Black and White Film Photography - a Beginner's Primer

by Jim Hannah, aka Torus34

Introduction
For some film camera users, the lure of processing and printing their B&W film can become
irresistible. This series of articles is designed to ease their path to darkroom competence. This
article, and the ones that will following it, are presented as a guide through the various steps -
from initial film choice to the mounting and framing of finished enlargements.
The general style is !ow to or "ookbook. #n each article, a single path will be outlined in
sufficient detail to assure success. For the technically-minded, there will be information on the
math, optics and$or chemistry involved. !ints, tips and other bits of information will appear here
and there. %very attempt will be made to keep confusion resulting from alternative methods to a
minimum. &ow cost will be considered in e'uipment suggestions wherever possible.
(nce you)ve followed the procedures in an article and achieved the e*pected result, you)ll have a
solid foundation of working techni'ue to use as a basis for further e*ploration.
#t)s not possible to provide full instructions for all of the different cameras and enlargers currently
available, so several assumptions have been made to simplify matters.
+ #t is assumed that the camera used for B&W film can be operated in a manual mode. ,We)ll
mention a way to get around this.-
+ #t is assumed that a ./mm or roll film camera will be used.
+ #t is assumed that the enlarger permits the use of variable contrast filters or has a color head.
,We)ll e*plain how to get around this, too.-
With that information out of the way, let)s cover the first topic . . .
Film Choice
Note. Correct film choice requires some knowledge of camera shutter seeds , lens oenings !f
stos" and deth of focus !#$%". That information will be resented in the second article in this
series. &any wishing to e'lore ()* hotograhy already know this material. +f you do, ski the
second article. +f you don,t, or if you,re rusty, it will hel you to understand an imortant
relationshi.
There are a bewildering number of B&W films available for ./mm and roll film cameras. 0ome
re'uire special e*posure techni'ues. (thers re'uire special processing. For now, we)ll confine this
discussion to films which can be processed in standard developers and fi*ers. We)ll also add the
re'uirement that the films are readily available. 1ou might wish to e*plore the more e*otic films at
a later date. By then, you)ll be better able to appreciate their special characteristics.
2ny simple B&W film consists of three layers. The first is the light-sensitive emulsion layer.
The second layer is a plastic strip which supports the emulsion layer. The third is an anti-halation
layer coated on the back of the plastic strip. The purpose of this last layer is to capture light which
has come through the emulsion and plastic layers and keep it from bouncing back -- blurring the
image or fogging the film.
The emulsion layer contains tiny grains of a silver salt. These salt grains have the ama3ing ability
to soak up bits of light ,photons- and, once the light has been absorbed, to react with a developer
chemical and break down into pure silver. 4ntil the silver salt absorbs light, though, it will not
react with the developer. %ach little grain re'uires a certain minimum amount of light before it will
react. "uriously, the entire grain will then react with the developer -- not 5ust the tiny parts of it
where the photons struck. For each individual grain, it)s all or nothing.
This is the key the manufacturers use to make films more or less sensitive to light. #f the grains
are larger, less light is needed to produce a given amount of silver in the developed image. The
film will turn a darker gray than one with smaller grains. #t will be a faster film, and will produce
a useable image with less total light. 2nd of course if the grains are smaller, the opposite happens.
The film will re'uire more light to produce the same amount of silver in the developed image. #t)s
a slower film.
+ Film speed is stated as an ISO number.
#n years past, the letters 202 were used. The actual number is the same.
+ n S !"" #ilm has the same speed as an ISO !"" #ilm.
2t this point, you may be wondering why it)s important to know all this information.
There are two reasons6
+ Faster films are generally grainier when enlarged as compared to slower films.
+ 0peed and graininess are the basis on which you choose which film to use for a specific
photographic situation.
By the way -- as you read through these articles, you)ll run into the concept of a trade-off or give-
to-get more than once. Film speed and graininess is 5ust one e*ample.
"ommonly available B&W films have speed ratings of #0( /7 to #0( 877. The numbers you will
most often see are /7, 977 or 9:/ and 877. The higher the number, the faster the film. Films
with higher #0( numbers need less light to form a useful image than films with lower #0(
numbers. The difference between 977 and 9:/ is too small to affect a choice.
