Refining Imagery: A Filter Buyer's Guide (page 2)
Enhancing Your Image
Many more filters exist beyond those few that we've already mentioned. The majority of these filters have limited uses, because of their specific properties. However, they all deal with enhancing certain light qualities to deliver a unique look.
One such filter that is actually quite common is an 812 warm filter. Different manufacturers may have slight variations in the name of this filter, but its main objective is to enhance the warm tones of the image. This filter is ideal for portraits or other shooting environments that might otherwise produce an image that's too cool.
Beyond those that warm up your looks, there are many more filter types that can reduce contrast, selectively limit other color values, create diffusion, make star-points from sources of light and so much more. Experimenting with filters is fun and can be very rewarding. However, we recommend you use some discretion, as any filter you put before your lens will have a lasting and undoable effect on your video.
Alas, Almighty Digital Filters
Many of the specialized filters can be replaced by digital equivalents in post production. Of course, this takes more time, but, if you need a very specific look, it might be possible to achieve it using color correction tools or specific plug-ins. The additional flexibility of the Undo function with digital filters can be a life-saver.
Don't rely solely on digital filters, however. The art of applying optical filters is knowing what you don't want in your image. It's best if you can eliminate the unwanted light qualities with optical filters. If there's unwanted UV haze, it makes perfect sense to use a UV filter. Or take away unwanted glare with a polar. The goal is to filter out the bad with optical filters and then emphasize the good light qualities you captured using digital filters in post production.
When you put your filter kit together, think about the type of shooting environments you'll be in. Ask yourself if there are any specific imaging qualities that you'll want to reduce or even remove. Chances are, there's a filter that will help you achieve that look.
Contributing editor Mark Montgomery is an independent video producer and editor.
Manufacturer's list
Click here to download a PDF Manufacturer's list of Videomaker's Filter Buyer's Guide.
