Landscapes are the setting where countless majestic works of nature occupy a central place; On many occasions, curves, colors, rhythms and lights and their contrasts are combined in a scene that deserves to be represented, but in others, all these factors are not always aligned to capture this unique moment.
In landscape photography, modeling ambient light is much more complicated than in other photography disciplines, so to add even more drama to your photos, you should let filters come into play.
Filters must no longer be a mere accessory to become a fundamental tool.
How? ‘Or what? Read the following article
A great way to handle your raw material (light) in landscape photography is to use filters that allow you to model it as you want when taking photos.
Currently, with the advancement of computer tools and thanks to the possibility to work directly on the computer with digital negatives (RAW) as if you were doing it at the time of shooting, the use of filters in landscape photography lost some ground.
Now: Are you a photographer or editor?
While it is true that none of the options are unique to the other, few things are more satisfying for the photography enthusiast than getting a photo, the closest thing to the final photo, when the shutter button is pressed. It’s on your camera, as an extension of your ideas, that magic works and, although the contributions that photo editing tools have made are incalculable, ideally you spend more time in front of your camera than in front of the computer.
By using filters in landscape photography, you will not only push your knowledge to the limit, acquiring a new photo by photo, but also the technical quality of the photos taken ultimately translates into the quality of the resulting photos. It is a process of continuous improvement that forms a virtuous circle: experience, knowledge, quality.
In addition, there are certain effects that cannot be achieved on the computer without altering the essence of the original photo but which, with the use of a filter, are possible without even a click.
And while quality filters aren’t cheap, getting one will be a great investment.
Having a photo that most closely resembles the final photo obtained directly from your camera and without the need to retouch it later on the computer is a difficult pleasure to explain.
Although there are many types of filters available on the market that you can use in each of your photos, here are the ones that are mainly used in landscape photography:
The polarizing filter
Polarizing filters are used in landscape photography to increase contrasts, saturate colors and also to reduce reflections that occur, for example, on the surface of a lake during your photography.
This type of filter is ideal when you want to highlight, for example, the contrast between the clouds and the sky, or between the sky and the ground, although most landscape photographers use them mainly to eliminate reflections. Non-superficial surfaces. Metallic such as lakes, rivers, drops or any other type of light reflecting surface.
The question you are probably asking yourself is, why buy one when I can fix the photos on the computer?
While it is true that the level of contrast or saturation in your photos can be easily addressed on the computer if you are taking photos in RAW or digital negative mode, removing reflections or increasing transparency will be very difficult for you.
Important: The maximum polarization effect is obtained when the light that hits the stage does so from one side, i. e. 90 degrees. If you use this type of filter when the sun is in front of or behind you, you will not see any effect.
Note that to get the correct measurement and exposure it is necessary to keep in mind that polarizing filters?the scene, that is, they remove about 2 apertures because they absorb the light that is reflected in the sensor and attenuate it a little.
The neutral gradient filter
This type of filter is very popular with landscape photographers because it compensates for the contrasts between very light areas such as the sky and very dark areas such as the ground. What do you mean?’ Or what? The glass of this type of filter is divided into two halves: one dark part that degrades to join the other completely transparent. In this way, it is possible to balance the exposure in the shot without leaning towards light or dark tones.
You can find this type of filter in two versions: square and round. Square glass filters require you to put a filter holder in front of the lens to hold them. Round filters screw directly onto the lens and although they may look more convenient, actually, they are much less versatile since the gradient will be fixed, unlike the squares that you can adjust in height depending on how you frame your photos.
These types of filters are ideal for achieving spectacular effects both on the ground and in the sky in your photos, intensifying colors, degrading tones and allowing you to obtain amazing exposures that are otherwise impossible to achieve, are excellent for transmitting and reinforcing the messages and feelings of your landscape photographs.
The gradient of these can not only be neutral, but you can also find them in different colors. Have you ever wondered how they get those pink skies in the sunsets? There are certain phenomena that do not occur naturally but are induced by photographers through filters. , for example, a gradient of pink or blue to add more spectacularity to the photos.
In addition, the gradients in each filter are not the same, so the composition possibilities are multiplied.
Neutral density filter
Neutral density filters or NDs are responsible for turning the silky effect into your river and sea photographs. These types of filters are widely used in situations where the movement of water or clouds can, after long exposure, become an extremely attractive silk or silk. Fog.
How does it work? The glass of these filters is manufactured in a neutral gray tone so it does not affect the color of the photographs but what it does is remove the ambient light, that is, it darkens the scene without affecting the colors present. Said decrease in the? The amount of light reaching the sensor is what allows, thanks to a long exposure, to obtain these attractive effects.
In excessively light conditions, you wouldn’t be able to take a long exposure without one of these filters because, even if you lower ISO sensitivity to a minimum and close the aperture as much as possible, it’s unlikely you can. achieve shutter speeds so slow to stop. achieve this (shutter speeds less than 20 seconds).
Photographs taken with a neutral density filter are not limited to photography of rivers and sea, since you can also use it for almost any reason, the really important thing is that, whatever the reason you choose, it is reinforced by this effect . , people, movement of trees, etc. , you will be surprised by the results you can obtain and the sensations that your photos can convey.
I recommend that, to make the most of this filter, take 5 minutes to read the following article: “How to get the silky effect on your river photographs?”.
Although the quality of the crystals that you are going to put in front of your lens is the best possible, that does not mean that you cannot innovate a little and get homemade filters that allow you to obtain surprising results. to know how Read the following article:? DIY Photography: How to Assemble Home Photo Accessories ?.
Ultraviolet filter
Ultra Violet (UV) or Skylight filters, as the name suggests, are filters designed to absorb ultraviolet rays, although most photographers use them constantly placed on their lenses, not for effect but to protect the front glasses against bumps and scratches.
You probably use it for the same purpose as well, although I recommend that you do not, thanks to new technologies introduced in the manufacture of lenses, the front lenses are protected by a protective layer that protects them from dust and scratches. You need to place a filter in front of your lens, because more than protection, it will actually reduce the quality of your photos (any glass placed in front of a lens will reduce its sharpness).
What you really need to protect your lens is its lens cap and be careful. In any case, if you have suffered an accident or would like to know how to deal with it, I recommend that you consult the following guide: “The Complete Guide: Cleaning Tips for SLR Cameras”.
In any case, the use of an ultraviolet filter is recommended if you plan to go to the top of a mountain where the incidence of these rays is much higher. So that they do not modify your photographs.
You can also use them to make great blurry photos. How? ‘Or what? Once the UV filter is attached to your lens, spray it with steam or petroleum jelly. That way, with a little practice, you can mimic a thick, crushing fog. In this case, the UV filter will be very useful to avoid wetting the front lens of your lens for protection.
The filters I just told you are not the only ones, there are a lot and a wide variety of these available on the market that you can experience when you take your landscape photos.
The use of filters in photography in general and in the landscape discipline in particular is an excellent field of experimentation. Go ahead and take your imagination to the limit! You will be amazed at what your mind is capable of.
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