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When NOT to use a Polarizing Filter

08 Feb

The post When NOT to use a Polarizing Filter appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Gavin Hardcastle.

There are times when a using a polarizing filter is a bad idea.

Yes, I just blasphemed against the gods of landscape photography. Not using a polarizing filter for landscape shooting could be considered sacrilegious in some circles, and indeed, I myself have written ad nauseam about the importance of this simple yet powerful photographer’s tool.

However, today I’m going to selectively contradict myself.

Because while a circular polarizing filter can hugely improve your photographs in most outdoor photography situations, there are times when leaving that shady piece of glass off the lens can actually give better results.

And that’s what this article is all about!

So if you’re ready to learn all about the times you should keep your polarizer packed away…

…let’s get started.

What does a circular polarizer do?

A polarizer reduces reflected light before it enters your lens.

Note that a polarizing filter can be turned by hand to engage or disengage the polarizing effect. This is useful for shooting reflective surfaces such as water, glass, wet rocks, and cars.

Most of the time, you want to control those reflective surfaces and reduce the glare of reflected light. But what if you like that super wet look and glare on certain surfaces?

Let me give you some examples where I felt that not using a polarizer actually made for a better image.

When the reflected light has color

When NOT to use a Polarizer for landscape photography sunset image

For the image above, I decided to remove my polarizer.

And here’s why:

Because the reflected light on the wet rocks in the foreground had a distinct red color, which I really liked.

Using a polarizer would have reduced this red reflected light and would have made for a less dramatic image.

When you want that super wet look

When not to use circular polarizers waterfalls on rock

When taking this image, I found that the wet rocks had lovely highlights that caused a soft glare from reflected sunlight.

Even though the highlights didn’t really have any dramatic color, I still felt that the wet look made for a better image, so I opted not to use the polarizer.

In very low light or when shooting totally shaded areas

This shot of a waterfall at Silver Falls State Park was a long exposure in very dim light, taken inside a canyon that had no direct sunlight at the time.

You see, when the sun has gone down and it’s starting to get dark, there’s little point in using a polarizer for a scene like this.

The only wet surfaces that could cause glare were the leaves in the foreground, and the light was so dim that there was no glare at all.

Night shooting

When you’re photographing at night, you want to get as much light as possible into your lens.

A polarizer is going to reduce the amount of light and force you to use a longer shutter speed or a higher ISO setting.

So if you’re shooting in the dark, do yourself a favor and remove the polarizer.

When capturing the full moon shot above, the polarizer would only have served to slow down my shutter speed.

When you want reflections in water

Here’s where you want the best of both worlds.

Let’s say you like the look of your image with the polarizer on. Your colors are nicely saturated and all of the glare has been reduced from the surfaces, but you’re annoyed to see that the lovely reflections in the water have either vanished or diminished.

What do you do?

The simple answer is to take two shots – one with the polarizer engaged and another without the polarizer.

Then you can blend the two exposures in Photoshop and take the best elements from each.

For the shot above, I really enjoyed the look of the reflected waterfall in the pool, so I took two shots with different polarizer settings and then combined them.

When you want to shoot rainbows

Don't use a polarizer when shooting rainbows

I’m sure I’ll be corrected by our more well-educated readers, but from a polarizer’s standpoint, a rainbow is reflected light.

So if your polarizer is engaged, the rainbow will perform a disappearing act in your photo.

Disengage or remove the polarizer and – presto! – the rainbow will be back in your photograph.

But still don’t forget your polarizer!

As I mentioned at the start of this article, a polarizer is a key landscape photography tool.

In fact, if I leave the house and forget my polarizers, I’ll actually turn around and drive home; they’re that important.

At the same time, I urge you to learn when conditions call for the removal of your polarizer.

And I hope this article helps you identify those golden moments so that you can get the best possible shots!

Now over to you:

Do you use a polarizing filter? How often? Are there times when you prefer to go without it? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

The post When NOT to use a Polarizing Filter appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Gavin Hardcastle.

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How, Why, and When to Use Polarizing Filters

15 Sep

The post How, Why, and When to Use Polarizing Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

Polarizing filters are one of the most useful accessories a photographer can own. They are small, inexpensive, and make a significant impact on your photos.

