Polorisor for B and W

Mr Bump

Mr Bump

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Sophia aka Paul
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I have packed a polorizor for the trip to Turkey to see if I can get more sky in my pics on some of the colour slide fillum but also just wondering what does it do to B and W?
 
IIRC it does pretty much the same for reflections (glare from sea/windows/other reflective surfaces) as it would with colour, and it's often a handy couple of extra stops for strong sunny days. As far as for sky/cloud details, I'd stick with a red/orange filter tbh.
 
I have packed my yellow filter as well I just find with b/w sky looks really poor however saying that probably not much clouds will be out in Turkey
 
I haven't got a red one :-(

Anyone got one for free 52mm fit :-)
 
As Mark said - as per colour film with reflections. The selective angle effect (that causes disportionate darking of parts of the sky) is best avoided with black and white by using a coloured filter. The biggest caveat on a red filter would be the possibility of blocked shadows. As skylight is blue, the red filter will hold back more detail in the shadows than the highlights, so you get more contrast and possible detail loss. Use a red filter and underexpose for the moonlight effect.

Orange is like yellow, but more so. It's the first filter where you might see a lightening of foliage (the Wood effect, named after a person, not a plank) which becomes greater with a red filter. Orange can be useful with wood grain and certain types of stone (buildings).

I generally just use minus-blue (Wratten 12 from memory), orange, red and a couple of shades of green, with a polariser reserved for reflections (which in my photography I don't encounter much).
 
Steve Smith said:
That must be the way HDR fans think!


Steve.
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Yes, I'd noticed that too!
StephenM said:
As Mark said - as per colour film with reflections. The selective angle effect (that causes disportionate darking of parts of the sky) is best avoided with black and white by using a coloured filter. The biggest caveat on a red filter would be the possibility of blocked shadows. As skylight is blue, the red filter will hold back more detail in the shadows than the highlights, so you get more contrast and possible detail loss. Use a red filter and underexpose for the moonlight effect.

Orange is like yellow, but more so. It's the first filter where you might see a lightening of foliage (the Wood effect, named after a person, not a plank) which becomes greater with a red filter. Orange can be useful with wood grain and certain types of stone (buildings).

I generally just use minus-blue (Wratten 12 from memory), orange, red and a couple of shades of green, with a polariser reserved for reflections (which in my photography I don't encounter much).
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This is one of the areas where processing a digital colour image to B&W is better than the old way.
Using Nik SilverEfex Pro or Topaz B&W Effects, you can not only dial in the shade of the colour filter you want, you can also adjust the strength of the effect, so you have full control over the result.
In the "good old days" you put the filter on but didn't know exactly what the result would look like until you developed and printed the film.
I don't think I ever used a Yellow filter with B&W film, I normally used a stronger Orange, or Red if I really wanted to overemphasize things, although, as you rightly point out, you can deepen the shadows too much with a Red filter.
 
Brian G said:
Yes, I'd noticed that too!

This is one of the areas where processing a digital colour image to B&W is better than the old way.
Using Nik SilverEfex Pro or Topaz B&W Effects, you can not only dial in the shade of the colour filter you want, you can also adjust the strength of the effect, so you have full control over the result.
In the "good old days" you put the filter on but didn't know exactly what the result would look like until you developed and printed the film.
I don't think I ever used a Yellow filter with B&W film, I normally used a stronger Orange, or Red if I really wanted to overemphasize things, although, as you rightly point out, you can deepen the shadows too much with a Red filter.
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There are pros and cons to processing a digital colour image to black and white; but certainly you should never do it with a jpg as the starting file. There are pros and cons to using colour film, scanning and then using PhotoShop. On specialised black and white conversion software, my limited experience has left me with the impression that it's far too much of a blunt tool for me to use. Plus I've been put off by seeing the results others have achieved.

As for judging the effects of a filter - it's a matter of experience in knowing how the film will react (different films have different spectral response curves, which is why I reckon it's better to concentrate on a small number of different films so as to really get to know how they react) and, dare I say it, a matter of looking at the scene through the filter and seeing how the tonal balance alters? So I'd dispute the "good old days" part - I'm still in the good old days rather than the "bad new days".
 
Yes I agree with Stephen also I shoot film because I like to be surprised at the results and enjoy being creative at the camera and less so at the computer. I do like most still use fotoshop but its only for the smallest of tweaks.

I like to think the changes I make in photoshop are what could be achieved in the darkroom.
 
I've been more surprised by digital than film, to be honest. Mainly unfavourably by blown highlights and blocked shadows in situations where I've never had a problem with film. Unless I have a processing accident or somehow set the camera incorrectly film doesn't surprise me any more. It's the sheer predictability of the medium that makes it so attractive and useful - one less variable to worry about.

I'd be interested to hear (but not in this thread, where it's well off topic) of anything you can do in Photoshop that you can't do in a darkroom (given the skill and perseverance). The only thing that occurs to me is "selective filtering" using selections and channel mixer (other methods are available).
 
Its red or ded from me..:)

I don't worry too much about blocked shadows, I just give it plenty of exposure, and that's the biggest caveat for me, iso 100 is getting proper slow in good light with a red by the time you've given it plenty, so its a tripod job, gotta mind the highlights though.
If you don't mind grain, 400 is fine, I don't do grain so if I have to use 400 I use Delta souped in Xtol its quate nace.....as in.....not grainy.

One thing I have noticed about a red is that its a bit inconsistent, the clear blue sky you shot one day that renders nearly black (which isn't always desirable), can be pale grey the next day, I dunno why that is.

Anyway, I just like the sky to do something in my b/w pictures and a red pops the clouds like nothing else, I've a red grad I bought yonks back but I've never used it so I can't comment on that..:)
 
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oh yeah.....and you'll get black sky's with that Rollei IR and R72 for definite
 
joxby said:
oh yeah.....and you'll get black sky's with that Rollei IR and R72 for definite
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And if you shoot that ood Kodak film wide open at ISO 1 , you'll have some beuatiful all white frames to contrast well with yor IR skies! :D:D:D
 
As I posted in the bargains thread a couple of weeks ago, Calumet have some of their own brand filters discounted at the moment, and had even had additional discount codes available including free delivery, might still be available if you hunt about. I got a couple myself and was pleasantly surprised to see that they were made in Germany and saw a few online discussions suggesting they might be made by B+W. Don't have a red one in 52mm but they do have bigger ones which might be good for your other lenses and are easily used with a step-up ring which can be had for pennies on Ebay. Worth a look anyway I would say:

https://www.calphoto.co.uk/category...SMnjh1DbNosfp1GPt_YheUD4YtvHCR9UWipGJPj4YtvE=
 
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