Don't Forget About Filters

scorpion_tyr · Dec 18, 2011

I'm posting this in the Beginner's section to educate some and remind others. Don't be afraid to experiment. And don't be afraid of combining old knowledge and equipment with new. The basics of photography have not changed for about 100 years now, so learn them.

For an example I created this effect by combining a red filter from the b&w film days and a DSLR, and then I mixed that with a little know how. This is straight off the camera, no editing except for resizing the file. I left if fairly big so you can tell it's actually not black & white.

Big Mike · Dec 19, 2011

I have no problem if people want to use filters, and getting things 'in-camera' is usually the best way to go about it. But for something like this, the effect could (most likely) be very easily created digitally, rather than with a filter. Sure, you loose the 'in-camera' aspect, but you also don't have the light passing though a filter, which may not be as high quality as your lens glass.
Filters also increase the chance of lens flare, ghosting etc. This is more important with digital, than it was with film, because the surface of the sensor is more reflective than film, so there is more of a chance of light bouncing around inside the lens.

Either way, playing with filters can still be plenty of fun...and I'm all for having fun with photography.

scorpion_tyr · Dec 19, 2011

True, this could be done in PP, but I'm old school, and unless you already have an action loaded for this or something the filter is a lot easier and quicker. I like filters because it forces you to already have a finished product in mind, you can take a random snapshot and do just about whatever you want to it in PP, but once you use a filter for an effect there's usually no reversing it. Softening filters is a perfect example. You can always soften in PP, but it's a heck of a lot harder to sharpen something that was taken with a diffuser filter.

Big Mike · Dec 19, 2011

scorpion_tyr said:
True, this could be done in PP, but I'm old school, and unless you already have an action loaded for this or something the filter is a lot easier and quicker. I like filters because it forces you to already have a finished product in mind, you can take a random snapshot and do just about whatever you want to it in PP, but once you use a filter for an effect there's usually no reversing it. Softening filters is a perfect example. You can always soften in PP, but it's a heck of a lot harder to sharpen something that was taken with a diffuser filter.

You don't need actions to do this quickly, you just need a good working knowledge of your editing software. If you knew this was the effect you wanted, and knew your way around Lightroom, you could create this look in less than 10 seconds (once it was imported etc.). And if you had done it before, you could save it as a preset, making it a one click process.

And I do see your point that filters are great for helping you to achieve what you had 'in mind'...but the same could be said of adding these affects in post. I'll often shoot with the idea that I'll apply certain affects in post.

The one thing that really doesn't sit well with me and most filters (besides the fact that they are so easy to replicate digitally) is that when you use them, you are limiting yourself to two options; filter on or filter off. (not counting polarizer or square graduated filters).

So rather than using a physical red filter, you could apply it in post...but you also have the ability to instantly make it stronger or weaker, to get just the look you want.
To take it a step further, you can apply the effect to areas of the photo, selectively.
In other words, your options are almost limitless compared to just 'on' or 'off'.

But I still agree with you, especially the first part.

Don't be afraid to experiment. And don't be afraid of combining old knowledge and equipment with new. The basics of photography have not changed for about 100 years now, so learn them.

scorpion_tyr · Dec 20, 2011

10 seconds? Man... I really suck at PPing ha ha. I'm not too handy with editing software... slowly learning with slowly being the key word. And I really don't know what it is about this style, but I like it. And it all started when someone gave me a 77mm red filter. I knew they were used for black and white but (because of reasons you stated above) I don't shoot black and white on my DLSR. No need to when I can desaturate (using filters too

) But I got bored, and threw the filter on my Sigma 10-22mm and shot some red colored pictures. And then I had the bright idea to create a custom white balance with the red filter on... and then used the custom WB and this is what I got. The effect is actually a lot cooler when there is more green in the shot, but it was a harsh summer and nothing is really green anymore.

unpopular · Dec 20, 2011

I'm a bit on the "old school" side also, but i think it's much better approach to maximize flexibility in your RAW file than it is to obliterate useable information - i'm guessing your other channels are extremely dark and would be very noisy if you tried to pull it back up. This was how I approached b/w film photography as well as color film photography when it was to be printed digitally (I am too young to have worked in a color darkroom).

It's my opinion that only about a third of a photograph is made at the time of exposure, the rest is done in the darkroom - digital or not.