Improvising Your Own Filters
There are times when, even with a digital camera, it’s necessary to use a filter at image-capture stage. The trouble is, most compact digital cameras aren’t geared up to filters. This is when we need to do that thing I love to do – improvise!
If you’ve moved from SLR film to compact digital you may well have some filters in your camera bag. These can easily be used with any digital camera – you can either hold them over the lens or use Blu Tack to secure them to the front of the camera.
So why would you use a filter? Sometimes, it’s necessary to use a neutral density filter to reduce the overall level of light entering the camera. You might want to use a powerful flash, or a slower shutter speed in bright light – say, to achieve a blurred effect on moving objects like cars.
If you had to choose one filter, then a polarising filter is very useful because it reduces glare and has the same effect as a neutral density filter. It’s also fun to experiment with those good old filters such as starburst, kaleidoscope and diffusion. With a digital camera you can see the results straightaway and fine-tune the effects – purely optical effects have a charm of their own.
If you don’t have a filter handy, then it’s easy to use a pair of sunglasses – those with polarising filters are useful.
An old magnifying glass or prism can produce interesting effects, which are often more interesting and more unique than Photoshop filters. Some effects can occur by accident. I shot the Manchester Ship Canal photo with the teleconverter still attached, giving a vignetting effect. I also like to experiment with shooting through coin-operated telescopes. The optics may not be as good as a proper lens, but often the attraction is in the imperfection – and you learn more about photography by doing it, so go forth and improvise!