+ doubling o# the #ilm speed number means that the #aster #ilm $ill re%uire only hal#
the light to #orm an image &ust as dark as the slo$er #ilm.
This doubling adds up 'uickly. 2n #0( 977 film needs half the light of an #0( /7 film. 2n #0( :77
film needs one 'uarter the light of the #0( /7 film, and an #0( 877 film only needs one eighth as
much light as the #0( /7 film. 2nother way to say this is that an #0( 877 film is ; times faster
than an #0( /7 film. 1ou can see that the readily available films give you a real difference in
performance.
The image on a developed negative is made up of silver grains. The larger the grains in the film,
the bigger they will appear in an enlargement. #f the film is very grainy, the grains will be easily
visible as speckling in an ; by 97 inch enlargement of a ./mm negative.
We)re almost ready to choose a film now, but first, we should learn two simple rules of thumb.
+ Shutter Speed 'ule( )on't take hand-held pictures at shutter speeds slo$er than
* o+er the #ocal length o# the lens.
The reason for this rule is that we want as sharp a negative image as possible. The longer the focal
length of the lens, the more it will magnify any shakiness in our hands as we hold the camera. #f
the camera lens says /7mm, don)t set the shutter to slower than 9$/7th second.
#f you put the camera on a tripod, this rule doesn)t apply. 1ou can use much slower shutter speeds
as long as your sub5ect doesn)t move. That)s one of several reasons to use a tripod.
2nother is to permit you to more precisely e*amine and frame the composition of the picture.
+ #*, 'ule( -he correct e.posure #or an a+erage sub&ect in bright sunlight is * o+er the
ISO number o# the #ilm/ $ith the camera's lens opening set at #*,.
This rule allows you to estimate the e*posures you)ll need with a film based on its #0( rating. For
an #0( /7 film, this is 9$/7th second at f9<. For an #0( 877 film, it)s 9$877th second at f9<. #f
your camera)s shutter doesn)t have e*actly the speed given by the rule, 5ust choose the ne*t
higher speed. For #0( /7, you can use 9$<7 second. For #0( 877 film, use 9$/77 second.
That)s all you need to know at this point to make a film selection. ,#f f numbers and shutter speeds
don)t 'uite make sense yet, they will once you read through the ne*t article. We)ll include
information on depth of focus in that article, too.-
The /7 202 ,slow- films are the correct choice when6
+ the finished enlargement must have minimum )graininess), or
+ the finished enlargement must have ma*imum detail, or
+ the light will be strong enough to allow an acceptable combination of shutter speeds and lens
openings.
The #0( 877 ,fast- films are the correct choice when6
+ graininess is not very important or perhaps even desired, or
+ the amount of light available will be low, or
+ shutter speeds must be high in order to stop motion.
The #0( 977$9:/ films are a compromise choice when you don)t need either e*treme.
0o, which film= Two commonly available brand names are #lford and >odak. Both make ./mm and
roll films. The films are of high 'uality. The ones we recommend are6
ISO 0odak Il#ord
/76 ?an F
977$9:/6 ?lus @ F?8
8776 Tri @ !?/
0o there you have it. #f you)re interested in, say, ./mm landscape photography , you)ll probably
find that #lford ?an F gives you sharp, fine-grained negatives that you can easily enlarge to ; @ 97
inches. #f, on the other hand, you want to take pictures in low light situations or pictures of
moving ob5ects where high shutter speeds are necessary, Tri-@ or !?/ will be your choice. 2nd if
you don)t feel that you need either e*treme, ?lus-@ or F?8 are ready to serve your needs.
Whichever film you choose, we recommend you work with it long enough to really get to know it.
#t will become your first standard to 5udge other films against.
-he ne.t topic in this series $ill be shutter speeds/ lens openings and depth o# #ocus.
Welcome to the second installment of Aim !annah)s Black & White Film ?hotographyB
2s promised, we will first let Aim address the 'uestions that have been put to him since ?art (ne.

