Green filter and Green Foliage...

[BradS]

Why doesn't the green filter lighten green foliage?

 

[hal9000]

Most b/w films are least sensitive to green light, so green filters don't have as much as an effect as other filters for other parts of the visible spectrum. Maybe someone has a more scientific explanation?

 

[Ian Grant]

A green filter is about the only filter I use regularly, it works well but the effects aren't as strong as you'd expect. Chlorophyll has strange spectral qualities, I haven't got my old biochemistry/botany books handy or I'd give you more info.

Ian

 

[Dave Miller]

It does, but the effect is subtle and most noticeable on new spring growth.

I had to go and check my gallery for an example:

(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Michel Hardy-Vallée]

Simply because instead it darkens what's not green...

 

[Dave Miller]

Simply because instead it darkens what's not green...

It may but that's not the effect I witnessed. Please see above example.

 

[johnnywalker]

Simply because instead it darkens what's not green...

The net effect then would be to lighten green compared to its surroundings.

 

[Mark Layne]

I remember a website called 'David Kachels Front Door' whick has extensive treatment of filter effects. As I remember clorophyll reflects much red light.
Mark

 

[23mjm]

I have used a green filters to lighten up foliage with similar results to Dave. I have found that it lightens up light green foliage more that dark green. So it might be your subject. I have notice little effect on evergreens. But filters are suppose to lighten the same color as the filter and darken the opposite colors. See a color wheel. AA The Negative is a good ref.

 

[timbo10ca]

I can't remember where I read it (Maybe in an AA book?), but it was suggested that it was because there are actually more colors present in the foliage than straight "green", so there was less of a lightening effect than you would expect.

Tim

 

[panastasia]

It's a film sensitivity issue.

Green foliage is noticeably lighter w/TRI-X through a #11 light green filter, nothing dramatic (low-moderate film sensitivity to green depending, somewhat, on color temperature of light source) compared to more dramatic contrast through yellow,orange, or red filtration.

 

[Gary Holliday]

Have a read through this for lightening foliage:
(there was a url link here which no longer exists)

 

[Thomas Bertilsson]

It would mostly darken the complimentary/opposite color of green, which is red. Photograph something red and see a dramatic drop in tone.
To the original poster, there is a light green and a dark green filter to play with too. I'd say the effect on green foliage is subtle, but it's there. If you shoot roll film, make a close-up on two frames that are identical in exposure but one with and the other without a filter. Contact print them together, and you should see a slight difference.

- Thomas

 

[PVia]

Chip Forelli's work in LensWork a few issues back, had a stunning photograph of an ivy-covered wall (?) that was taken with a yellow-green filter. The effect is almost infrared...

The filter info was on the LensWork Extended CD.

 

[BradS]

Chip Forelli's work in LensWork a few issues back, had a stunning photograph of an ivy-covered wall (?) that was taken with a yellow-green filter. The effect is almost infrared...

The filter info was on the LensWork Extended CD.

Hi Paul,

yes!..that is the effect I'm looking for.

Thanks for the reference.


Brad.

 

[Allen Friday]

Why doesn't the green filter lighten green foliage?

It doesn't? See attached photo. I could have sworn that the ferns were green when I took the photo. Dark green filter, under a forest canopy, indirect light from the open canopy above a river to the side.

 

[CBG]

A green filter does lighten foliage, at least to the extent that by subduing the other parts of the spectrum that do not pass a green filter, the greens will be among the brighter items to reach the film.

Had you a subject with bright reds and greens, and a strong green filter over the lens, the reds will be greatly subdued, while the green light will pass to the film unmolested. The net effect is that greens will become dominant where before they were not. With a less strong filter the effect becomes more subtle.

The 58 and 61 green filters are the most common strong green filters used for practical photography - as opposed to scientific. The 58 is a strong green tricolor filter and the 61 is described as a deep green - somewhat stronger. Neither is a subtle filter.

All the strong filters pass their color while suppressing other aprts of the spectrum. The 25 and 29 filters are strong reds, the 29 especcialy so, which will remove almost all green. The 47 is a stong blue which will hold back yellows and reds, and the 47B even stronger.

The 11 is a light yellow-green filter and might be the one another post describes.

A really good primer on what filter will do what to what is at:
www.crime-scene-investigator.net/filters1.html
That page lists what filter will lighten or darken what color.

A broader list of the basic filters for BW contrast and their usage is at: www.jackspcs.com/filters.htm which also shows rough equivalents between Kodak's Wratten numbers and a couple of other filter numbering systems.

and:
www.kodak.com/global/en/professional/support/techPubs/b3akic/b3akic.jhtml

Saint Ansel's books describe the effects of filters very well.

Best

C