Frozen stump

[AJMorris]

The weather was beautiful so my dog Zeus and I went for a trip into the wilderness of Kodiak. This image was made near Monashka Bay North of the town of Kodiak. I had seen this stump before in the summer and remembered it for a time such as this. Lucky for me the creek that usually runs around the stump was frozen and there was a bit of windblown snow accumulated around it to add a little interest. I also liked the way the animal tracks lead into the scene. i think i have Zeus to thank for that although i initially tried to keep him out of the scene so my snow would look nice and smooth. Thankfully i didnt eat it when i made my way across the ice. I damn near did camera in hand as i was taking it off the tripod! should have been wearing my crampons in retrospect. Looking at it now i wish i had taken a shot or two without the polarizer as the edges of the sky are a bit ligt but the polarizer also allowed me to capture some of the texture of the snow. im not sure what would have been better. Cant have it all i guess!

[WebLynx]

A Polariser normally darkens the sky, without the polariser the sky would have been even lighter. However, you can adjust the polariser to give you the look that you want. For maximum effect you need to be at right angles with reference to the position of the sun.
I love using a polariser, it gives texture to snow and make clouds look just so much more dramatic.

[AJMorris]

I tried to adjust the polarizer so that the tones of the sky were even but my composition relative to the sun made it difficult. Using a superwide angle makes things a bit more difficult also. One day ill figure it out!

[WebLynx]

These filters are easy to use. Using a circular polarizing filter will allow you to adjust how it impacts your shots by simply rotating the front element of the filter. As you do this, you’ll notice that colors and reflections in your shot change. Once you’ve got it to a point that you like, simply take the shot.
For the greatest impact try to keep the sun at 90° to you (ie to your side – not at your back and not shooting into the sun). This will help your polarizer to have the greatest effect.
Be aware that shooting in low light, overcast days or at night with a polarizer is not advisable – it’s like wearing sunglasses indoors and will cut down the amount of light getting through to your image sensor.

Take a look here for more info, advice and examples:

http://www.advancedphotography.net/circular-polarizer-filter-circular-polarizer-filter/
http://www.digital-photography-school.com/how-to-use-and-buy-polarizing-filters
http://leefilters.com/index.php/camera/polariser
http://www.pixiq.com/article/polarizing-filter
http://www.picturecorrect.com/tips/polarizer-filters-in-photography/
http://www.luminous-landscape.com/tutorials/polarizers.shtml

[AJMorris]

Thanks for the info. I fully understand how to use a polarizer i was simply commenting on how my composition realtive to the sun did not allow me to capture the greatest effect from the polarizer. In this case i found composition more important than a completely even tone in the sky. but thanks for the lesson.