1. Dear Jim, Thanks for your informative article posted on TPF. I'm only new to B!
photo"raphy and as such immensely appreciate this series of Be"inner's Primer.
I have seen some nice B! work with very soft#tones and would like to have a try myself.
$y %uestion is& how to make a soft#tone B! photo look hi"hly contrasty as well, assumin"
hi"h contrast is almost always desired in B! photo"raphy 'on this point, please correct me
if I(m wron"). Is it somethin" to do with film choice or is it more a*out after#work in an
editin" pro"ram of "raphics+
I look forward to readin" your ne,t article and thanks a"ain for your help.
. Thank you for the kind words. Believe it or not, I-m "ettin" a kick out of writin" these
articles.
I-m not %uite sure what you mean *y soft#tone. I suspect that film choice is not the primary
factor. Iif you mean a smooth rather than a "rainy ima"e, a low I./ film is the way to "o.
Full normal development should produce an ima"e of "ood contrast for normal su*0ects.
There are many ways of modifyin" the appearance of a print, re"ardless of the film used for
the ne"ative. /ne is *y controllin" the warmth or coldness of the ima"e. This is done throu"h
paper selection 1warm, neutral or cold tone2 and3or *y tonin" the ima"e of the final print
1sepia and selenium toners, for e,ample.2 The contrast of the ima"e is controlled *y the use of
varia*le contrast filters or *y the choice of "rade with sin"le contrast papers. Finally, the
*asic e,posure of an enlar"ement shifts the entire ran"e of "rays up or down the scale. There
are also styles known as 4hi"h key- and 4low key.-
5 finished print can also *e scanned into a computer and manipulated in many ways with a
pro"ram such as The 6imp or Photo.hop. There are some e,otic wet#chemistry processes
which manipulate the contrast and "ray ran"e of a print. 7ith printin" is one of them.
I-ll cover the *asics of print contrast and e,posure in an up#comin" article on enlar"in".
I-m "lad you en0oy *w. It-s a marvelous challen"e.
+f you ha-e a question for Jim after reading this month,s installment, .ust follow the link below/
0our questions and his answers will be ublished in this sace ne't month. 1n.oy the series/
Black and White Film Photography - a Beginner's Primer Part II(
2hutter 2eeds, 3ens $enings, and #eth of %ield !#$%"
by Jim Hannah, aka Torus34
This article will provide the information re'uired to set a camera for the correct e*posure in
manual mode.
&et)s start with the lens openings and shutter speeds. #t may make it easier for you to
understand what they are all about if you think of the shutter of a camera as an on$off
switch and the lens openings as a volume control.
Take a look at your camera. There will be a series of shutter speed numbers marked on a dial. C2
few cameras, such as the 1ashica %lectro series, don)t have such a dial. We)ll provide a suggestion
for these cameras at the end of this article in 2ppendi* 2.D
#f your camera is 'uite old, the shutter speeds will include numbers in the series 9, 9$:, 9$/, 9$97,
9$:/, 9$/7, 9$977, 9$:77 and 9$877 second. #f your camera is newer, the series will be 9, 9$:,
9$8, 9$;, 9$9/, 9$.7, 9$<7, 9$9:/, 9$:/7, 9$/77 and 9$9777 second. 1our camera might show
them as :/, /7, 977, :77, etc. 2lso, your particular camera may not have numbers at the slow C9,
9$:, 9$/D or fast C9$/77, 9$9777D end of the series, but it will have a range of numbers.
These numbers are the speeds you can set for your camera)s shutter. The shutter, remember, is
an on$off switch. The speed setting tells it how long it should be )on) or open when you press the
e*posure button.
2 3ach number in the shutter speed series reduces the 'open' time by *45 compared to
the pre+ious number.
#f this half or double concept sounds like that in the #0( film speed series, congratulationsB !alves
and doubles are the very foundation, the bedrock, of the film e*posure system.
Eow let)s look at the lens opening numbers. 2gain, there will be a series of them. The series
numbers are 9.8, :, 8, /.<, ;, 99 and 9<. 2gain, your camera might not have all of them. #n
addition, it may have a different number at the start of the series, such as 9.:, 9.F or 9.;. #t
may even have an additional number, ::, at the end of the series.
