What is a Neutral Density filter?

The Neutral Density (ND) filter is one of the more useful filters you could include in your collection. Digital image processing can do many things but it can’t reduce the light reaching the film or CCD. That’s the job of the camera’s exposure system and an ND filter throws in a helping hand. The name …

What are Wratten filters?

Wratten is a brand name from Kodak used for their series of coloured gelatin correction and conversion filters. There’s a wide range – each one identified by its Wratten number. The filters are very thin so are optically very good, but can be easily damaged Wratten filters can be held or taped in front of …

10 essential photography filters

The top ten filters you should own will obviously vary from person to person and is dependent on the subjects you photograph. Our choice is most definitely the following: Circular Polariser (glare reduction and colour saturation) Great for landscapes, still lifes and architectural photography Grey Grad 4x (balance sky brightness) Great for landscapes Skylight (protects …

Photography and Mindfulness

I’m currently reading about Mindfulness. In a nutshell mindfulness is referred to as the heart of Buddhist meditation. There’s a good introduction here Mindfulness and one paragraph stood out this morning as I prepared to wash the breakfast pots: When I wash the dishes each evening, I tend to be “in my head” as I’m …

Circular or Round filters?

Many new filter buyers are unsure whether to buy a round filter or one of the many square options. A round filter screws directly onto the front of your lens. A Square filter slides into a filter holder that has an adaptor ring matching the filter thread size of your lens. There are a few …

Skylight filter – any good?

The Skylight filter has been around for decades and is one of the most popular filters. It has a slight pink tint which is used to reduce blue haze in colour photography. When taking colour photographs in bright sunlight, especially by the sea or in the mountains, ultra-violet rays and the brightness of the sky …