Photo: Charlie Waite
To use filters for black and white photography, you need to think differently.
A filter will lighten any colour that is similar to its own, and darken other colours.
A red filter, for instance, will make a red post box show as almost white, and a blue sky as almost black, as the relevant colours are either transmitted or absorbed.
Green filters are popular for lightening foliage or grass, and blue filters are often used to enhance skin tones and texture for portraiture, as they will darken pinks and reds.
Absorbs blue. Darkens sky, cloud and foliage.
Absorbs red. Lightens foliage and grass, darkens reds.
Absorbs blue and blue/green.
Absorbs blue/ green. Dramatically lightens reds and darkens blues and greens.
Angela Nicholson, Reviews Editor at Camera Jabber, takes a look at our ClearLEE range - designed especially to ensure your filters stay optically perfect and free of marks and smudges.
She also demonstrates our Filter and System Pouches and shows how she keeps everything organised and ready to go when you need it.
Get up to speed fast with our videos that explain the LEE Filter System and how to use it
We invited respected photographers David Noton and Joe Cornish to discuss all things photographic over a pint. Here they chat about light as the central subject of much of their photography.
This fascinating conversation continues over a series of videos that give a revealing insight into the technical, aesthetic and practical considerations that inform their work.
See more from the SeriesThe LEE 87 Infrared Filter is visually opaque and is used in infrared photography to absorb unwanted visible light. Transmission begins above 730 nanometers.
Please note that some digital cameras are not capable of Infrared photography without specialist conversion. Your dealer, or the camera manufacturer should be able to advise correctly for your particular model.
Taken on a very windy day using the LEE Infrared filter on the D100, I was trying to get a feel of the movement of the clouds through the sky.
The long exposure needed with the 87 filter allowed a shutter speed of 5 seconds, which was long enough to show movement in the clouds, but still short enough to preserve sufficient sharpness in the leaves of the tree, slightly sheltered in the valley.
Using infrared also lightened the foliage of the tree against a much darker sky, the tonal range of the colour shot, with a dark tree against a lighter sky, was less exciting.
LEExposure Issue 09 Highlights
Polarising filters are used primarily to reduce reflections. This can be useful when photographing skies, water, glass etc.
Reimagined for tablets these new eBooks take you through stunning landscape photos and the exact filters and techniques used.