(>. !ere we go. %ach number in the lens opening Cor )f) or )f stop)D series is a setting which
controls how much light comes through the lens when the shutter is open. But be careful here --
as the f numbers get bigger, the amount of light allowed through the lens becomes less. #t)s a
volume control, all right, but it)s a volume control in reverse.
2 3ach number in the lens opening series reduces the light #lo$ through the lens by *45
compared to the pre+ious number.
Eow let)s put what we)ve learned so far to use.
#n the first article, we stated a rule of thumb called the f9< rule.
2 #*, 'ule( -he correct e.posure #or an a+erage sub&ect in bright sunlight is * o+er the
ISO number o# the #ilm/ $ith the camera's lens opening set at #*,.
!*hat about light meters4 5lease see 6endi' (."
What this rule means in practice is that our basic bright sunlight e*posure for an #0( /7 film is
9$/7 C9$<7D second at f9<. But it doesn)t mean that we must use only 9$/7 second and f9<. We
can use any other combination of our available shutter speed C(n$(ff switchD settings and f
Cvolume controlD settings that will let in the same amount of light.
What are these combinations= This is where the half$double idea makes things very simple.
%very time we make the shutter speed one speed number faster, we must make the lens opening f
number one number lower. Gemember that the f numbers run )backward) -- larger numbers let in
less light.
#n other words, 9$<7 second at f9< is the same as 9$9:/ second at f99. 2nd 9$:/7 second at f;.
2nd 9$/77 second at f/.<. The only restriction is that we eventually reach the end of one of the
number ranges on our camera.
2t this point, you might wonder how to go about choosing one correct combination from those
available. They can)t all be e'ually right, can they= The answer is that for each picture you take,
there is one combination which is usually better than the others.
!ere)s one rule to help in choosing the right combination6
2 Shutter Speed 'ule( )on't take hand-held pictures at shutter speeds slo$er than *
o+er the #ocal length o# the lens.
#f you)re using a /7mm lens and hand-holding the camera, all combinations with shutter speeds
slower than 9$/7 C9$<7D second will probably give you a blurry negative. 4sing a 9./mm lens=
Hiscard combinations with shutter speeds less than 9$9:/ second.
Ee*t, if you)re photographing a fast-moving ob5ect and you don)t want a blurry image, you)ll
probably want the fastest shutter speed that still has an f number matching those on your camera.
There)s 5ust one more thing to consider. We mentioned it at the beginning of this article, and that)s
depth of focus CH(FD, or depth of field. Eow is the time to learn about it and put it to use.
We)ll start by looking at what a camera lens does. When you point a camera at a sub5ect and open
the shutter, light from the outside world enters the camera. When this happens, the camera lens
will be set to some focusing distanceI let)s say < feet. The lens will capture the light from the
scene that you)ve pointed it at. #t will focus it and guide it to the film.
%verything in the scene e*actly < feet away from the camera will be in sharp focus.
2nything closer or further away will not be in sharp focus. #n fact, the closer the ob5ect is or the
further away it is, the blurrier it will appear on the film.
!appily, there)s some wiggle room here. While in a strict sense only one precise distance will be
in sharp focus, this is the real world. We can tolerate small amounts of out-of-focus blur and not
even know that it)s there. There)s a depth of focus - a closest distance and a furthest distance
which define this range of acceptable distances. We abbreviate it as H(F.
2 -he distance range o# acceptably sharp #ocus is the depth o# #ocus 6)OF7.
There)s 5ust one more piece to this entire pu33le. #t)s related to the si3e of the hole in the lens
opening mechanism in the camera lens. We ad5ust this opening with the f number setting.
Whenever we reduce the si3e of the opening Cusing a larger f number, which means less lightD, the
range of the H(F increases. Think of it as making the lens )s'uint) and you)ve got the idea firmly
nailed down. #ncidentally, the acceptable range closer than the actual focus setting on the lens is
half as large as the acceptable range further away from the actual setting.
