Outdoor photographers are faced with all kinds of conditions, elements, and outdoor features. One of the most intriguing features in outdoor photography is water. Photographers can use water to create stunning compositions by using the water and light together. Creating highly creative compositions with water features requires a circular polarizing filter. Circular polarizers allow photographers to remove distracting glares from water, or even add more glare to reflect amazing light. The circular polarizer is truly the most important filter that I use for my outdoor photography and is critical to successful water photos.
4 Responses to “Why You Should Use a Circular Polarizer for Outdoor Photography”
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Cruising to Alaska soon so I should use one of these filters? Even by glaciers? And what about on land?
how did the trip go?
I enjoyed this video but I thought this is what an ND Filter does? I am a bit confused.
Hi Steven. The ND and the Polarizer are similar yet different.
Both filters will darken an image’s exposure without changing its fStop and the resulting Depth of Field. The difference is that
the circular polarizer has additional functionality that a fixed ND filter does not; the polarizer’s darkening is adjustable. Its darkening
function is adjustable as you rotate the front element of the filter. In addition, due to the internal make-up of the filter’s glass, the
polarizer will also cut glare created by reflected light.
This darkening will vary depending on the rotation of the filter elements and your relationship to the sun.
It may help you if you think of the circular polarizer as a sophisticated pair of polarized sunglasses for your lens,
and the ND filter as a basic pair of sunglasses that can only darken the scene a fixed amount.
Still unclear, go to: https://bhpho.to/3vj41FE
Happy Shooting!
Steven
Outdoor Photography Guide