| If you are just getting started in SLR | | | | from water and increase contrast of natural |
| photography, the thought of all the ancillary items | | | | settings. |
| you need can be mind-boggling. Between lenses, | | | | Neutral density filters reduce the overall light such |
| cases, battery packs and hot shoes, it’s no | | | | that aperture may increased in very bright light |
| wonder most people enroll in a course or get a | | | | settings, which makes a reduced depth of field |
| how-to book to figure out the basics. One item | | | | possible. Uses include capturing of water objects |
| that almost all professionals carry with them and | | | | like rivers such that the water looks smoother |
| is relatively inexpensive is a series of lens filters. | | | | and ND filters also provide some level of blurring |
| Lens filters improve the contrast, sharpness, color | | | | for objects in motion. Sharpness is typically |
| and intensity of the captured image. There are | | | | increased with these filters as well which is |
| also special effect lenses that allow the | | | | especially useful when capturing stones under |
| photographer unprecedented control over the | | | | river beds. |
| image at the point of capture. | | | | There are also many graduated filters available |
| Many of the more common lens filters such as | | | | which provide varying levels of image opacity. |
| UV/haze, polarizing, neutral density, and warming | | | | These filters would be used such that in highly lit |
| cooling or color filters are key to capturing the | | | | scenes you could select a transparent-to-opaque |
| correct image in a variety of lighting conditions. | | | | look by adjusting the filter. |
| Knowing when to use them is the real trick and | | | | Colored filters provide an overall color shift for the |
| something that comes with time and experience. | | | | image and can often result in an artistic look that |
| UV filters have a primary purpose of reducing UV | | | | can not be replicated as easily in post-production |
| light from entering the lens, but because they are | | | | settings. By filtering the light at the source there |
| so common and inexpensive, as well as their small | | | | are benefits to the midrange colors over |
| impact on the lighting of a picture people opt to | | | | traditional leveling techniques. White balances can |
| use them as safety lens filters. Safety filters | | | | also be adjusted using a specialized filter to adapt |
| are primarily designed to protect the expensive | | | | to the current scene requirements. |
| lens from scratches and damage, because you | | | | The result of using any particular filter on the end |
| would much rather replace a $10 lens filter than a | | | | photograph will be as varied as the styles of the |
| $300 lens. | | | | photographers taking the photos. Selecting the |
| Polarizing lenses only allow the light to enter from | | | | right filter is as individualistic and dependent on |
| a particular direction which reduces the amount of | | | | conditions as framing the shot correctly. |
| available light but increases the saturation of the | | | | Knowledge of the correct filters to use to achieve |
| image as a result. They are especially effective | | | | a particular look is something that comes with |
| when used on landscape scenery to remove glare | | | | experience, so buy lens filters and start practicing! |