Post-processing allows you to make many alterations to the photos you take. But no post-processing software can mimic the effect of polarizing filters. Using a polarizer cuts down on reflections, haze, and scattered light. They also boost color saturation and contrast.

Many imaging programs have tools to control color saturation and contrast easily and effectively. Some have dehazing tools. But none (so far) have the ability to remove glare and reflections the same as polarizing filters can.

polarizing filters over a blue sky — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800 | 55mm | 1/400 sec | f/16 | ISO 400 | Manual Mode | Pattern Metering

What is a polarizing filter?

The most common polarizing filters are circular and consist of two glass pieces sandwiched together. They go on the front of your lens, so you need the correct size to fit your lens diameter (or an adaptor).

Once the filter is on the lens, you can rotate the outer layer of the filter. As you turn the filter, the effect it has on light entering your lens changes. At different angles of rotation, the amount of light that’s filtered out will vary. This depends on where the sun is and which direction you’re pointing your camera.

The most noticeable effect of a polarizing filter is when it’s rotated at a ninety-degree angle to the sun.

Here, you can see the effect the polarizing filter has on the reflection of the wood surface it is resting on. The glare coming off the wood is almost totally removed by the filter.

circular polarizing filter — © Kevin Landwer-Johan Nikon D800 | 55mm | 1/125 sec | f/3.5 | ISO 800 | Manual Mode | Pattern Metering

Why polarizing filters are useful

At times, reflections can enhance a photograph or even be the main subject. But they can also be unwanted and distracting.

When you are photographing:

glass
chrome
water
or other reflective surfaces

it can be challenging to create a clear representation in your photos. Reflections from these types of surfaces can invade your composition. They are not always possible to avoid without using a polarizing filter. Even with a polarizing filter, you may not be able to completely eliminate reflections from a surface.

Skies and clouds photographed with a polarizing filter can take on a whole different look. Compare the two images below. For the first one I used a polarizer, and for the second one I did not.

Neither image was post-processed. You can see the difference in the detail of the clouds and in the saturation of the blue sky.

Blue sky with clouds using polarizing filter — With a polarizing filter. © Kevin Landwer-Joahn Nikon D800 | 55mm | 1/200 sec | f/11 | ISO 200 | Manual Mode | Pattern Metering

blue sky with clouds — Without a polarizing filter.© Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800 | 55mm | 1/640 sec | f/11 | ISO 200 | Manual Mode | Pattern Metering

When photographing at the beach or beside a lake, a polarizing filter is especially useful. Being able to control the strength of reflection in the water makes a significant difference in your photos. The added saturation boost also makes water and skies look more appealing.

How to use circular polarizing filters

Polarizing filters work by stopping some light waves from entering your lens. Light waves reflect off uneven surfaces in different directions. A polarizing filter only allows light to enter the lens that’s coming from certain directions.

As light waves vibrate and bounce off different surfaces, the direction and rate of the vibration is altered. This is why colors are also affected by polarizing filters.

When light reflects off a flat surface, using a polarizer will have a more uniform effect on it. This is because the waves are primarily moving in a similar direction. So the reflection of a window will be influenced differently by a polarizer than that of a surface that’s not flat.

sky and mountains reflected in a window — © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/125 sec | f/5.6 | ISO 200 | Manual Mode | Pattern Metering

When the reflected light reaches the filter, some of the waves will be blocked from entering the lens by the coating on the filter. This dichroic coating has chains of molecules lined up in one direction. Waves of light parallel to these chains are blocked by the filter.

As you rotate the outer ring of a polarizer, you can see how the effect of the filter changes. This is because you are altering the direction of the lines of the filter coating in relation to the light waves.

Putting it into practice

Using a polarizing filter is best done by turning the filter and observing what’s happening. Either by looking through your viewfinder or at your rear LCD screen, you will see the image changing as you turn the filter.

There are techniques you can read about that rely on scientific breakdowns of how these filters work. They will tell you in which direction you’ll see the most effect. But, in reality, every scene you photograph is different. It is impossible to predict correctly how the light gets blocked by the filter.

