Lens Filter Question

Sam - My mother is a photographer and she has mentioned using lenses to get a warmth effect. Call a camera shop and tell them what you're trying to do and they should be able to help you!

Sam,

There are photo editing tools that can replicate warming the color tone after the fact, without using filters.  Not sure what effect you're trying to achieve, but you may want to experiment with editing software before buying and employing filters.

As Eric said, there are photo editing tools that can create the same effect.

I think what you may be seeing is where some have made better use of their cameras ISO settings, or amount of light.  After reading up on it, I've been doing some playing around with mine and depending on the setting (and your camera's ability) it can make a BIG difference in how a photo turns out.

In some cases filters can save you some time in post processing depending on the effect you are trying to get.  From my personal experiments, it is actually just as fast for me to correct color temp in adobe Camera Raw editor or Photoshop.  One filter I have had some success with is a circular polarizer, especially on exterior photos.  I like to use HDR for my exterior shots but a lot of time I can get by with a single exposure and a little editing by using a polarizer filter.  Another popular opinion I hear against using filters is that you may degrade image quality by putting a cheap piece of glass (filter) over a high quality piece of glass (a good lens). 

There are many types of filters but it appears you are talking about color filters, specifically perhaps what are called warming filters since they add some yellow to the photo. Color filters are all but obsolete anymore since you can adjust the color using your white balance - in general oyu can select shade or cloudy for more yellow, tungsten for more blue (warning: a LOT more blue) or most DSLRs have the ability to preset the white balance or even micro-adjust. Beyond that, even simple software like Picasa can make small adjustments to color temperature - shifting either blue or yellow. Better software can do even more

In general, there are really only 3 types of filters anyone uses any more:

- UV filters - clear glass used primarily for protection. It is much debated whether these really offer any protection and there are usually image quality tradeoffs so some photogs use them, some don't.

- ND filters, including GND filters. ND filters are a neutral gray that doesn't affect the color of the photo but reduce the amount of light coming through the lens to slow down the shutter speed. You primarily see these when you see blurred water shots. GND filters have the top half a neutral gray and the bottom clear. These are for sunet type photos where the top half (sky) is really bright and the bottom half (landscape) is dark - it darkens the bright half and lightens the dark half.

- polarizers, almost always specifically circular polarizers. These cut glare and thus saturate the colors of objects since the camera now sees the object behind the glare. I'm never without a CPL - they are an absolute godsend for mid-day photos.

Keep us posted Sam. I have the same questions you do. How are you liking that lens so far?

I think you'll find that for exterior real estate shots, a GND (BTW GND is Graduated Neutral Density FWIW) won't reallly help a shot with the sunset behind the house. Just way too much contrast in that scene for even a GND to pull everything in. If you do get it, you run the risk of it looking REALLY fake. Plus the GND has a line across it where the tone changes from light to dark so it works best where you have a nice level horizon, not one with a house sticking up from the horizon. GNDs are really more of a landscape filter.

In general, exterior shots are best done with the sun low and behind you or at least quartering.

I think the best time to shot exterior would be at dusk but that's not always an option.  I agree with Eric and Iran CPL is the one filter you should have with you at all times.