Polarizing filter, part 6

I purchased this Hoya circular polarizer a while ago.  I have used it a number of times to cut out the intense flares created on waters mainly and to bring up more details of the sky.  I did not quite think about when to use it, until I read a book called Understanding Aperture by Bryan Peterson.  Basically, you should use it when you are facing 90 degrees from the sun.  At noon time, the sun is directly over our head, so that's 90 degrees.  In the afternoon, the sun is to the west so if you shoot north or south, that's time for the polarizing filter.

Polarizing Filter, part 5

In my last post about the circular polarizer, I showed how the polarizer cut into the corner of the frame at 18mm. I should have qualified that observation with the fact that the polarizer was placed in front of a Neutral Density filter. At 18mm, not much can be added in front of the lens. A wall of maybe half a centimetre is about the maximum. Below is an 18mm shot with just the polarizer on -- the ND filter and the petal are on the table. The darkened corners are gone.

Polarizing Filter, part 4

Just a shot with the CPL filter. It brought out good details in the clouds.

I took the original photo and applied some colour manipulations to create this explosive photo:

• Swapped RGB to BGR
• Increased contrast
• Increased gamma levels
• Increased saturation levels
• Increased sharpness

I might have been able to achieve the same effect without the CPL but the CPL added details to the clouds that would otherwise be harder to bring out with software.

Polarizing Filter, part 3

So, here I have taken a couple of shots of the eastern sky close to 6pm in August. The sky was blue and the sun was very bring. On the left is the shot with the Hoya CPL filter and on the right is the same shot taken without the CPL filter.















The CPL filter either brought the f-stop down a notch or two, or really polarized the light. The contrast in the sky is accentuated with the CPL filter. So, I like the CPL effect. However, notice the upper left and right corners. At 18mm the filter cuts into the frame! Yikes.

Now, is the CPL filter all that useful? I find that this is not the right application for the CPL filter. There is no glare to cut out. Below, I took the above right photo and increased the contrast and adjust the gamma correction in Irfanview. I prefer this higher contrast photo over the CPL photo which, untreated, is rather dull.

Hoya Circular Polarizing Lens Filter

Here is my PayPal receipt of payment and shipping info. It arrived after my trip to Killarney but before my second trip into the interior of Algonquin last weekend. I got to use it and it does what it was built to do -- polarizing light rays. I like it.

The filter has two rings. The inner screws into the Hoya ND filter I have. The outer ring is free to rotate. Have two filters on the lens may be too much (losing an f-stop ??) but it was troublesome having to swap them.

Polarizing Filter, part 2

After 10 business days, I finally received my package in the mail. The filter came in in immaculate, brand new condition so I am happy. I took some shots but clouds are hovering over our heads over the last few days. The real test will come in a couple of weeks in the interior of Algonquin. I remember I needed a polarizer a couple of months ago on my first trip. This second trip will see more pictures of the wild with a polarizer!

Polarizing Filter

A friend lent me his Cokin polarizer for almost 9 months. I finally returned it a month ago. I liked the effect it produced so I searched around for a circular polarizer (CPL). There are many out there. On eBay you can find super cheap CPLs but as I have said before, you are likely going to get what you pay for. I decided not to buy the $10 filters from Hong Kong. I will just be disappointed down the road with cheap equipments. So, I ordered a Hoya circular polarizing filter, the Standard model, not the best of their line. It should be good enough.

The package should arrive in about a week or so. Summer has not ended yet so this filter will be great for landscape shots. I will post sample shots once the filter arrives. Can't wait.