If you use a polarizer often, you’ll get more used to how it works and how you can use it to manage reflections in your photos. At times, you’ll be able to virtually eliminate reflections; in other situations, the filter will make little difference.

papaya leaf — Without a polarizing filter. © Kevin Landwer-Johan. Nikon D800 | 35mm | 1/200 sec | f/10 | ISO 200 | Manual Mode | Pattern Metering

Conclusion

Experimenting with polarizing filters is the best way to make use of them. I usually carry a few in my bag of varying sizes. These fit my 55mm, 35mm, and 105mm lenses, which are the lenses I use the most.

Using a polarizer with a wide-angle lens can create some weird results because of the broad field of view.

If you’re making a series of photos to stitch together as a panorama, take your polarizer off. The edges of your photos may not join seamlessly if you’re using a polarizer.

Remember to attach polarizing filters to your lenses when you want to boost the color of a blue sky or reduce the reflection off a shiny surface. As you’re getting used to using this filter, take some photos of each scene with and without the filter.

That way, you’ll quickly begin to get a feel for the differences it makes.

The post How, Why, and When to Use Polarizing Filters appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Kevin Landwer-Johan.

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What is a Circular Polarizing Filter (CPL) and How to Use it

20 Dec

The use of lens filters can transform your photograph completely, as it allows you to go beyond the usual and explore something creative with your gear. Among multiple filters, a circular polarizing filter (CPL) is one such creative tool using which you can enhance the final photo that appears on your camera LCD screen.

A circular polarizing filter is a landscape photographer’s best camera accessory as it allows you to capture vividness and contrast in a photo. I have even used it to capture cityscapes and trust me it completely changes the image once you have it mounted on your camera lens. Having said that, let me take you through detailed uses of a CPL filter.

What is a Circular Polarizing Filter and How to Use it

CPL Filter Enhances the Sky Color

One of the major disappointments while shooting cityscapes is that the color in the sky is not registered in your camera as accurately as it appears to your eyes, right? Even if you are able to match the colors in your photo, you might still find the sky to be dull or hazy.

With the use of a Circular Polarizing filter (CPL) on your lens, you can enhance the colors in the sky as well as the elements in your frame. This is made possible as the CPL filter, when rotated at a particular angle minimizes the haze in the sky and enhances the color by reducing the polarization effect caused by sunlight.

What is a Circular Polarizing Filter and How to Use it - blue sky before and after

As you can see in the image above, the dome was appearing off-white in color and the sky was appearing a bit too bright. After applying the Manfrotto CPL filter on my Canon 24-70 f/2.8 lens, I was able to correctly expose the dome, the sky had a good amount of contrast and the clouds were also clearly visible.

What is a Circular Polarizing Filter and How to Use it

Here is another before and after CPL filter comparison, let me know in the comments section below which one do you like better.

A CPL Filter Cuts Reflections

While taking photos of glass buildings or landscapes with a water body in the frame, it can be really challenging to get rid of the reflections being caused by sunlight. You might have to change your composition or wait for the light to change in order to get a reflection-free image.

Using a CPL filter can allow you to minimize the mirror image being caused by in the reflective element in your frame. All you have to do is simply rotate the filter to the required angle.

What is a Circular Polarizing Filter and How to Use it

Discussing the two images above, you can clearly see how mounting the CPL filter almost completely eliminates the reflection visible in the water body. Isn’t that magical?

What is a Circular Polarizing Filter and How to Use it

Here is another example of how rotating the CPL filter to the desired angle can allow you to minimize the reflections in any water body in your frame.

How to get the maximum polarization effect?

As the science states, the maximum polarization effect takes place at an angle of 90 degrees from the sun that move in a circular band. This means that if the sun is at the top, you would get equally lit sky if you are shooting at an angle of 90 degrees from the sun.

To get the exact frame where you should be positioning your camera to get the maximum benefit of the CPL filter simply make an “L-shape” using your thumb and the index finger. Just point your thumb towards the sun, and your index finger will give you the angle where you would get evenly lit sky and get the maximum benefit of the CPL filter.

Otherwise, you may get unevenly lit sky in your photos which would be hard to correct later in the post-processing stage.

