How to use filters - newbie Q

[David_gu1]

Hi all

While I was in London today, I had 4 hours to kill (waiting for my new passport to be printed) so I went along to Westminster pier to take a few photos and try out a yellow filter. I don't know if this matters, but it is a SUNPAK 72mm Y2 (bought from ebay). I was shooting between 24mm - 35mm using a Nikon D80 and 18-200 mm lens.

I was expecting the yellow filter to make the sky bluer and make the clouds more white(?). Instead all I got was yellow photos. Was shooting mostly P mode with Auto WB.

Could someone please give me a few pointers on what the yellow filter is meant to achieve and in terms of using my camera with it, what settings do I use?

I would also be interested in any websites or books that explains all this stuff in simple language(red filters, orange filters, polarisers etc). I have looked but without much success.

thx

DK

[Fen]

If you are shooting in colour and you put a yellow filter in front, you will get yellow photos.

Yellow, Orange are meant to be used when shooting B&W. Otherwise you'll just get a photo of that colour.

And don't worry - You're definitely not the first person to ave done this.

[David_gu1]

thx Fen. This clears up things. I know that the D80 has a mode that can be used to shoot B&W (buried in the menus).

If I am shooting colour in bright blue sky (planning a trip to Egypt next month so I am interested in this), what should kind of filter would be useful to make the sky bluer? Polariser? something else?

I like sunsets and I remember reading that polarisers can be used for them.

DK

[Fen]

A "circular polariser", that can be used to make the skies darker as well as cut out reflections.

[David_gu1]

thx for your help Fen. It's beginning to make sense now.

I've ordered a cheapo polariser from ebay to experiment.

DK

[LargeFormat]

As Fen says a polarizing filter is the way to darken a blue sky. However, it isn't as simple as just sticking a polarizing filter in front of the lens. The strongest effect is with the sun directly behind you with the effect falling off as the view moves away from the direct line. As a result wide lenses can show this gradation across the width of the frame. If you are going to experiment you might like to try out graduated neutral density filters to achieve darkening of skys.

Another problem with wide angle lenses and polarizing filters is that the bezel on cheaper ones tend to be rather thick and can cause vignetting.

[beejaybee]

The strongest effect is with the sun directly behind you with the effect falling off as the view moves away from the direct line.

Hmmm, last time I used a polarizing filter the effect was strongest at 90 degrees to the sun, there is almost no effect directly down sun (unless the sun is almost overhead). But twisting the filter to get the right angle is also critical.