There are many filters available to enhance your photography, but two are particularly useful to help enhance you fall photos: the warming filter, and the enhancing filter.
The warming filter is the Wratten 81 series - 81A, 81B, 81C etc. Each step provides progressively more filtration. The warming filter "warms" the light or reduces its color temperature. Remember that red light ( < 5600 K) is warm and blue light ( > 5600 K) is cool. The warming filter reduces the blue in photos that can be caused by an overcast sky or photographing in the shade. If neither of these conditions are available, it simply warms the light. The effect on fall foliage is that reds, oranges, and yellows are slightly enhanced.
The enhancing filter is much more dramatic. These are also known as rare earth or didymium filters. The effect that these filters have on red objects is very dramatic, but they tend to leave a magenta cast, especailly on neutral colored objects. Also, colors other than red are not enhanced very much. Use this filter sparingly.
Also, don't forget the polarizer, whose use is described in Tip #17, below.
I have mentioned before that the polarizing filter is one of the most versatile and widely used filters in nature photography. So, in this installment of tips, I will elaborate on their use.
First off, there are two main types of polarizing filters: Linear, and circular. Both filters result in the same effect, however, it is necessary to use a circular polarizer with an autofocus camera in order to maintain its autofocus capabilities.
The major function of a polarizer is to reduce glare or unwanted reflections from objects and increase the apparent color saturation of objects in your photographs. A favorite use of the polarizer among many outdoor photographers is to "darken" the sky - apparently increasing the contrast and saturation of it. The effect, under the right conditions, is stunning. A polarizer is to light what a comb is to your hair --- seemingly "straightening" it. Actually, what the polarizer is doing, is allowing light to pass through in a certain plane, but blocking the "stray" light in a perpendicular plane. Most polarizers are designed to rotate on your lens, so that you can adjust the polarizing plane (and the effect of the filter) by merely turning it.
Major Hint: Since the effect of a polarizer is most pronounced when it is used perpendicular to the light source (the sun usually), try this trick. Make an "L" with your thumb and forefinger. Point your forefinger at the sun and your thumb will point in the direction that the polarizer will have its greatest effect. You can rotate your thumb around the axis of your forefinger: pointing the lens in any of these directions will let you take full advantage of the polarizers capabilities. Polarizers have little or no effect when they are used in the same direction as the light source.
One word of caution with polarizers is that most require an exposure compensation of two stops. This means that either your shutter speed will have to be two stops slower (not good if you are photographing animals), or your aperature will have to be two stops bigger (not good if you need great depth of field). Be aware of this compromise when using the polarizer and use it accordingly.
Specialty Polarizers: At least one filter manufacturer (Cokin) makes colored polarizers. They work under the same principal as neutral polarizers except that they modify a color and its opposite, such as yellow and blue. The effect is usually obvious in the finished photo, but it can be fun to play!
Hyperfocal Distance is a method for extracting the maximum possible depth of field from the lens that you are using. This works well for inanimate subjects such as a landscape, and when you don't have time to focus the lens and need as much depth of field as possible.
Hyperfocal distance is officially defined as the near limit of depth of field (the closest point that will be in focus) when the lens is focused at infinity. This can most easily be seen with a manual focus lens. Users of autofocus lenses will have to consult the focus tables included with your lens manual.
To use hyperfocal distance, focus your lens at infinity. Then, looking at the lens barrel, match the near distance to the aperature that you want to use. Next, turn the focus ring to this near distance. Doing so will provide you with the maximum depth of field achievable for the focal length and aperature that you are using.
For example, on my Hasselblad 80 mm lens at f22, the depth of field extends from about 18 feet to infinity when the lens is focused at infinity. Using Hyperfocal Distance, my depth of field will extend from 9 feet to infinity!
Now that peak vacation time is upon us, I thought it would be a good idea to give some information about how to care for your film before and after it is exposed. Film is delicate, and can be affected by moisture, dirt, and temperature changes. Any of these environmnetal factors can ruin your film or degrade the images that you create.
One of the safest places to store film is right in the plastic container that it is bought in. These containers are designed to protect the film inside from dirt, moisture, and sudden changes in temperature. If you will be keeping film on hand for any length of time, the best place to store it is in the refrigerator or freezer. Keeping your film cold will prolong its life and prevent unsightly color shifts that accompany aging film.
On the other hand, heat will destroy film, so be sure to protect against high temperatures (over 100 degrees F). If you have to store film in your car or other hot location, put it in a cooler or other insulated container with a cold pack.