Things to consider while using a CPL Filter

1 – It cuts the light

As you mount the CPL filter on your camera lens, it cuts some amount of light which may vary from 1-2 stops. It means that if you were earlier shooting at 1/1000th, f/16 and ISO 100, after mounting the CPL filter the exposure would decrease by let’s say 2-stops. So in order to let in 2-stops of more light, you will either have to:

Slow down the shutter speed from 1/1000th to 1/250th, or
Open up the aperture from f/16 to f/8, or
Increase the ISO from 100 to 400

So whenever you plan to use a CPL filter, remember that there is going to be a loss of light and you might have to compensate a bit to get the correct exposure.

2 – Avoid using a wide-angle lens

Using a wide-angle lens can sometimes result in uneven sky color or color variation. The CPL filter is not at fault here, it is because wider focal length would cover more of the sky and as we discussed above the polarization effect is maximum at 90 degrees. Now a wide angle lens would cover more area of the sky, thus resulting in color variations.

To get the maximum benefit and the best result using a CPL filter, try and avoid using a lens wider than 24mm.

3 – Do not always use the maximum degree of polarization

What we usually tend to do is use everything at the maximum value and degree possible, like we do with an f/1.8 or f/1.4 lens, right? You should always rotate the CPL filter 360 degrees and check the level of contrast, saturation, and reflection it is boosting or reducing, and then only decide the degree at which you want to use the filter.

Sometimes using the CPL filter at maximum degree might result in color variation as well, especially while using it on a wide-angle lens.

Conclusion

If you want to learn more about polarizing filters and see examples here are some other dPS articles on the topic:

When NOT to use a Polarizing Filter
Circular Polarizers Versus Graduated Neutral Density Filters for Landscape Photography
How to Make Funky Colorful Images of Ordinary Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter
Why You MUST Have a Polarizer
The Ultimate Guide to Nature and Outdoor Photography

The post What is a Circular Polarizing Filter (CPL) and How to Use it by Kunal Malhotra appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Review of the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

13 Dec

Make no mistake, this is, in fact, a review of the X4 Circular Polarizer from Breakthrough Photography. That being said, the entire subject requires a little bit of photographic geekiness in order to grasp the full understanding of the product being reviewed. So, if you absolutely don’t want to add any more brain wrinkles feel free to skip the next couple of paragraphs. If you do skip…shame on you.

Geeky stuff about polarizers

Polarizers – we’ve all heard of them and the majority of us photographers have used them extensively from one time or another. How do they work? And more importantly, how do you know when you’ve found a good one?

These are all great questions and oddly enough these things aren’t always well known by even some experienced shooters. Polarizers are just filters. These filters work to sift out polarized light which commonly occurs in our photographs from reflections and glare. The noticeable byproduct of this filtration is the reduction of said reflections and glare as well as the deepening of colors and most noticeably, the darkening of the sky.

Review of the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

Polarizers come in two flavors: linear and circular. It’s somewhat of a weird concept as all polarizers are in fact linear…but not all linear polarizers are circular. That might sound slightly cryptic but that is not the intention.

At their most basic definition, the way polarizers work is to filter our non-linear rays of light. Circular polarizers further enhance this effect by adding what’s called a quarter-wave plate to the camera side of the linear polarizer. The quarter wave plate serves to essentially convert the incoming light into a helix and the polarization effect can then be dialed-in to whatever degree is needed. This is of great benefit because the majority of SLR and DSLR cameras are sensitive to polarization and linear polarized light can cause internal camera metering to malfunction.

The X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

Now that you’ve had a crash course in how circular polarizers work, it’s time to talk about the X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter by Breakthrough Photography. This will be my fourth time evaluating filters by the folks at Breakthrough. With each piece of gear I have been consistently impressed with the build and optical quality to such an extent to where I find it difficult to list any faults. The X4 CPL is no different.

Breakthrough Photography currently markets this polarizer as being the “world’s most advanced circular polarizer” so I put the X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter to the test to see just how this claim holds up in real-world shooting.

Build Quality

The construction of theX4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter is blackened brass, much like their line of X4 ND filters. The filter housing is robust and feels extremely sturdy. Deep traction grooves are cut around the bezel and provide for a solid grip even with gloved or wet hands.

Review of the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

An interesting property of brass is that unlike other metals such as aluminum it is non-galling. This means that it is less likely to bind and become stuck when stacking multiple filters. The filter bezel turns quite smoothly when engaging or disengaging the polarization effect.