2 -o increase )OF/ go to a larger # stop number. 6Smaller actual opening.7
2 -o decrease )OF/ go to a smaller # stop number. 68arger actual opening.7
2s promised, that)s the last piece of the pu33le for determining a basic e*posure. #f you remember,
we mentioned give-to-get situations when we discussed film speed and graininess. We)ve now
added a couple of others.
They are6
2 Increasing the shutter speed to reduce motion blur must include increasing the lens
opening to let in more light. -he increase in the lens opening reduces the depth o# #ocus
range.
2 )ecreasing the lens opening to increase the depth o# #ocus range must include slo$ing
the shutter speed to let in more light. -he decrease in the shutter speed increases
motion blur.
1ou now have the basic knowledge needed to pick out a reasonably correct combination of shutter
speed and f number for a specific e*posure. #t depends on what you feel is more important in the
final picture6 reducing motion blur or increasing the depth of focus.
(nce you make this decision, you)ll find that there is one combination of shutter speed and f
number that is better than the others. There will be times when you want to blur a background or
show motion with a blurry image. That will mean that you choose a different combination to get
the effect you want.
When you begin to use manual settings, the choice becomes yours -- not that of the
designer of the camera. #t adds to your control over the final print.
6endi' 6. 0ashica 1lectro7style cameras
2s mentioned above, these cameras do not have a speed control dial. Gather, they have a dial on
the lens which allows you to ad5ust the lens opening. The camera then sets the shutter speed
based on its light meter reading. This is called aperture priority. While this does not give you the
absolute control over e*posure settings that you have with fully manual cameras, you can still
decide on a smaller or larger lens opening. The camera will set the matching slower or faster
shutter speed. With time and e*perience, you can learn to control the final results.
6endi' (. 3ight meters.
We)ve used the f9< rule above because it simplifies the discussion. #f your camera has a built-in
light meter or if you have a separate light meter, you)ll use it to determine the correct range of
shutter speed$f numbers for all sorts of lighting conditions. 1ou will probably still want to make the
final choice of one particular combination based on the motion control$H(F give-to-get and the
shutter speed$focal length rule.
-he ne.t topic in this series $ill be B9W #ilm de+elopment.
Black and White Film Photography - A Beginner's Primer.
Part :II( Filters
by Aim !annah
+ntroduction.
The black and white photographer can e*ercise considerable control over the shades of grey which
make up the final print image. We covered overall e*posure and contrast control in the section on
enlarging. The techni'ues of burning in and dodging during the enlarging process can provide
further darkening or lightening of specific areas of the print.
There)s another way to modify the grays in a print. That method is to change the way a particular
color or range of colors will be recorded on the negative itself. #t)s done by placing a filter in front
of the camera lens and making the e*posure with the filtered light. The discussion below will cover
the basic filters used in black and white photography.
)iscussion.
*hat is a filter4
2 photographic filter is most often a piece of glass or plastic which will block out some of the light
which tries to go through it. This article will assume that the round glass screw-in filter designed
for modern ./mm and 9:7 film cameras will be used. 0ee 2ppendi* 2 for information on filters to
use with older cameras.
Two types of filters will be covered6 polari3ing and colored glass. 2 few specific colored glass filters
will be discussed, but the general discussion will be useful for an understanding of other colors as
well.
5olari8ing filters.
4nder certain conditions, light coming to the camera can be polari3ed. The two most common
situations are light reflections from glass or water and the light from a blue sky. 2 polari3ing filter
can block some of this light from reaching the camera lens. The result is that reflections are
reduced or the blue sky is darkened in the final print. B&W photographers can get the best results
from the older, or linear type of polari3ing filter. The newer circular polari3ing filters can be used,
but the results will be somewhat different. !appily, the older linear polari3ing filters are usually
less e*pensive.
