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How Can Photographers Use A Polarizing Filter?

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Photographers often use polarizing filters to improve the appearance of the images they capture. With digital cameras many filters are no longer necessary and do not always work correctly. There is one filter, however, that is the most often used filter, and it is considered a necessity to a landscape photographer. Whether using a digital or a film camera a polarizing filter will increase color and eliminate reflections in your images.

To unlock the secret of the polarizing filter, you must use the filter correctly.
To use your filter, find the correct size filter to fit the lens you are currently using. (a 55mm polarizer for a 55mm lens etc). Secondly, screw the filter onto the front end of the lens (nearest the subject). After the filter …show more content…

Of course, you must be very careful on a low light day as a filter can make your images too dark. A polarizer will cut the amount of light reaching your film or sensor. To counteract the decreased light reaching the sensor or film, open the aperture or slow your shutter speed to compensate.

Even though using a polarizing filter has many benefits, which far outweigh the pitfalls, there are several pitfalls of using a polarizing filter. Most of the pitfalls can be avoided with a bit of knowledge.

The first thing one needs to know about a polarizing filter is that there are 2 different types. One is the linear polarizing filter the other is the circular polarizing filter. A circular or a linear filter will do exactly the same thing for your images; enhance them. To compare them, the circular filter is more expensive and the linear filter may not be the best choice for most cameras that use auto focus.

A linear filter will often ruin the performance of auto focus; the camera is unable to transform the information correctly coming from the filter. A circular polarizing filter has an added layer which scrambles the filtered light coming from the polarizer and the camera is able to read the information more

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