The optical element is made from SCHOTT Superwhite B270® optical glass. Each side of the glass is then treated with eight layers of Breakthrough Photography’s proprietary nanotec® and MRC (multi-resistant coatings) optical coatings which cause dirt and moisture to essentially slide right off of the glass itself.

X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

Overall, the build quality of theX4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter is exceptional and it looks great to boot. The company also backs the filter with a 25-year guarantee.

Optical Performance

Of course, the real question about the X4 CPL concerns its optical quality, which in turn will greatly impact the final quality of your finished photographs. When it comes to photography filters, the sharpness, vignetting, and color cast, are the three main points of interest for most photographers.

While it’s great to talk about all these points actual test images speak louder than words. So have a look at the sample images as you read my thoughts on the results and judge for yourself.

Sharpness

In terms of sharpness, the X4 CPL exceeds all expectations. No image degradation was observed even at the maximum strength filtration.

To left is the image without the X4 CPL applied. The image at the right is with the X4 CPL. Both zoomed to 1:1 for comparison.

Images remained crisp and detail was not lost due to the addition of the filter.

Color Cast and Vignetting

A common problem seen with polarizers and most filters, in general, is the unwanted color casting sometimes encountered. The color cast happens due to the coloration of the optical glass and often worsens in lower quality filter systems.

An image with a high color cast from an ND filter. Low-quality polarizers can carry the same effects.

The images produced by the X4 CPL seem to be completely free of this discoloration just as they are advertised. No discernible color cast was observed in any of the test images I made using the filter.

X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

The same is true for vignetting. Darkening of the corners of the photos was not observed even at the strongest filtration setting.

X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter

Final Thoughts on the X4 CPL

There’s a certain feeling of uneasy optimism which begins to surface whenever I come across gear which does not seem to have any obvious weak points.”Have I missed something? Is this really that good?”

Having reviewed multiple pieces of kit from Breakthrough Photography I can say that they have consistently produced insanely high-quality photographic gear that is innovative, sturdy, and relatively cost-effective. I use quite a few of their filters in my own personal photography work and have put them into environments from Death Valley to the coast of the Atlantic Ocean and everywhere in between (or least it seems).

The X4 CPL has thus far given no reason for me to believe that its quality would not serve any serious photographer’s needs for years to come. The build quality is heavy-duty and the image quality, especially sharpness, is outstanding. It retails for $ 129-159 USD (depending on filter size) at the time of this review. Find out more details about the X4 CPL here, or shop Amazon for the size you need here.

Rating 5/5 stars – my first ever!

The post Review of the Breakthrough Photography X4 CPL Circular Polarizing Filter by Adam Welch appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Lens Rentals test shows all circular polarizing filters work great, price doesn’t matter

20 Sep

Photo: Roger Cicala/Lens Rentals

Our friend Roger Cicala over at Lens Rentals is at it again: buying up super expensive optical testing equipment because someone asked him why LR carries the circular polarizing filters they do. The answer, until now, was simple: make the expensive one on the market their high-end rental, and the cheapest one their “basic.” But is there really any difference?

That’s what Roger set out to figure out, and the answer might save you a little bit of cash.

You can read the full post and see all of the detailed results on the Lens Rentals blog, but the most surprising and positive conclusion was this:

All circular polarizers, regardless of price, are 99.9% effective at polarizing light.

Translation: if you’re looking for a circular polarizer because … well … you want to polarize light then save your money because the cheaper ones work just as well as the more expensive ones.

In addition to their ability to do what they say they do, Cicala and LR team tested CP filters for overall transmission (how much light to they let through) and transmission by wavelength so you can see what effect each filter has on the colors your camera sees. Check out the results here.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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How to Make Funky Colorful Images of Ordinary Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

27 Jul

A cornerstone in modern manufacturing, plastic is an amazing thing. Look around and you’ll see an abundance of plastic materials used in an endless variety of products. From pens to planes – yep, even modern commercial aircraft are cutting down on weight by introducing plastic composite components – plastic has revolutionized the way we live. And while much of the plastic we encounter is discarded after the first use – this photography tutorial will give you a good reason to hang onto those plastic knives and forks. By using a polarizing filter, some plastic materials and a computer screen, we can reveal a surprisingly beautiful side to the internal stresses of hard plastic material.