If you are traveling by air, you may be concerned about x-ray exposures. Most photographers seem to agree that one or two passes through x-ray security does not harm film, although more passes may affect it. Also, most agree that higher speed films (ISO 800 or 400 as compared to ISO 100) are more susceptible to damage by x-rays. If you are concerned about x-rays, you can do a couple of different things. First, transport your film in a separate container in your carry-on luggage. There are special containers that can be purchased for protecting small amounts of film from x-rays. If you have a larger amount of film, remove it from the plastic canisters and place it in clear bags. Then, when you reach airport security, request that the film be hand inspected. Airport security in the U.S. generally grant this request.
I often photograph in less than ideal conditions from wet and raining to freezing and snowing. In some of my other tips, I discussed how to prevent condensation. Therefore, I will only mention that it is an important consideration when photographing in poor weather conditions.
Basically, you need to treat your camera equipment the same way that you treat yourself. In other words keep it dry and protected from the effects of wind and moisture. In the rain, there are many different options. In a light mist, I may not cover my equipment at all, but I wipe everything with an absobent towel before I put them away. In heavier rain, an umbrella or sheet of plastic may be used (use clear plastic so you can see what you are doing). There are also commercialy made rain hoods that do an outstanding job of keeping things dry. The Laird Rain Hood, available from LL Rue (908) 362-6616, is a good example.
Macro photography means close-up photography -- making small objects look bigger on film. The process involves getting very close to your subject in order to get an intimate view of it. Macro photography is most impressive when we get down to the objects level, whether its a flower, insect, sea creature, etc.
Some cameras, particularly "point and shoot" types that do not have interchangeable lenses, have a macro mode. Selecting this mode allows the camera to focus closer. Sometimes the area actually photographed is smaller than the area shown in the viewfinder (check your manual).
Cameras with interchangeable lenses are generally more versatile and macro capabilities can be obtained in a number of ways. In order to increase the image size and focus closely, a maco lens can be used. The best macro lenses focus at 1:1 - life size. Most focus a 1:2 - which is half life size.
Macro capabilities can also be achieved using any lens and an extension tube. Extension tubes move the lens farther away from the focal plane, increasing the image size on film (see Flower and Japanese Beetle for example). One drawback of extension tubes is light loss which needs to be compensated for in order to have a proper exposure. Similar to extension tubes is a bellows extension. Again, the distance between the lens and the focal plane is increased. However, bellows are infinitely adjustable, unlike extensions tubes which are fixed length.
Another option is to use a close-up filter attachment. Just as it sounds, this nifty tool screws onto your lens just like any other filter, except that it magnifies the image. Many people say that these gadgets do not perform as well as the other close-up attachments on the market.
Now that you've gotten your winter snow photos exposed properly, you might be wondering why they always look blue. That's because snow reflects a lot of ultraviolet (UV) light which appears blue to film. Sometimes the blue color is desireable, but other times it can be excessive. To reduce the blue color, we need to use filters. There is a UV filter on the market, but it is not very effective. In my experience, the best filter for the job is a Wratten 81A (warming filter). If you want to add even more warmth to the scene, try an 81B.
See also, Tip #3 - The Color of Light
In Tip #1 (You Make Me Feel So Gray), I discussed how camera light meters want to make your subjects look gray. This is particularly troublesome when photographing snow scenes, so I thought I would revisit the procedures for "whitening" your snow photos.
When your camera meter is pointed at a snow scene, the meter "thinks" that it is measuring a very bright scene and recommends an exposure that makes the white snow appear gray (midtone, or darker than white). Since most of us would like our snow to appear white, we need to overexpose from the meter reading (be sure to meter just snow). The amount of overexposure necessary to do this varies, depending upon the lighting conditions, the film that you are using, and just how white you want your snow to look.
For starters, a one stop overexposure is a safe bet to whiten just a bit, and is my recommendation for those using print films (because of its great latitude). A +1 exposure is also likely to be your best bet on overcast days. A 1.5 - 2 stop overexposure is generally where I find that I like my snow scenes. This is generally the range for slide film users where the snow will appear bright, but still retain detail. This is also a good start on overcast but bright days. If you like your snow very clean and bright with little detail, use a +2.5 - 3 stop overexposure, especially on very bright, cloudless days. In all cases, and especially if you are using slide film, bracket your exposures. I sometimes find that my starting exposure is not always the most appealing when the film comes back from the lab.
If you are using an automatic (point and shoot camera) and you have an exposure lock button, you can compensate by using the following procedure: Fill the frame of the viewfinder with a DARKER area and depress the exposure lock button. The camera meter will overexpose the scene based upon the dark area that you metered. Caution needs to be exercised so that the metered scene is not too dark. To make sure that you get the shot, shoot at least one metered in this way, and another exposed automatically.
