Digger 2 - June 02, 2006

I love my new circular polarizer. You see on the product descriptions the little before and after shots where you see nothing but reflected sky on the surface of a pond in the before shot, and in the after shot you can see the fish. And this, of course, is accurate.

The thing I didn't realize was the effect that polarization has on all photographs--even ones that don't involve big, horizontal, reflective surfaces. Because I've come to realize that almost everything you can photograph has at least some component of that kind of reflected light, which is generally white. Even if it's just a small component, it has a tendency to wash out colors. You wouldn't notice it until you look at things through a circular polarizer. As you slowly rotate the filter, at the right point, the colors visibly jump out. Side by side, the effect is dramatic.

The downside is that it has the side effect needing about two more stops to get the same exposure. And of course, it's just one more thing to fiddle with before taking the shot.

Worth it though...

Comments

Great colors (as you mentioned) - very beautiful. What I love is the conflict here between nature and industry. Chalk one up to nature in this case.

Posted by: Jonathan on June 5, 2006 01:16 PM