How to Make Creative Colorful Images of Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

Supplies you will need:

Polarizing filter or polarized sunglasses
Computer screen
Camera
Clear sticky tape
Sheet of glass
Tripod (optional)
Transparent plastic objects

Setting up

In basic terms, what we’ll be doing is sandwiching a plastic object between a polarized light source and an on-camera polarizing filter. Polarizing filters that screw into the front of a camera are used by photographers to add contrast and reduce glare.

How to Make Funky Colorful Images of Ordinary Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

Don’t have a polarizing filter? Use your polarized sunglasses in a pinch.

If you don’t have a polarizing filter, a pair of polarized sunglasses will do the trick. Simply position the sunglasses so that one eye sits over the front of the camera lens like a filter. Keep in mind that the shape of the eyepiece will probably prevent complete coverage of the front lens element. If this is the case, some cropping may be required in Photoshop later. You may also need to do some sticky-taping to ensure the glasses sit correctly.

Now gather some clear plastic materials to photograph. Objects like plastic bags, sticky tape dispensers, plastic food containers, clear plastic cutlery and packaging all turn out well. Basically, any cheap, transparent plastic will work to some degree, so have a good scavenge around!

How to Make Creative Colorful Images of Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

Finding good backlighting

Next, you’ll need a polarized light source to shine through the transparent plastic material. Conveniently, modern desktop and laptop computer screens emit linearly polarized light. First, you need to maximize the white light emitting from our computer screen. To do this, download a plain white background from Google Images. Once downloaded, open the file in a default image viewer and set the image to Full-Screen Mode. This will spread the white backdrop over the entirety of the functional computer screen, providing the backdrop for our polarized objects.

Once downloaded, open the file in a default image viewer and set the image to full-screen mode. This will spread the white backdrop over the entirety of the functional computer screen, providing the backdrop for your polarized objects.

How to Make Creative Colorful Images of Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

Set the viewing mode of a clean white image to full-screen so that it completely covers the screen.

Arrange the subjects

Once the white background is set, you can start arranging your plastic items on the computer screen. If you have a choice between using a desktop or laptop computer, I recommend going with the laptop. Unlike a desktop computer, you can turn an open laptop upside down, so the screen lays flat on a surface. This turns your laptop into a home-made light box of sorts, perfect for sitting your plastic objects on.

Keep in mind however that laptops with touchscreen capabilities may not work as effectively. From my own experience, these laptop screens deliver far less pronounced results. Note: A large tablet or iPad may work as well.

Viewed through a polarizing filter, this transparent stencil is placed on the top of a touchscreen laptop. While the polarizing effect can still be seen, the finished image falls flat.

Workaround for desktop screens

Because the screen is upright, using a desktop computer for this project can seem a little trickier. Rather than tipping a full sized computer screen on it’s back, I’ve been fixing my plastic materials to a sheet of glass with tiny pieces of clear sticky tape. Easily recovered from old photo frames, the glass sheet means you can avoid sticking tape directly to your computer screen, without blocking out any light. For best coverage, a larger sheet of glass is preferable, just make sure that it’s dust free. Once you are finished taking your photographs, you can remove any evidence of the sticky tape with the “Clone Stamp” in Photoshop.

For best coverage, a larger sheet of glass is preferable, just make sure that it’s dust free. Once you are finished taking your photographs, you can remove any evidence of the sticky tape with the “Clone Stamp” in Photoshop.

I’ve affixed this transparent stencil to a pane of glass to keep it upright against the computer screen. The small amount of tape can be removed easily in Photoshop later.

In this image, a small piece of the clear sticky tape can be seen.

Taking advantage of the solid black background, any trace of the sticky tape can be removed by using the paintbrush tool with a black swatch selected

Getting the shot

Once you have assembled your objects against the computer screen, it’s time to see some results! Grab the camera you outfitted earlier with either the polarizing filter or the polarized sunglasses. While looking through the viewfinder (or LiveView Mode) point the camera at your plastic assemblage. Like magic, the boring clear plastic materials are filled with a beautiful array of colors.

Change the angle – change the background

Depending on the angle of the polarizing filter, you’ll notice that the backdrop of your image ranges from the white computer screen to jet black. The degree of polarization you see through the lens is dictated by the angle of the filter in relation to the wavelengths emitted by the computer screen. This means that by changing the angle of the polarizing medium, you can adjust the brightness of the computer screen without impacting the color of the plastic objects.

