It's
time to spice up your landscape photography with
filters.
Filters are used in photography to bring back an
image to the way our eyes have perceived the
original scene. Some times it's not possible for our
cameras to record an exact scene - so we have to
rely on the manufacturers of camera products.
Filters also help us to create mood in our images
and bring out the best in a scene. A small selection
of filters is well worth packing when heading off
for a trip. They don't take up too much space and
will definitely add a bit of spice to your images.
Filters work by being placed in front of your camera
lens. You can also place several filters in front of
your camera at any given time.
Lets take a look at the most important ones to
use.
Neutral
Density Filters (ND): Neutral Density filters
will certainly help you with tough exposures. These
filters work by cutting down the light that reaches
your lens. These filters come in a variety of
strengths with the most popular being 0.3, 0.6 and
0.9 - these filters will help with exposure without
affecting colour.
One half of these filters is dark and the other is
completely clear. They basically work by reducing
brightness. The different numbers stand for the
amount of brightness they reduce - 0.3 ND reduces
light by one stop - 0.6 reduces light by 2 stops -
0.9 reduces light by three stops.
Lets say you arrive at a high contrast scene, - you
take a light reading of the sky and get an exposure
reading of F/22 at 1/8 second; you take a reading
from the ground in front of you and get a reading of
F/22 at 1 second. This is a difference of three
stops of light. You need to reduce the brightness of
the sky. By using the 0.9 ND you will reduce the
light in the sky by three stops without affecting
the light hitting the ground in front of you.
Polarizing
Filters: A polarizing filter should be top of
the list - a polarizing filter can be used with
colour or black and white and is probably the
most important filter on the market today. The
polarizing filter will also darken the blue sky to
give it a strong rich colour. It will make mist
stand out and can be also used to give fast flowing
water a misty effect. This filter is most effective
with side lighting.
Warm-up filters: In overcast conditions,
don't put your camera away. This is an ideal time
for you to switch your attention to landscape
detail. On an overcast day images often appear cold
and dull. Try using a warm-up filter. These filters
will remove the dull effect that you get shooting
without the sun.
The 81-series are the best choice and will give your
images an extra bit of life. An 81A warm-up filter
is ideal to use in adding extra warmth to low light
images.
Filters
for B/W photography: Just because you use black
and white film it doesn't mean that you can't use
filters - there are several filters for B/W
photography. The polarizing filter is one of the few
filters that work for B/W and colour photography. It
will help to darken shades of grey in your final
print.
The red filter is one of the most popular.
This filter will darken the sky giving your image
more impact. The most common red filter is the
number 25. Filters for B/W work by transmitting
light of its own colour, and holds back light of the
other colours.
There's a large amount of filters available; these
are the most important filters for landscape
photography. There are also several filters on the
market today that will do very little for your
photography. Colour graduated filters should be left
at home or placed in the bin - colour graduated
filters work by creating un-natural colours,
destroying your final print.
It's
time to spice up your landscape photography with
filters. 
Neutral
Density Filters (ND): Neutral Density filters
will certainly help you with tough exposures. These
filters work by cutting down the light that reaches
your lens. These filters come in a variety of
strengths with the most popular being 0.3, 0.6 and
0.9 - these filters will help with exposure without
affecting colour. 
Polarizing
Filters: A polarizing filter should be top of
the list - a polarizing filter can be used with
colour or black and white and is probably the
most important filter on the market today. The
polarizing filter will also darken the blue sky to
give it a strong rich colour. It will make mist
stand out and can be also used to give fast flowing
water a misty effect. This filter is most effective
with side lighting. 
Filters
for B/W photography: Just because you use black
and white film it doesn't mean that you can't use
filters - there are several filters for B/W
photography. The polarizing filter is one of the few
filters that work for B/W and colour photography. It
will help to darken shades of grey in your final
print.
