Before/After Circular Polarizer Filter

[timkoo]

Not sure if this belongs in this thread (no PP) so Mods please feel free to move it.

When I first got into photography I heard all this talk of filters and them being a must to protect the lens. Many people said CPL filters are a MUST, but I couldn't find any examples of why/how they worked.

I've decided to put a few pictures together to demo how the CPL works to cut through reflections and cause nice effects.

FYI, CPL's cut polarized light as to cut reflections in glass, water, and to darken the sky. Most CPL's are in the form of rotating filters and can be rotated to achieve the right effect.

Here's just a taste, follow the link for more examples




More Examples

[Matthew James Norman]

Hi timkoo,

Thanks for taking the time to post this example. I've got a list of things to get and a CPL is deinitely one of the top items!

[Nicole]

I think that this is a good example of Before & After simply because most people who haven't used a CPL won't necessarily be aware of the differences. It could've gone in the technique section too

[Major_Small]

aww, but you missed one of my favorite examples - fish under water

[timkoo]

sorry, no fish around me =x (Illinois in single-digit temperatures)





the CPL effect on sky. It's said to work best at 90 degrees from the sun's path, meaning if you're facing the sun the line from your eyes to the sun is 0 degrees and then you go 90 degrees from there. e.g. Sun at 60 degrees (afternoon time), then CPL would be most effective at about 150 degrees (relative to the ground/sun)

[velvet4269]

I absolutely love my Circular Polarizer, and almost never take it off my lens (unless I'm doing close-up work in questionable lighting). That said, after a while of using the Polarizer, sometimes it's a good idea to twist and see what you would get without the polarizing effect. For example, if I'd left mine on twisted to get rid of the glare, I'd have missed this shot. Still, I absolutely LOVELOVELOVE my polarizer.

[netbymatt]

Here are some of the results that I got when I was learning to use my CPL.

Without CPL


With CPL

[dmvp]

Here are two shots that I used to test without and with a polarizer.

Here is without:




Here is with:



Notice how it got rid of the reflection from the sky.

And here's a decent shot through my car window, showing how the polarizer helps accent the blue sky...

[Nobie]

Ahh, yes...I forgot about a great example I took back in October after some kids smashed a pumpkin through my windshield.

Here we are without the beloved CPL:


And here we are just moments later WITH the beloved CPL:


Yes, that's where the pumpkin came to rest...I didn't move it. Great composition no?

[Amigone201]

Great shots all. And Nobie--ouch, dude

Timkoo, what's the last set of shots there on your SmugMug page? It looks sort of like the NYU library, but I'm betting I'm wrong.

Oh yeah, and glad to see a fellow Smugger