Debby


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March 07, 2006

 

Justin G.
  which porceline effect debby? do you have a sample or know of any sites that have one?


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March 07, 2006

 

David A. Bliss
  Gary, I have gone back and forth with the UV filter, and I am mostly of the same opinion. You have a $400 lens, with $400 worth of optics, and then you are going to put a cheap piece of glass in front of it? Here's the kicker though. What you put in front of the lens has very little effect on the outcome of the picture, in some respects. Just like when you shoot a long focal length through a close fence, the fence disappears, same with a UV filter. I have a lens with a pretty good ding in the front element, and it doesn't show up at all in the photos. In fact, it is one of my sharpest lenses.

What will hurt the picture would be a filter that is cloudy instead of crystal clear, or dirty, which would make the final picture come out just slightly faded or blurry.

Debby, remember also that the front element of your lens is a much stronger, thicker piece of glass than the filter. A knock that breaks the filter might not have been enough to damage the lens. I can see both sides of the argument, and my advice is, do whatever you want. Neither way is correct, they are just different. I almost always have a filter on my camera, so I don't really have a need for the UV filter. I'll just break a $90 polarizer instead!! ;-)


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March 07, 2006

 

Debby A. Tabb
 
 
  very soft
very soft

Debby A. Tabb

 
 
On Suzy's (Alishs ) thread.
Suzy does a effect everyone asks me about and I have tryed to find help(tutorials etc.) Justin, you know I haven't the mind for this computer stuff-IT'S GREEK!lol,lol.
not quite so dollish but more like a porciline doll.
I have something Laura did to one of my images that was close.
but she used something other then PS.

i'll post it- but first sorry eddie for jacking your thread for a sec.
alishas thread started w/suzy, so there are 2 parts here is 2nd:
http://www.betterphoto.com/forms/QnAdetail.php?threadID=22526


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March 07, 2006

 

Justin G.
  There's a couple ways to do it, being hard to explain, but there's a "generic" way you can do it to get you started in figuring out your PS "style". Create a copy of the layer you're working on (Ctrl + J). Now apply a Guassian Blur to it and don't pay attention to the eyes or mouth, just the cheeks, neck, shoulders, forehead, etc. Bump up the amount of the Gaussian blur to the amount you want, hit OK. Now your entire image will be blurry. At the bottom of your layers there's a row of buttons, one of them is a square with a circle in it. it's called a "layer mask" click it and a white box will appear next to the layer. get your brush tool (B) with a soft edge and start painting in full black over her eyes and mouth. you'll see the blur start to disappear! and this is where I let you go on your own to get creative! if I didn't explain it well I'll try to post a picture tonight or tomorrow as I will heavily be on PS (yeah I know a film guy on PS, who-duh-thunk-it) touching up a saturday's model shoot. hth (as debby says!).

justin


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March 07, 2006

 

Maverick Creatives
  Hey Justin,,,you just reminded me,,how did you enjoy the model shoot?
Get some good shots or did you spend the time remenising?

gary


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March 07, 2006

 

Justin G.
  wow gary thank you so much for remembering! how kind. we got some good pics, I just got all 6 -120 rolls of B&W developed today and they're hanging from my shower curtain rail drying as we speak! they look pretty good in negative form, i'll contact print and do some minor printing on saturday, maybe sooner hopefully. it went actually really well. she brought her husband which worried me about her tensing up in front of him but he didn't bother us shooting. we shot 9 rolls of MF and 2 rolls of 35mm. man 35mm if fast and fun! I loved that, wow that was really a blast, could ya'll see me with a 5D and a 135 f/2?? haha that's my dream combo right now. anyways I'm rambling. I don't know why I suck at color but I got them developed and scanned to CD today, I like maybe 2 out of 30 where the B&W i'm liking the majority out of 60. so yeah it went great, I was less nervous because we went to school together and she was at ease knowing me as well so it just made it a really relaxed, nice and simple shoot, she changed her clothes a couple times while I played with light setups and ran my meter and whatnot. actually a decent model for never shooting before. I learned though that I need to learning posing! and with that I think model direction will fall into place but I just don't know what to direct when I don't know posing very well! i've been watching Tim Kelly's video snipits lately and DANG HE IS GOOD!!! I wanna buy the DVD, no wait I wanna work for him! lol. anyways rambling again gonna shutup! went very very well thanks for remembering and inquiring!


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March 07, 2006

 

Maverick Creatives
  I'm laughing because I now know for sure you are hooked on model portrait photography. It's great for both you and the Model. Listen, I was just in another thread with a few photographers and we all get models from OMP. It's a site where you can locate all kinds of modeling talent in your area and set up Time For Print (TFP) shoots. Give it a try if you think you may want to shoot another model.

www.onemodelplace.com

Regards
Gary.


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March 07, 2006

 

Justin G.
  Yeah I've seen the OMP, don't you have to buy a subscription? I'm getting ready to 'relocate' for a while so I'll be out of commission so I don't need a subscription yet. I've looked at MM and OTS and both seem like you got the pros and the super amateurs who'll probably be no-shows. yeah when I settle down in indy i'll probably be hooking up on OMP. I saw mellissas site do you have one?? or just your website? oh yeah...I'm hooked. it's "easier" than I thought. and not to sound like I know all the lighting and poses, I don't, I realize I have a HUGE way to go, but I feel really comfortable with it. especially hanging out in my apartment's extra room! I couldn't imagine myself in a full studio! lol.


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March 07, 2006

 

Maverick Creatives
  Yup, I'm on OMP to, I use it as a lead in to my site here. #133205


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March 07, 2006

 
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