Lens Filters: A Beginners Guide For DSLR and Digital Camera Enthusiasts

Despite the advancements in post-processing thanks to Photoshop filters, they are nothing a necessity. What are they, and what lenses do digital photographers require in their collection?

UV Filters

It is most likely the most widely used and effective filter for digital SLR camera filters you can buy. It filters out excessive ultraviolet light while not affecting exposure. Ultraviolet light could be an issue for anyone photographing landscapes since it could cause a haze that reduces the contrast of an image and is noticeable from a considerable distance.

However, this is more of a problem for a film than with digital SLR cameras because image sensors in digital SLR cameras have less sensitive to UV light; then why would you need a UV filter? To protect your lens. The UV filter, in contrast to other lenses, does not have an impact on the required exposure or the color of the lens. It will shield your costly lens from scratches and bumps.

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Neutral Density filters

ND filters limit the number of colors and light that enters the lens at equal rates giving you more flexibility in choosing the shutter and aperture.

So you could choose slow shutter speeds (i.e., longer exposure) than you could achieve in bright light conditions, such as in the event that you wish to achieve blurred waterfall effects on a sunny day without overexposing the image. Similar to this, it can be utilized to capture action photos using blurring to convey the speed. Neutral density filters can be utilized when a particular part of the scene appears lighter or darker than other parts.

Polarizing Filters

Photographers of landscapes often employ filters with polarization to reduce the light reflections from outdoor surfaces such as glass or water, as when you wish to capture photos of water that doesn’t change color due to the reflection of sunlight on its surface. They also can saturate and reduce the brightness of colors, making them ideal for both black and white as well as for photographic color. A polarizing filter can increase the intensity of an oilseed field rape, which is the green meadow or even add a richer look to blue skies. Similar to architectural photography, the use of a polarizing filter can assist in capturing contemporary glass structures.

Gradually Colour Filters

To a certain degree, the use of graduated color filters is eliminated using Photoshop. But, if you’d like to reduce post-processing, or if you’re not familiar with using Photoshop filters, the filters can be very useful in highlighting the color and tone of specific parts of a photo. A particular component of the filter has an exact color that is either abruptly or slowly changing to a different color on the filter. Most commonly, graduated color filters range from transparent to orange to enhance the look of sunsets and blue to clear, which can be used to enhance sky or water, depending on the way the filter is placed.

Contrast Filters

It can be challenging in situations where the contrast between dark and light is intense. There are two types of contrast filters to choose from. Low contrast filters make highlights brighten darker shadows surrounding, while an easy contrast filter can darken the highlights. Both of these options are difficult to master in Photoshop.

IR (Infrared) Filter
This filter block visible light but allows infrared light into the lens of the camera. Greens get darker, and the skies appear nearly white.

Star filters

These are thin lines that are etched on an uncolored surface, resulting in consequent spots of light that slant outwards from a central point which creates dramatic visual and emotional interest.

Be aware of certain things. Reflections from the inside of your filter could cause a flare. The stacking of filters can result in black shadows that surround the image, a process known as Vignetting. It is possible to lose clarity when filters are damaged or stained.