Simply hold the camera in one hand (or use a tripod) and use the other to slowly rotate the filter around. The same effect can be achieved by manually tilting the polarized sunglasses from side-to-side.

An image of a pretty shell shaped container I had on my dresser. The polarization effect highlights the stresses in a plastic material, rendering them as beautiful arrays of color.

The same shell container, this time with the filter angled so that the white light passes through to the camera sensor, rendering a white background

Your turn!

Now that you’ve got the basics, it’s time to raid the recycling bin! Post your results below and have fun.

How to Make Creative Colorful Images of Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

The polarizing effect caused this plastic bag to take on a rugged, mountainous appearance.

How to Make Creative Colorful Images of Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter

The post How to Make Funky Colorful Images of Ordinary Plastic Objects Using a Polarizing Filter by Megan Kennedy appeared first on Digital Photography School.

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Simple demo shows the power of a polarizing filter

04 Jul

Here’s a neat little demo that you can use to wow your non-photographic friends, or your favorite photo novice. Thirty-five seconds into the polarizing filter intro above, Christopher Frost captures a series of shots with and without a polarizer, and the difference is striking.

The video itself is several years old, offering a basic overview of circular polarizers, how they work, and why they’re ‘so neat.’ It’s useful for beginners, but the part we enjoyed most was the demo—where Frost laps a polarizer onto his camera, shoots video of some reflective surface, and turns it while the video runs.

The surface of a river, a storefront window, stacks of books, even some reflective leaves later on in the video, all of them take on a totally different character when you remove the reflections by using a polarizer:

Check out the video up top to see all of the examples (the video will automatically start at the 35 second mark). And on the off chance you don’t know what a polarizer is or how it works, you’ll get a basic photography lesson while you’re at it.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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Olympus patent points at sensors with built-in polarizing filter

04 Aug

Olympus has patented a technology that records polarization information on the sensor itself, giving the effect of a polarizing filter but without the light cost. The patent is for a two-layer sensor that records color and brightness information on the top layer, just like a conventional sensor, but then has a second layer that captures information about the polarization of the light arriving at the camera. Read more

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

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When NOT to use a Polarizing Filter

11 Dec

Yes I just blasphemed against the gods of landscape photography. Not using a polarizing filter for landscape photography could be considered sacrilegious among some circles and indeed, I myself have written ad nauseam of the importance of this simple yet powerful photographer’s tool.

When not to use your polarizer

Now I’m going to selectively contradict myself. The fact is that in most outdoor photography situations a circular polarizing filter can hugely improve your photographs, but there are times when leaving that shady piece of glass off the lens can actually gives better results.

What does a circular polarizer do?

Circular Polarizer Comparison

As I’ve mentioned in my previous article (Why you MUST Have a Polarizer), a polarizer reduces reflected light before light enters your lens. The term circular refers to the fact that the filter can be turned by hand to engage or disengage the polarizing effect. This is most effective on reflective surfaces such as water, glass, wet rocks, cars.

Most of the time you want to control those reflective surfaces and reduce the glare of reflected light, but what if you like that super wet look and the glare on certain surfaces? Let me show you some examples of where I felt that NOT using a polarizer actually made for a better image.

When feflected light has colour

When NOT to use a Polarizwer for landscape photography

In the image above, I decided to remove the polarizer because the reflected side light on the wet rocks in the foreground had a distinct red colour which I really liked. Using a polarizer would have reduced this red reflected light and would have made for a less dramatic image.

When you want that super wet look

When not to use circular polarizers in landscape photography

With this image I found that the wet rocks had lovely highlights that caused a soft glare from reflected sun light. Even though the highlights didn’t really have any dramatic colour like the previous image, I still felt that wet look made for a better image so I opted not to use the polarizer

In very low light or totally shaded areas

When you don't need to use polarizers in landscapes.

This shot of Silver Falls State Park was a long exposure in very dim light, inside a canyon that had no direct sun light at the time. When the sun has gone down and it’s starting to get dark, there’s little point in using a polarizer for a scene like this.

The only wet surfaces that could cause glare are the wet leaves in the foreground and it was so dim that there was no glare at all.

