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Photography - Camera Equipment: Filters in the field?

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      CommentAuthorstick
    • CommentTimeMar 23rd 2008
     
    Just curious on how many landscape photographers use filters in the field as compared to filters/effects with software? I just finished a course where using filters on your lens (ND,grad-ND, blue/yellow polarizers, etc.) is recommended over doing it on the computer.
    • CommentAuthorcuchulainn
    • CommentTimeMay 10th 2008
     
    yes! some contests they will ask for the original raw file to compare the editing, so framing, a cleaned sensor, and a good use of filter is essencial, and lets face it, i rather spend 2 hours in the wilds shooting, than spending 2 hours in front of a computer editing the photos.
    • CommentAuthornewhanover
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2008
     
    I use ND grads and a circular polarizer extensively when I shoot. I have enough ND grads that it warranted buying a padded pouch for them that I carry around on my belt when I'm shooting. I don't use any PS filters per se when editing, but I do make adjustments to color, contrast, shadows, highlights and selective dodging and burning in PS2. No different than film photographers do in a wet dark room. I, too, would rather spend more time shooting than editing, but shooting is only the first step in the photographic process. To paraphrase Ansel Adams, the negative is analagous to a composer's musical score; whereas the print is equivalent to the performance. Each performance will differ according to the musician's interpretation of the score.
    • CommentAuthorandrewgould
    • CommentTimeMay 30th 2008 edited
     
    Interesting question. At the moment, the only filters I use are UVs, to protect lenses. Others may have different ways that they feel work better for them, but I find I can get all the control I need when converting from RAW in Photoshop. The flexibility that Adobe Camera RAW (in Photoshop) brings means that I can adjust the white balance and saturation as I want. I can also almost always produce a good overall exposure, even when there is a very wide brightness range. With the latter, in extreme cases, this can produce some noise in the shadows, so I can understand the neutral density filter approach. The only filter I'm thinking of buying at the moment, though, is a polarizer for cutting out reflections in glass and water.
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    I like to use a polarizing filter at this time of year because it cuts the glare on water/cars/leaves/shiny things in general and also because it seems to increase saturation. I plan to use nd filters when I can afford some.
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    I can't live without my circular polarizer: it's invaluable in many ways: cutting glare, getting a bit more saturation, slowing shutter speed when I want a blurred effect for water - and many others. I carry ND grads with me, almost never use the hard grads: but I find the soft edged 2-stop ND grad pretty useful often: when there is a reasonably good horizon that I can sneak the ND into without it being too dramatic a change. I have a three-stop and a six-stop neutral filter that I use for landscapes, when I really want a long exposure (water especially): or when I want a shallow DOF midday for portraits. Never have used colored filters.

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