Luminous Landscape Forum
Equipment & Techniques => Cameras, Lenses and Shooting gear => Topic started by: RobertT on December 11, 2005, 11:44:36 pm
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I am shooting 35 mm colour slide film. Is there a way, and if so, how, to increase the colour saturation under such circumstances?
I have been told that using a neutral density filter will achieve this effect. If true, what are the additional details about such a filter?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks very much.
Robert
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Color saturation is already typically highest on overcast day, or when shooting in open shade.
Harsh direct sun light does in fact reduce saturation, and is the most challenging set of conditions for outdoor photography.
If you shoot digital, it is important to adjust your white balance for overcast condition by setting a K value higher than normal daylight, typically in the 6000 Ks. Failure to do so will result in the appearance of bluish cool cast which is easy to mis-interpret as lack of saturation.
I am not aware of any benefits of the usage of a neutral density filter on saturation (except perhaps at very low illuminations where the reciprocity effect starts to come into play, but under-exposure is the actual phenomena taking place).
The only filter I know that can improve saturation without affecting the color balance is the polarizing filter that does so by reducing the amount of reflections on wet surfaces (leaves,...).
Regards,
Bernard
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As Bernard said above, using a ND filter cuts the amount of light reaching your film. If you meter your scene without the filter and then use the filter you will introduce under-exposure...
A polarizer will add saturation but you can also look into more expensive ones like Singh-Ray Color Intensifier (http://www.singh-ray.com/colorintens.html) filters. I used to use one and it worked more or less as advertised. Now that I shot digital, it gathers dust somewhere in a closet.
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Thanks for your help Francois.
As Bernard said above, using a ND filter cuts the amount of light reaching your film. If you meter your scene without the filter and then use the filter you will introduce under-exposure...
A polarizer will add saturation but you can also look into more expensive ones like Singh-Ray Color Intensifier (http://www.singh-ray.com/colorintens.html) filters. I used to use one and it worked more or less as advertised. Now that I shot digital, it gathers dust somewhere in a closet.
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Color saturation is already typically highest on overcast day, or when shooting in open shade.
Harsh direct sun light does in fact reduce saturation, and is the most challenging set of conditions for outdoor photography.
If you shoot digital, it is important to adjust your white balance for overcast condition by setting a K value higher than normal daylight, typically in the 6000 Ks. Failure to do so will result in the appearance of bluish cool cast which is easy to mis-interpret as lack of saturation.
I am not aware of any benefits of the usage of a neutral density filter on saturation (except perhaps at very low illuminations where the reciprocity effect starts to come into play, but under-exposure is the actual phenomena taking place).
The only filter I know that can improve saturation without affecting the color balance is the polarizing filter that does so by reducing the amount of reflections on wet surfaces (leaves,...).
Regards,
Bernard
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Thanks Bernard.