I am new to photography and I would like to try out filters; -(for color and black & white) I am doing portraits (some very close up) of models; and I would like to know which filters produce what effects. (Ex. Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Sepia, etc.) Any help would be appreciated. -Lynn

-- Lynn Baker (Traxer5@aol.com), April 09, 2000

Answers

I have just recently used a red & also a green filter for portrait work. The results are interesting and were worth the try. Although some general rules apply with filters, I am finding that the effect impacts so differently on various faces, that I will always be 'shooting in the dark' when using them.

Red filters lighten reds [lips, etc] and darken blues [eyes].

Green filters darken reds and lighten greens.

On some people these effects will look fantastic, on others weird, on others they will highlight skin blemishes, etc., etc.,

My advice would be to start by using these filters on, perhaps 25 percent, a few of the photos you take of each person to see how they look. If you like the look, you then can hopefully go back and do some more.

-- Christian Harkness (chris.harkness@eudoramail.com), April 09, 2000.

The best way to evaluate the effect of a filter is just to look through it before making the picture. Then you won't have any doubt.

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), April 09, 2000.

Bill

I would have some doubt, because the films spectral sensitivity differs from that of my eyes, and the effect of the filters depends, to some extent, on the kind of lighting (tungsten lighting is more red, sunlight more blue). I guess the best way is to burn some film on a subject using the filters in question and different lighting situations. Many basic b&w books (such as Hicks/Schultz: The b&w handbook - The complete guide to monochrome technique) offer guidance and examples, too. Trying for yourself, however, is the best way and most fun to learn.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), April 10, 2000.

Hi Thomas. I didn't mean that to be a smart alack answer. After many years of going by the book, I suddenly discovered that viewing the image directly through a filter gave a truer idea of what to expect than any other way. It's not even the same as viewing the image through the camera with the filter over the lens. Bill

-- Bill Mitchell (bmitch@home.com), April 10, 2000.

Bill

I didn't take it as a smart-alecki remark, but as a rather brief one, especially when given to a beginner. Judging the effect of a filter by looking through it takes a little experience because of the differences in human vision and film sensitivity. I do agree that viewing the subject through the filter can be helpful, but I still think you will learn much faster and with less wasted film by experimenting.

-- Thomas Wollstein (thomas_wollstein@web.de), April 11, 2000.