The rotation alignment of a linear polari3ing filter is important. #f the filter is rotated, it will block
out the polari3ed light most strongly in one specific position. #f it is rotated J7 degrees from that
position, it will not block the polari3ed light at all. This is easy to control with a through-the-lens
camera. 1ou simply look through the viewfinder and rotate the polari3er until you get the effect
you want. With a rangefinder or simple viewfinder camera, you must look at the scene through the
filter before putting it on the camera. Gotate the filter to get the desired effect and note the filter
orientation. Then put it on the camera and rotate it to the same orientation before making the
e*posure.
While on the topic of orientation, remember that light from a blue sky is polari3ed most strongly
from that portion of the sky J7 degrees from the position of the sun. #f the sun is due south, the
eastern and western skies will be most strongly polari3ed. The southern and northern sky will not
be polari3ed to any noticeable e*tent.
Colored filters.
These are made of solid glass or a sheet of colored material which is then sandwiched between two
sheets of glass. The filters most often used by amateurs are round and metal-rimmed. The rim is
usually threaded on both sides so that the filters can be screwed to the camera lens and a lens
hood or second filter can be attached to the filter. The more e*pensive filters are also coated to
improve light transmission.
!ow colored filters work is relatively easy to understand if you remember the se'uence of )colors)
of light in a rainbow or of white light )split) by a prism. This )rainbow) of colors runs in a se'uence
of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and violet. 2 colored filter lets light of its own color pass
through easily but )filters out) or reduces the amount of light of other colors. The effect of a
specific color of filter on the other colors will be strongest on those colors furthest from the filter)s
color in the rainbow se'uence.
2s an e*ample, let)s consider a red filter. #t will let red light ,light from red ob5ects- pass through
to the film at close to full strength. &ight from orange ob5ects will be reduced a bit, light from
yellow ob5ects will be reduced further, and so on. When we get to ob5ects at the far end of the
color se'uence, blue and violet, the red filter will strongly reduce the amount of light it lets
through.
0o far, so good. The final part of understanding how colored filters affect the final B&W print is a
wee bit tricky, so we)ll take it step-by-step.
&ight passing through a lens and hitting B&W film causes the film to darken when developed. Kore
light results in darker film. &ess light results in lighter film.
#f all the colors of light are allowed to reach the film in e'ual amounts, they will all produce about
the same degree of darkening.
#f the light of some of the colors is )filtered out) or weakened, it will not darken the film as much as
if it was at full strength.
&ight areas on B&W film will result in dark areas in the final print. Hark areas on B&W film will
result in light areas in the final print.
(>. !ere we goB ,Hrumroll, please.- When we filter out a color of light, the result will
be that the color is shown as a darker than normal area in the final print.
Loing back to the red filter, the light it most strongly filters out ,or reduces- is blue. #f we were
going to take a picture of white clouds in a blue sky and wanted the blue to be darker than
)normal), we could use a red filter. The blue light from the sky would be reduced. #t would register
as lighter than )normal) on the film and therefore darker than )normal) on the final print.
&et)s sum up what we)ve covered.
- 2 colored filter will darken colors different from its own color.
- The further away a color is on the color se'uence from the filter)s own color, the darker it will be
on the print.
#f you)re wondering about whether filtering out some of the light in a scene has an effect on the
e*posure, the answer is yes. !ow to deal with it is the ne*t topic.
3.posure.
Filters block out some of the light coming to the camera lens. 2s you might guess, the darker
filters will block out more light than the lighter ones. 2 4M filter is almost completely colorless. #t
blocks out so little of the light that no e*posure change is ever needed. (n the other hand, a dark
red filter blocks out lots of light. 2ccordingly, the e*posure must be greatly increased to
compensate.
!appily for the photographer, each filter comes with specific e*posure compensation information.
This is stated as a filter factor and will generally range somewhere between 9 and ;. The filter
factor tells you how many times an e*posure must be increased above the normal e*posure. To
state it another way, it tells you how many times to multiply the normal, unfiltered e*posure to get
the correct filtered e*posure.
*arning9 Ho not confuse a filter factor with f stopsB
F-stops, you)ll remember, double the e*posure for each ma5or f number change. #n order to
convert filter factors into f-stops, you need a little table. !ere it is6
Filter factor f-stop change
: 9
. 9 :$.
8 :
< : :$.
; .
