Polarizing Filter

Mastering Polarizing Filters: Elevate Your Photography with Greater Color, Contrast, and Clarity

Just as you would not go out on a sunny day without your polarized sunglasses, your camera bag should always have a circular polarizing filter (CP-L) ready to help you increase color saturation, create greater contrast, and reduce reflected glare in your images.

 

What is a polarizing filter?

A polarizing filter is two pieces of glass with foils sandwiched between them set in a dual ring filter that screws onto the front of your lens. As the outer ring rotates when you look through the viewfinder or use LIVE view on your camera display, you can see how the image changes allowing you to choose exactly how much effect the filter has on your image.

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How do you get the most out of your polarizing filter?

First, remove and safely store the protective filter that is on your lens. Otherwise, you will be shooting through an additional piece of glass, which might affect image sharpness.

Second, choose the right time of day. Polarizing filters are most effective at midday when colors may seem washed out to the naked eye and your camera’s image sensor. Using a polarizer at sunset may decrease the vivid color of late afternoon light.

Third, you need to be at right angles to the sun. The filter can’t do its job when the sun is directly behind or in front of you.

Fourth, take the time to rotate the filter in small increments so you can see the subtle image enhancements until you get exactly the effect you want to achieve. A great tip for those new to using a polarizer is to keep the sun over your shoulder as you compose your image. That will allow you to see the maximum effect possible as you rotate the filter.

How does a polarizer affect my shutter speed?

If shutter speed is important to your composition, you need to remember that the polarizer will decrease the light transmission to your camera’s sensor by up to 2.5 stops or shutter speeds. So, remember to take this decreased light transmission into account if a high shutter speed is important or if you are in a marginal situation where a decreased shutter speed could impact sharpness. Consider adjusting your ISO higher to help compensate in these situations, knowing how slow you can go before camera shake becomes an issue.

What is another important filter to have?

A good protective filter is highly recommended. Polarizers are not a filter that should be left on your lens all the time. A protective filter for everyday use should be used to protect your front lens element from dirt, dust and smudges that could damage your lens coatings or from shock that could crack the front element.

What should I look for in a filter?

Look for protective filters that have high light transmission, low light reflectivity, and are resistant to dirt, oil, water, and fingerprints.

What creative filters are available?

There are many different types of filters available to help you achieve creative effects. Here are just a few of the most common.

  • Neutral Density Filter (ND). An ND filter is highly recommended when you want to use longer shutter speeds, but the light is very bright. ND filters reduce the amount of light coming through the lens so that you can use longer shutter speeds or wider apertures in bright conditions. They are used most often to achieve motion blur effects when shooting waterfalls, rivers, or moving subjects, as well as to balance exposure in high-contrast scenes.
  • Graduated Neutral Density Filter (GND). GND filters have a gradient that transitions from dark to clear, most often used to balance the exposure between a bright sky and a darker foreground in landscape photography. GNDs are available in various strengths and orientations to suit different compositions. A soft edge orientation allows a smoother transition between the brighter and darker elements of the scene.
  • Color Filters. Color filters come in various hues (e.g., red, orange, yellow, blue) and are used to modify the color balance of the scene. For example, a red filter can enhance the contrast in black and white photography by darkening the sky and brightening red objects.
  • Special Effects Filters. There are many special effects filters available, such as star filters that will give you a starburst effect around light sources like the sun or streetlamps; diffusion filters to soften and diffuse light for a more dreamy effect; and color filters for artistic color effects, although, with today’s editing software, most photographers will manipulate color in post rather than in-camera.
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I have several lenses, what filter size do I purchase?

Consider the filter size compatibility with your lenses, as different lenses may require different filter thread sizes. A bonus with many Tamron lenses is their common Ø67mm filter size, allowing you to use the same filter on many lenses. If you do own lenses with varying filter sizes, purchase a filter for the largest filter size needed, and then purchase step-down rings that lets you use the large filter on the lenses with smaller filter sizes.

Another option is to use a modular filter holder system that uses square filters. Purchase one filter holder, as many rings needed to fit the filter sizes of your lenses, and then use one square filter for all lenses.

Conclusion

Your photography style, subject matter, and creative vision will guide you in your filter choice. Be sure to invest in high-quality filters from major brands to ensure you don’t compromise image quality.

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