#Photo3 – Three Uses of the Polariser

A weekly trio of top photo tips

As digital progresses and Photoshop becomes more advanced, there’s certain filters that we could do without and let Photoshop replicate instead. Graduated filters are one such example, but there is one filter the image editor can’t replace. One filter that has many uses and refuses to be replaced by modern technology (for now!). Step forward the polariser. Probably the most useful filter you can buy and one every photographer should have in their gadget bag. Here’s just three examples of its versatility…

Boost the Sky

A polarising filter removes the polarised component of the light waves in the air and thus, darkens the sky. Add in some fluffy white cumulus clouds and you have a beautiful contrast that adds impact to a sunny day scene. Include a subject featuring warm colours, such as yellow and red and again you have contrast, but here contrasting with the cool, deep blue of a polarised sky. And of course, your chosen subject will also be polarised, boosting its colours to a rich, vivid saturation.

Use a polarisaer filter to boost a blue sky, as well as enrich the other colours in the scene

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#Photo3 – 3 Essential Filters

The first in a new series featuring a weekly trio of top photo tips

Photo filters used to be an essential item for photography. In the days when you shot with film, these where the only ways to manipulate your images. Digital has removed the need for many filters, or has it? There are still some filters that digital can’t replicate or don’t need to. Most of the process of creating an image is done in-camera, so if like me, you enjoy using your camera more than a computer, then here are my three favourite and essential filter purchases.

Polariser

The polariser. The king of filters! Not only does it darken blue skies by increasing contrast, it also boosts any colour in the scene, making them rich, vibrant and ‘pop’ in the picture. The polariser also removes reflections, which again increases colour saturation and is useful when shooting views including water. This filter absorbs up to 2 stops of light, so whilst you will have to bear this in mind when calculating exposures, it also means that this filter can also be used as a 2 stop ND filter if you need assistance in bringing the shutter speed down.

Polariser

Dare to be Different

I’ve been a self-employed travel and landscape photographer for 21 years now. Plus 5 years of doing it part time. One day, with a change of circumstances, no real plan and a deep breath, I left my job in the motor industry to become a photographer.

The first chapter to be added to my ‘Personal Guide to Success’, apart from moving to medium format, to gain the advantage of the bigger image size, was discovered from doing an online course with the Bureau of Freelance Photography. Their advice was, if you want to get ahead you have be different from the rest and in my circumstance, add words to your pictures. So, this started with a few words, a couple of sentences to accompany my submitted images. Basically a bit of a back story to the image as to why and how it was shot. This idea progressed to over a thousand words with each submission to magazines to form a short article, along with a few more pics to complete the package. This gave me the edge over others, as the editor had both words and pics to put in the magazine.

Next came the workshops. I had been shooting professionally now for over ten years and digital had just kicked in. Suddenly there were more photographers, both wanting to learn and competing to have their work published. I dabbled in the landscape workshop myself here and there. A few in the Yorkshire Dales, along the Yorkshire Coast, Peak District, but only one day affairs, as I never fancied organising the multi-day holidays. But I got bored. There were too many others doing the same thing as well, so I referred back to my ‘Personal Guide to Success’ mantra. Be different.

London 2 Day Photo Challenge

My latest vlogs on my YouTube Channel see me shoot three different areas of London in two days. I start off on day one, photographing the Shard from various angles and viewpoints. On day two, I move along to St Paul’s and the City to shoot the cathedral from some new angles and get creative with the modern skyscrapers of the financial hub of the capital.

YouTube Channel

If you don’t already know, I have my own channel on Youtube. Here I upload vlogs (video blogs) of me shooting various locations and covering a variety of techniques. There are currently four videos online, with many more ready to upload or in the pipeline to film and record.

I also film vlogs exclusive for subscribers to my e6 subscription service. These videos are available to subscribers, along with my eGuides and eBooks and there is also discount available to my City Photo Walks and Online Photography Courses as part of the yearly fee.