Fall color enhancing

[gnuyork]

I have never used filters on my 4x5, and very little in 35mm. I used to use a red 25 for B&W, and I had a cheap circular polarizer that I probably never used properly.

Anyhow, I just got my first pair (actually 2) of prescription sunglasses, and the fall colors around here this season just jump right out at me.

Is there a filter that accomplishes this? My sunglasses are not polarized, but they are the Ray Ban G 15 tint, which is like a greenish gray.

Would I get similar effects with a polarizer, and if so should I get a regular polarizer or a circular. Do circulars even exist for LF??

Thanks

[Jack Dahlgren]

Polarizers reduce the reflections off the leaves and can make the colors appear more saturated. They sometimes make an image look a bit flat, but you can control that by changing the angle.

The polarizer does not know if you are using large format or not so yes, you can get circular polarizers in a range of sizes. You don't require a circular polarizer though. The reason for circular polarizers on SLR's is because of the internal metering. With LF it is not so much an issue so you can use any kind you want.

[Steve Hamley]

There's a Tiffen enhancing filter that uses rare earths to enhance the warm colors, albeit at the expense of a dirty cyan cast to the cooler colors to my eye. I have one and never use it, although it could be useful in rare situations.

http://www.tiffen.com/displayproduct...&itemnum=77EF1

Singh-Ray also offers a HiLux filter that does some enhancing. I don't have one but would like to try one. I'd trust Bob to make a useful product.

http://www.singh-ray.com/hilux.html

Cheers, Steve

[David Beal]

You might try an 81A with or without your polarizer

[gnuyork]

They sometimes make an image look a bit flat, but you can control that by changing the angle.

Isn't tis the point of circular polarizers or do I have the concept wrong? I know polarizers reduce reflections primarily, but I am sure they do some enhancing of colors as well. Or am I wrong?

I think I read somewhere that enhancing filters exist, but I didn't know exactly what they enhanced. I don't suppose a ND filter does this, being neutral...

Basically I want the fall colors to pop out like they do when I wear sunglasses. The sky looks better, the fall colors pop more... you get the idea. I don't necessarily want to reduce reflections like a polarizer would do, but if they gets me there I'd use one.

[Vaughn]

The trouble with judging by your sunglasses is that your brain easily compensates for the color shift (if your glasses makes things a bit warm, after a while you hardly notice it -- it becomes "normal").

Place the same filtration on your lens and you could easily end up with a transparency that seems a little off when viewed. Your brain no longer is compensating for the color shift as the print is being viewed under "normal" light. I do not wear sunglasses when looking for the light -- sort of like eating chocolate while trying to taste different wines.

Circular polarizers are needed for auto-focus cameras, but work fine for any camera/lens. I have seen them used well in thick forest scenes -- they can reduce the excess blue light reflecting off of leaves, etc, that is coming from the sky. So a polarizer in this case can give cleaner looking warm tones by getting rid of the reflected blue light.

Vaughn

[Brian C. Miller]

I also have an enhancing filter. When I really want the colors to pop, then I use the filter. The filter isn't cheap, but I haven't seen anything else like it.

[Jack Dahlgren]

Isn't tis the point of circular polarizers or do I have the concept wrong? I know polarizers reduce reflections primarily, but I am sure they do some enhancing of colors as well. Or am I wrong?

I think I read somewhere that enhancing filters exist, but I didn't know exactly what they enhanced. I don't suppose a ND filter does this, being neutral...

Basically I want the fall colors to pop out like they do when I wear sunglasses. The sky looks better, the fall colors pop more... you get the idea. I don't necessarily want to reduce reflections like a polarizer would do, but if they gets me there I'd use one.

Polarizers reduce the reflections. The reflections are usually white so the polarizer allows you to see more of the color of the object rather than what it is reflecting. This usually means things are more saturated - and thus "enhanced".

You could filter certain wavelengths (that is what your sunglasses do) but they will probably add a color cast to your images. There are also gradient filters which can filter part of the image and not the rest - allowing you to keep a blue sky for example - but I don't like that look and have no recommendations for them.

Try a polarizer. It will help.

[gnuyork]

Thanks all. I'll try a polarizer, perhaps a warming polarizer. Though I am running out of time for the fall colors. There's aways next year...

[Greg Miller]

Just get a good polarizer filter. Singh-Ray makes a warning polarizer, which can work well for autumn colors. And they make a warming polarizer with a color intensifier. But for my taste a straight polarizer is the way to go.

Linear polarizers are cheaper than circular polarizers. Circular adds no benefit for LF. So buy a linear if you will never use the polarizer on anything but on LF.