Filter education

[Peter Coats]

Hello all,

In trying to improve my images I am would like to explore the use of filters. I tend to shoot landscapes, medium format, but really have no experience at all with filters, other than the Photo I "use a UV filter to protect your lens" advice.

Any recommendations on books that provide a good background on use of filters? I would also really like to know WHY specific filters have specific effects, so color theory/technical notes would not bother me in the least.

 

[Bruce Osgood]

Adam's THE NEGATIVE.

Has just about all you would like to know.

 

[Dave Parker]

Hi Peter,

I can't find mine right now, but if I remember right is was called "Kodaks Guide to Filters" it was fully illustrated with color pictures and explained additive and subtractive filter and well as showing would works for certain types of light...it may have been called Guide to creative filters, but I know it was published by Kodak, should be able to find a copy of it on Amazon, or at your local book retailer, If I find it, I will post the ISBN number for it.

Dave

 

[nc5p]

Be sure and check the spectral curves for the film you are using before using filters. Some films like Efke 25 have next to no response in the red region so a red filter would be a poor choice for that film.

The Kodak Wratten filters are numbered and other filter makers often use these numbers. Here is a table of common filters and their responses:

http://www.photo.net/photo/edscott/cf000010.htm

I use yellow most of the time and have an orange for more dramatic effects.

Doug

 

[gnashings]

Second the Negative, for sure! And some good sites for basic info - but as with most web based info, use your discretion with some of the more "absolutist" advice!

http://www.chem.helsinki.fi/~toomas/photo/filter-crash-course.html

http://www.fineart-photography.com/bwfilter.html

http://www.jackspcs.com/filters.htm

I found this one to be pretty informative and comprehensive as well, although some would disagree with some of the advice (like the views on green filters for example):

http://www.acecam.com/magazine/filters-faq.html

and this very basic one:

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There you go - lots of reading! Have fun!

Peter.

 

[Nick Zentena]

Not everybody uses the Kodak/Wratten numbers. B&W sure doesn't.

Dead Link Removed

You could call it marketing but it's a free download

 

[Lee Shively]

The B+W filter guide is a good one. The Wratten equivalent numbers are in parentheses in the B&W guide. Tiffen and Hoya also have guides that are helpful. Tiffen has a little booklet included with their filters that's pretty good.

 

[Ed Sukach]

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You could call it marketing but it's a free download

Nick beat me to this site.
Scroll down to "B+W Handbook"... **very** useful .pdf guides.
Also of interest: The color temperature/ filter correction chart.

 

[Bill Dobbs]

General and quick advice:
-a filter will darken it's colour opposites. For example, a red filter will darken greens, blues.
-a filter will lighten it own colour. A green filter will lighten greens and to some extent blues.
So, to get a rich looking sky, a #25 red filter does a fine job, but in doing so you will lose two f/stops. Avoid overdoing it though; a #25 will turn an already dark blue sky almost black. Yellow and orange filters will darken skies to a lesser extent and bring out contrast also. A yellow #8 is thought to correct most b&w film to 'normal' contrast, but I have varying opinions on that depending on what film is used.