Using a green filter

[reellis67]

Although I can't post any examples right now, I use a yellow-green (X0 and X1) from time to time and it does seem to give better separation in the local flora.

- Randy

 

[juan]

Juan,
If you look closly you wil see here in florida the plants are more of a yellow green than a true green. That is why a yellow filter will lighten the follage up quite a bit. As someone said earlier if you can find a yellow green filter that would hit the jackpot.
mike

That's right - the location and color of both the foliage and the light affect the filter.

Also, I don't think the Cokin filter is yellow green. It does not have a Wratten number do it's hard to compare, but it looks just green to my eye. Maybe one of the other filters suggested would work better.
juan

 

[Lee L]

The filter I had in mind earlier is a Wratten #44a, a minus red filter. This will simulate an ortho response with panchromatic film. I don't know if these filters are available anymore.

The B+W 470 is equivalent to a Wratten 44A. It can provide an orthochromatic look on pan film. 50% passband is between 430 and 570 nm, with a nominal filter factor of 2X. Most B+W dealers would probably have to special order it.

B+W says it will improve landscape photos when you want to increase atmospheric haze. A.A. also mentions its use in his series.

Lee

 

[RalphLambrecht]

That's my problem with Cokin too. They have no Wratten numbers, so I don't know what they are filtering, or what their specifications are. I don't think Cokin is all too serious about that anyway. Red is just red to them, it seems.

 

[Mark Layne]

David Kachel has an extensive article on filter use on his 'Front Door' website. Worth a read
Mark

 

[jim appleyard]

I hope I'm not hijacking here, but can anyone tell me the difference between a 470/44A filter and the 80A and the 80B? I have both the 80A & 80B and I know the difference of thos two. I'm just not familiar with anything "bluer".

 

[Helen B]

The Wratten #44 light blue-green absorbs the shortest blue wavelengths, and absorbs UV quite strongly, so it would be an alternative if you wanted to lighten blue-green foliage and cut down on haze.

The cyan CC filters are less dense than the 44 or 44A. They have almost no absorption of blue light, unlike both the 44 and 44A.

Best,
Helen

 

[Helen B]

I hope I'm not hijacking here, but can anyone tell me the difference between a 470/44A filter and the 80A and the 80B? I have both the 80A & 80B and I know the difference of thos two. I'm just not familiar with anything "bluer".

Jim,

The 80 series filters have gentle transmittance curves - their purpose is to alter the relative amounts of energy across the full spectrum as you know. Between the maximum transmittance of the 80A at 410 to 460 nm and the minimum transmittance of around 53% at 630 nm to over 700 nm, the curve is fairly straight.

The 44 and 44A are much more severe, with steep curves. They are 'minus-red' filters. They also remove some of the shortest blue wavelengths. The maximum transmittance of the 44A is 53% at 480 nm. There is less than 10% transmittance below about 430 nm and above 550 nm. The minimum transmittance of the 80A in the red is equal to the maximum transmittance of the 44A in the green. The 80A passes red, though one stop down, the 44A doesn't pass any red, in effect.

The 47 is about the bluest standard filter. That's the tri-colour blue separation filter. The 10% transmittance occurs at 500 nm.

Best,
Helen

 

[Mark Layne]

The filter I had in mind earlier is a Wratten #44a, a minus red filter. This will simulate an ortho response with panchromatic film. I don't know if these filters are available anymore.

If I remember correctly this gives an ortho effect
Mark

 

[Peter De Smidt]

Here's a link that has a graph of the 44a response:

Dead Link Removed

I never bought one, because I'm not fond of gels for field use. I think that I looked into getting the B+W equivalent, but it was hideously expensive. That was about 10 years ago, and so there may be better options now.

 

[HeliH]

I have a Cokin P 004 green filter and it's quite dark. It says that +2 2/3 stops is needed to give the right exposure. I have never tried this filter, haven't been sure what or where to use it. Now I think I know. Thanks for this thread!

 

[Lee L]

Diane,

Looked up the Ansel Adams reference I gave earlier. It's in The Negative and the example given is a Wratten 44A, used to lighten trees and shadows in a landscape photo in the chapter on Filters and Pre-exposure. The effect is readily evident in the example, but not anything nearly so dramatic as infra-red.

The price of the glass B+W 470 in the standard 52-58mm sizes from B&H is less than the price of the Kodak gel given at the Edmund Scientific link below. BTW, Tiffen is now making the Kodak gels.

The 44A may not be the best filter for a portrait, depending on your subject. Any reddish skin tone will darken and appear rougher.

Lee

 

[HeliH]

The 44A may not be the best filter for a portrait, depending on your subject. Any reddish skin tone will darken and appear rougher.

What would be a good filter for portraits?

 

[Gerald Koch]

What would be a good filter for portraits?

Depends on the subject. A light green filter is often recommended for portraits of men.

 

[HeliH]

And for women?

 

[Peter De Smidt]

At: http://www.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg?msg_id=004UW8 William Marderness says that the B + W 470 is greener than a 44a and not as dark, with the 44a cutting hte light by 2.5 stops and the 470 by 1 stop. I don't know if this information is correct; and even if it is, it doesn't mean that the 470 wouldn't be as good filter to use.

 

[Peter De Smidt]

And for women?

A Softar? (Sorry, couldn't resist.)

Regarding using color filters with portraits of women, it all depends on what you want to do. Yellow and Red filters lighten the skin (and ususally blemishes), whereas blue and green filters darken skin. They will also effect how eyes and hair come accross.

My daugher, for example, has very pale skin, golden hair, blue eyes and freckles. Photographing through a light green filter makes her freckles stand out more, which I like. It also darkens her hair, which I don't like as much.

A good way to get a feel for this sort of thing is to experiment with channels in a color portrait in Photoshop.

 

[Gerald Koch]

Usually no filter is used for women as most portraits are taken under tungsten light which is already rich in red which tends to lessen blemishes. A panorthochromatic film such as Efke 50 can also be used.

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Heli

Woman make for about 90% of my photographic work, and I never have or would use a filter for it. It's all in the lighting!

I stay away from side-lighting, use soft frontal lighting and get a modest rim light to 'lift' them off the background.

 

[Robert Hall]

This is actually trickier than one might think. Unfortunately, foilage has also a lot of blue light in it. That's why IR film lightens foilage so well. <snip>.

I believe Ralph misspoke himself. Blue light is on the other end of the spectrum. IR film is exposed by reflected near frequency IR light, as opposed to blue.

Regards,

 

[RalphLambrecht]

Robert is correct.

 

[colrehogan]

I found the picture which I liked the effect of in the current issue of View Camera. I suspect that a great deal of the effect is coming from the overcast light and the foliage cover overhead.

I'm not sure I can get this same effect in what amounts to an open field. Oh well, I can only try.