Filters are becoming a thing of the past.  But for a landscape photographer they are one of his best tools.  I am a photographer who started in the film era where there was no "Chimping" or "Photoshop" where things could be corrected after the fact.  You had to get it as right as you could "in camera."  Most filters nowadays can be duplicated in some sort of editing program like Photoshop or Lightroom.  The problem here is the more that you do in post- production, the more the image is damaged.  My goal is to get it as good as I can "in camera"  and then take it to Photoshop or Lightroom to do final touch up.  I consider this to be the best way to get good photographs.

There are all shapes and sizes of filters.  They come in round, square, screw mount, and filter holder systems.  Filters help the photographer let you see what he sees.  When I have unwanted light, like in a sunrise or sunset, I use a graduated neutral density filter to tone down the brighter part of the frame so I can pick up some detail in the foreground.  Without the filter you get the foreground under exposed and the background over exposed.  So we use filters to trick the camera.  There are all types of filters.  I mentioned a neutral density filter, but there are many others from polarizers, UV filters, and colored filters.  The main filters I use are  neutral density filters that darken all or parts of the photo without changing the color.  There are different types of neutral density filters -- plain, graduated, soft graduated, and hard graduated.  These filters help you take photos when the light is very difficult to get the correct exposure, like with sunrises and sunsets.  They can also bring out detail in flat light.  The sunset below was taken with a graduated neutral density filter attached to tone down the bright sky and bring out detail in the foreground. Polarizers are the other type of filters I use.  Polarizers are like sunglasses for your lens.  When you put on a pair of sunglasses, notice how the grass, sky, and things just pop?  The same thing happens with this filter.  It will take the glare off of water and shiny things.  It will also enhance the sky, making it bluer that you normally see it. The polarizer is the only filter that cannot be duplicated in post-production.

I use two different styles of filters -- screw-on filters and ones that require filter holders.  My main filter system is made by Lee Filters.  I use their filter holders and filters.  This type of filter can be very expensive, but it's because they are handmade.  Here is a link to a YouTube video of the Lee Filter Factory --  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lMu_m203YaY   It's very cool to see how they are made.  Filters can enhance your photos if you give them a chance.

Keep shooting!!!

Lee Filter Holder Filters Holden Beach Pier SunsetHolden Beach North Carolina.