technical > photography

filters and stuff

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bob:
i already have a polarising filter for livening up palid skies and iv been considering getting another filter or 3 but not sure what would give me best results. i was thinking of a coloured filter for black and white pics but as i mostly shoot colour film in overcast wales maybe something else would be  better.any advice regarding filter types and use would be much appreciated

cofe:
a ton of good knowledge from gruff. don't actually use filters much/at all. you can achieve a lot in climbing shots by film choice and diligence. that said, i am saving up for a polarizer - the time spent inbetween understanding how it works rather than just whacking it on when the sun is out and the sky is almost blue.

i'm guessing you already own a tripod - one oif my new years resolutions is to carry it with me more, and get a decent one.

filters; i'd avoid colours unless you shoot b&w and say a grey grad is probably the bext next addition - although you'll need a filter holder etc. check out cokin's website for basic stuff.

word.

...but will johnny post...

Stu Littlefair:
Filters for climbing shots?  81-series warm-up filter is about it. Put it on your lens on overcast days and keep shooting. Filters are, in gereral, as much use as a chocolate fireguard for climbing.

However, you are going to be in the most beatiful locations in the UK on a daily basis, so do yourself a favour and get a tripod and a set of neutral, graduated density filters (or "grey-grads"). Dark at the top, and clear at the bottom they enable you to balance contrasy scenes, like most landscapes. Essential for good landscape photography, and occasionally useful in climbing if you want to balance the sky against rock in shade.

SA Chris:
81 series filters are good, but I would go for an A rather than a B, which makes everyone look like they have fake tan on. Also if you are shooting prints, the lab will often kindly correct the colour change for you, making it a waste of time.

Polarisers are a bit of a double edged sword. They can make skies look bluer, and give a nice contrast to clouds, but can make skies look darker and colder too (personal opinion that) they also cut out sunlight reflections from water (hence polarising sunglasses being popular with fishermen as you can see into water easier) and reflection on leaves, plastic, etc.

They are most effective when you are shooting at 90 degrees to the rays of the sun, and become less effective as you move away from this plane.

cofe:
any decent lab (i.e. anyone apart from jessops.shit) will do no colour correction/sharpening/contrast if you ask them.

while i'm dissing jessops they'll often insert a colour cast to your prints similar to an 81C or stronger without asking, free of charge, when its in fact not there on your negs. they'll also trim your negs so they're almost square so its virtually fucking impossible for you to use them again. and they did all this after i stressed no post production and handed them 3 'professional' films. all because i wanted them within 24 hrs and they were the closest.

NEVER USE JESSOPS.

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