Photographic filter facts for kids

Four photographic filters. Clockwise, from top-left, an infrared hot mirror filter, a polarising filter, and a UV filter. The larger filter is a polariser for Cokin-style filter mounts.

The 80A filter, mainly used to correct for the excessive redness of tungsten lighting, can also be used to oversaturate scenes that already have blue. The photo on the left was shot with a polarizer, while the one on the right was shot with a polarizer and an 80A filter.

A photographic filter is a lens that is used in photography to filter the light. There are different kinds of filters:

• Clear filters, commonly known as window glass are put in front of a lens to protect the camera lens.
• UV filters are used to reduce the haziness, strong UV filters can be used for warming up certain types of color photos in the shade. They can also correct some of the purple haze on certain digital cameras
• Filters are used for color correction; the main use there is to be able to use daylight-type film indoors, or indoor-type film outdoors.
• Filters are used to enhance contrast. Examples for this are color filters (red, orange, green,..) in black and white photography or polarizing filters in color photography.
• Polarizing filters remove light with a certain polarity to reduce or increase glare, particularly from window reflections or water.
• Neutral Density filters reduce light without changing the color.
• There are special filters that must be used with film that is sensible to infrared light.
• So called diopters or close-up lenses make the image bigger. They are a cheaper way to do macro photography
• A diffusion filter shows a subject softer, by adding some 'fuzziness'; this can be wanted in some cases, usually portraits of a person.

Filters can be cheap or expensive. The price is often paid for the glass (or plastic) that is treated or coated in different ways. Also some filters can be screwed in front of a lens, others can be placed in the back of the lens, or in special filter holders screwed in at the front.

Images for kids

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  An extreme case: a Nikon D700 with a smashed filter which may have saved the Nikkor lens beneath. Usually, all that can reasonably be expected is protection from scratches, nicks and airborne contaminants.

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  Effects of using a polarizer and a red filter in black-and-white photography

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  Polarizing filter, Atlantic Ocean 1989

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  The bottom left image has a diffusion filter applied to the original image (shown in the top left). The top right is a cross screen effect. The bottom right shows a LOMO effect.

See also

In Spanish: Filtro fotográfico para niños