cpl filter question

[Reef Bass]

The more I get into photography the more I appreciate the differences between specialties - macro, portrait, landscape, etc. I do ok with macros, have gotten to the point of understanding that I need to do a lot more work with portraits to reduce how much I suck at them, and have started pointing my camera at landscape scenery just to see what happens.

After seeing how pale blue skies are and how flat the clouds are in my photos, I picked up a Hoya circular polarizing filter and am pleased with the impact it can have. I get how rotating the filter can vary the amount of impact, and quickly experienced the more than -1 exposure impact.

I am fortunate enough to be in Montana over the holiday and there was just enough yellowish rosy pink highlights to the few clouds at dawn this morning that I whipped out the camera and snapped a couple shots just to see what the filter would do. They are not beauty shots, nor any sort of amazing cloud drama, and in fact are very boring compared to the fantastic clouds that can happen here. I intentionally shot lots of sky even though the bottom right quadrant is of greater visual interest (imho).

Very plain no filter shot:

Now roughly the same shot with the filter:

These were shot in raw and basically just run straight through Lightroom (finally started using that).

I am aware that one's orientation to the light source affects the impact of the filter. In these shots, the sun is rising behind the mountains a bit left of my position. Ignoring all the issues except the impact of the filter, I wonder whether the pronounced lack of uniformity of the sky color (left to right) with the filter was due to my orientation to rising sun and filter combined? Could I somehow have changed my position to make the sky more uniform and still used the filter to get more lovely cloud colors?

Thanks.

 

[Reef Bass]

Nobody uses a circular polarizing filter? I could see one being very useful for top down shots of coral.

 

[BlueCorn]

Sorry, didn't see this.

Unless my viewfinder is too dark to compose, I've got a polarizer on. I have several that just stay on the lens so I don't have to switch when I change lenses.

What you're seeing in the sky is actually a flaw, as far as I'm concerned. When shooting fairly wide with lots of sky you have to be very careful how you adjust the CPL so you don't get the uneven sky.

Also, just having the CPL on isn't enough. You can actually do more harm than good if you're not checking the adjustment of your filter. I love what they can do on foliage and wet rocks. When you eliminate the glare and reflections, the colors really pop. They can also help reduce reflections from the tank glass.

 

[Reef Bass]

When shooting fairly wide with lots of sky you have to be very careful how you adjust the CPL so you don't get the uneven sky.

Also, just having the CPL on isn't enough. You can actually do more harm than good if you're not checking the adjustment of your filter.

Gosh, so this is another finesse tool that works best with an artistic eye and touch? No wonder I botched it so thoroughly! :wildone: I pretty much just cranked it up to 11 and took the pic.

I can see how shooting less sky with a more moderate amount of cpl effect would result in a more uniform sky color.

Thanks.

 

[BlueCorn]

On your top shot, I would've backed off on the CPL and added GND.

It just takes getting used to. The fact that it needs to be adjusted is why I rarely use a hood; it makes it impossible. That said, you do have to be conscious of flare and shade the lens if you start loosing contrast. It's all about efficiency for me. I carry a pretty compact kit these days.

 

[Reef Bass]

Top shot was no filter, but I get how a GND would be useful there. Thanks for pointing that out.

And your suggestion gave me the answer to an issue I had with another shot. Dawn shot of some deer in the foreground near a flag pole, mountains in the background. The foreground of the shot though was way dark and the deer hardly visible. By the time I adjusted my exposure the deer had moved on. A GND would have evened the difference in brightness between the sky and the foreground, allowing for a better foreground exposure without blowing out the sky.

Do you layer your filters, say GND on the lens then CPL on top of that?

 

[BlueCorn]

1. As mentioned, unless it's dark there's a CPL on my lens.
2. I hand-hold my GNDs in front of the CPL.

I've got a holder for the grads but it's a pain to use and it slows me down. My method does require a tripod and having a remote release is really handy.

 

[Reef Bass]

Interesting. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and techniques. I appreciate it.

 

[BlueCorn]

Any time, Ken. I love this stuff.