97 . 9$.
9< 8
1ou can use 9 9$:, : 9$: and . 9$: instead of 9 :$., : :$. and . 9$. f-stops without a problem.
#f you wish to use two filters together, you must multiply the two individual filter factors instead of
adding them together. Then go to the table to find the f-stop change.
#n general, you)ll get more accurate e*posures if you first determine the e*posure for the
unfiltered scene and then apply the correction. #n some instances, a filter can )fool) an e*posure
meter if you try to determine the e*posure based on reading the filtered light.
Speci#ic colored #ilters.
:;. This filter has little use in B&W photography. #n a few instances, using it might reduce the
effect of ha3e in a landscape scene, but the change is not great. The best reason to use a 4M filter
is to avoid having to clean the front element of the camera lens. #t also serves to protect the lens
from accidental scratches or fingerprints.
<= !yellow". Kodern panchromatic films do not record all the colors in the same shades of grays as
the intensities, as seen by the human eye, would suggest. #n particular, we tend to see blues as
being a bit darker than the films record them. The >: filter ad5usts the light to better agree with
what we see in terms of gray density. 0ome B&W photographers simply keep a >: filter on their
lens all the time unless they have reason to select some other specific filter for a particular
e*posure.
$range. This filter will darken a blue sky to a greater degree than a >:. #t is used
in landscape photography to increase the drama of a scene. For portraits, an orange filter will
reduce the darkness of freckles.
=>6 !red". The red filter e*aggerates the darkness of a blue sky. (ne of the side effects is that
shadows, which are basically illuminated with blue light from the sky, deepen to black, with little
detail. Foliage is also darkened. #n portraits, a red filter lightens skin tones.
?reen. This filter, by darkening non-green colors, will make foliage appear lighter than normal.
This can be used to good effect in certain landscapes. Geds and blues, at the ends of the color
range, will darken 'uite a bit. #n a still life with fruit reds, oranges and violet colors are darkened.
(lue. Blue filter use is rare. 0ince it is at the opposite end of the color range from red, it will
darken red and orange shades. This might be of importance in some still life work. #t will also
lighten a blue sky to the point where clouds will not be very noticeable. !a3e in a landscape will be
increased, adding to what painters call )atmospheric perspective) - the reduction of the color
intensity of distant ob5ects. #n portraits, a blue filter will lighten blue eyes. The effect can be 'uite
interesting.
Purchasing #ilters.
Kounted glass filters come in a wide variety of si3es. The si3es are stated as the diameters of the
mounting threads in millimeters. When purchasing a filter, you)ll need to know which diameter to
buy. #f you have only one camera with one lens, the task is easy. The filter si3e is often inscribed
on the lens or given in the camera owner)s manual. #f you have more than one camera, or if your
camera has interchangeable lenses, you can keep the total cost of filters down by buying the si3e
which will fit your largest diameter lens and then using step-up adapters ,sometimes called )rings)-
between your smaller diameter lenses and the filter. By using the adapters, you)ll need 5ust one
filter of each type no matter which camera or lens you select for use. ,0ee 2ppendi* 2 for older
non-standard cameras.-
Hint9 Buy a lens shade of the same si3e as the filter. #t will work on all but the more
e*treme wide angle lenses .
Filters come in a wide range of prices, depending on the manufacturer. 4nless you are using
photographic e'uipment of the finest 'uality and demand the very sharpest results, the mid-price
range filters from one of the ma5or manufacturers such as Tiffin or !oya will serve nicely.
ppendi. . Eon-standard cameras.
There are two camera types which re'uire something other than a simple screw-in filter.
The first of these are the older ./mm cameras which do not have standard screw threads inside
the lens barrel. The solution is to locate a slip-on adapter which will fit the outside of the lens
barrel. #nformation on these can be obtained at the larger camera stores.
The second type of non-standard cameras are the older twin lens refle* cameras such as 1ashicas
and Golleifle*es. They use a bayonet adapter which fits into the taking lens. These come in at least
three different si3es to fit different cameras. #t is necessary to find out which si3e of bayonet
adapter you)ll need for your particular camera.