Night shooting

Don't use a polarizer for full moon photography

When you’re shooting in the dark of night, it’s mostly likely that you’ll want to get as much light as possible into your lens. A polarizer is going to reduce the amount of light and force you to use a longer shutter speed or higher ISO setting. Do yourself a favour and remove the polarizer. In the full moon shot above, the polarizer would only have served to slow down my shutter speed.

When you want reflections in water

Not using a polarizer in landscape photography at Silver Falls State Park

Here’s where you want the best of both worlds. Let’s say you like the look of your image WITH the polarizer on. Your colours are nicely saturated and all of the glare has been reduced from the surfaces but you’re annoyed to see that the lovely reflections in the water have either vanished or diminished.

The simple answer is to take two shots. One with the polarizer engaged and another with the polarizer disengaged, or removed entirely. You can easily blend those two exposures in Photoshop to take the best elements from each. With the shot above I really enjoyed the look of the reflected waterfall in the pool so I took two shots with different polarizer settings and then combined them.

When you want to shoot rainbows

Don't use a polarizer when shooting rainbows

I’m sure I’ll be corrected by our more well educated readers, but from a polarizers standpoint, a rainbow IS reflected light and that means that if your polarizer is engaged, the rainbow will perform a disappearing act in your photo. Disengage or remove the polarizer and presto, it’s back in your photograph.

But still, don’t forget your polarizer

As I mentioned at the start of this article, most of the time my polarizers live on the front of my lenses. If I leave the house and forget my polarizers I’ll actually turn around and drive home because they’re such an essential part of my kit. That being said, it’s important to recognize when conditions call for the removal of said polarizer and I hope this article helps you to identify those golden moments so that you can get your best shots.

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Polarizing and Neutral Density Filters: Essentials for Landscape Photography

24 Oct

In landscape photography, just as in portraits, fashion, products, or any other subject matter, accurate color capture is crucial. What makes it so much more difficult with landscapes, however, is the wider disparity in dynamic range, not only between foreground and background elements, but primarily between the upper and lower halves of the frame– between the earth and the sky. If you are into shooting landscapes, overcoming this hurdle will require you to have one of two filters (if not both) in your arsenal, even if you don’t use filters in any of your other photography.

Polarizing Filter

Polarizing filters– sometimes called the secret weapon of professional landscape photographers– create richer, more vivid colors. The filter pulls double duty by (1) cutting down on reflections from bright surfaces like water and rocks, and (2) adding rich blues to skies by darkening them and increasing the color and tonal saturation throughout the frame. Polarizing filters are most effective when shooting at a 90-degree angle to the sun. It will therefore be least effective when the sun is either in front of or behind you. Polarizing filters will also enhance clouds, but you have you to be careful with your lens choice. Just like you can overdo it in post production, it’s quite possible to overdo it in-camera if you use a polarizing filter on a super-wide-angle lens. The result will be uneven shades of blue in an over-saturated sky.

Without a polarizing filter

With a polarizing filter

Neutral Density Filter

Neutral density gradient filters help balance the exposure between the ground and sky to capture a range of exposure that the camera cannot possibly handle on its own. If you expose for the ground, you’ll get a gray or white washed-out sky. Exposing for those awesome blues and soft, billowy clouds, on the other hand, will make the ground so dark you’ll lose much of the detail you set out to capture in the first place.

A wide view of a hand-held graduated neutral density filter illustrates how valuable it is in capturing accurate colors in landscape photography.

The filter itself is dark at the top, completely clear at the bottom, and essentially shades of gray in between. Available in two varieties, the circular version attaches to the front of the lens like any other traditional filter. The other type is a square or rectangular filter that you hand-hold in front of your lens. Both work the same way, darkening the sky to avoid blowouts, while leaving the ground untouched and unfiltered. It’s a seamless transition that ensures proper exposure throughout the frame– making sure you get vibrant, saturated, and (most importantly) accurate colors in all of your landscape shots.

Neutral Density Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons User Kain Kalju.

Post originally from: Digital Photography Tips.

Check out our more Photography Tips at Photography Tips for Beginners, Portrait Photography Tips and Wedding Photography Tips.

Polarizing and Neutral Density Filters: Essentials for Landscape Photography

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