Black and White Filter?

Question

I have a B&W filter for my camera, and I am still pretty new to the idea of using filters when taking pictures. If I were to use this filter what exactly will it do to the picture? Can I use color and B&W film with it?

Also, what would a Circular polarizing filter do besides remove glare and help you to see through water more clear?

any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and God Bless.

Answer 1

The color filters - Red, Green, Yellow, Blue, Orange - are for use with black & white film. You can use them with color film but the scene will take the color of the filter.

Use Red to:

Darken the sky so white puffy clouds really "pop"

When photographing a red rose against green foliage. The red rose will be lighter since red "passes" its color and "blocks" green, which will appear darker. Of course, any red object will appear lighter.

Use Green to:

Lighten foliage. A red rose would appear darker while the foliage would be lighter. Of course any green object will appear lighter.

Use Yellow to:

Improve contrast. Here again, yellow objects will appear lighter.

Us Blue to:

Lighten the sky. Blue objects will appear lighter.

Use Orange to:

Add more contrast than the Yellow but less than the Red. Orange objects will appear lighter.

The polatizer filter is used to darken the sky, especially with color film. It also removes glare/reflections from water, glass, snow, sand and painted metal - but not polished metal.

Use a HAZE/UV filter to remove atmospheric haze.

Use a Skylight filter to remove the bluish tint seen in shaded mountains or snow and in photographs taken in open shade.

IMO a HAZE/UV filter or Skylight filter should always be on your lens to protect the front element. One scratch or acidic fingerprint or smudge will turn an expensive lens int an expensive paperweight. Remove only when using one of the other filters.

Answer 2

I think your reference to a black and white or B&W filter is actually the brand, B+W, I don't think I have ever heard of a black and white filter. Usually for black and white film, one would use a "red" filter to help with contrast and if you used it with color film, it would simply turn everything red.

As for the polarizing filter, they show colors more vividly while reducing glare. They are very helpful for bright sunny days when you turn 90 degrees away from the sun, you will get a deep dark blue sky.

Hope this helps, good luck.

Answer 3

B&W filters have diferent uses. A red filter will contrast more a picture, a yellow will mark more a color and so on. I recomed you to read literature about photography, there are a lot it.

A polarizing filter make photos with more contrast also.