Using a Filter Holder for Outdoor Photography
Ian PlantIn outdoor photography, there are certain lens filters you will find useful. In this video, world- renowned photographer, Ian Plant, shows you why.
Ian recommends placing photo filters into a metal filter holder that attaches to your lens. The advantage is you can use multiple filters at once as opposed to stacking the screw-on filters, which can create vignetting. With the filter holder system, you can rotate the holder to optimize the position of the photo filters so you can get the best photograph.
Join pro shooter, Ian Plant, in another of his photography videos. He’ll show you why the filter holder is an important accessory for your outdoor photography needs.
When you're doing outdoor photography, there are some filters that you will find useful. However, before we talk about the specific filters you're gonna be using with outdoor photography, let's talk about how you attach the filter to your lens. A lot of people use screw-on filters that just screw onto the front of the lens. And although they may be convenient, they're not really the best way to use filters. What I think you should consider instead is, what I use, which is a filter holder.
The advantage of a filter holder is that you can use several filters at once. When you start stacking the screw-on filters, they tend to really bulge out from the front of the lens, and they can create all sorts of problems like vignetting. A filter holder is designed to allow you to use multiple filters, without having the problem of vignetting. And they also allow you to more creatively position your filters. With a screw-on filter, you screw it on, and basically, where it ends up is where it is.
But with a filter holder system, you can slide the filters around, you can rotate the filter holder, so you can optimize the position of your filters. So a filter holder works with an adapter ring, which screws onto your lens. This particular system is the one I use, which is made by Lee Filters in England. And once you have the adapter ring screwed on, you just slide the holder onto the ring. There we go.
And once it's on the ring, you can rotate the holder to optimize the position of your filters. And so, for example, we can go ahead and we can put some filters into this holder. And just for demonstration purposes, I'm gonna use a graduated neutral density filter, a polarizer filter, and a neutral density filter. Three filters that I probably wouldn't ever stack together. But I'm just gonna show you how easy it is to stack multiple filters together.
So once you have the filters in the holder, you can rotate the filter left to right. And even slide the filters up and down to optimize the position of the filters, to make sure that you get the best shot.
Do we need to take off the UV filter then put on the adapter ring? Also, how can we use multiple filters if the filters are the same size? (ex- 3"x3")