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| OHCC LIVING | JUNE 2021 | 29 One of the tools in a photographer's toolkit is the use of a filter. The filter can be a simple clear UV filter, which helps to protect the camera lens from dust, rain, saltwater spray, whatever other things that might dirty or damage a lens. A UV filter is really the minimum requirement if your camera has any kind of an expensive lens. It screws right on the end of the lens and you just leave it there. But do not use a cheap one or it will affect the quality of the photos. A polarizing filter works like polarized sunglasses. It can help with the problem of overexposure shooting our incredibly bright Southern California landscapes, and darken the images somewhat and cut out glare. Once the filter is mounted, and the subject is framed, you can slowly rotate the filter while watching how the image changes in your viewfinder. One caveat is not to use a polarizing filter with polarized sunglasses – you end up correcting twice and it is hard to tell what you are seeing. Polarizing filters are great for landscapes – they darken skies and make colors pop. The shot of the lake and fountain at Grand Tradition is an example. Skylight filters are every photographer's best friend when shooting under a clear blue sky. They can reduce the excessive blue cast that often appears in photographs taken outdoors. They can also keep skin tones free of color reflections from objects that are around the subject. Neutral Density filters are sheets of dark colored glass that reduces the amount of light hitting the sensor, but without affecting the color of the resulting image. This can help with excess sun and with powerful flashes. It needs no adjustment and can work with your camera's metering and focusing. Color correcting or cooling/warming filters correct and enhance the color of your scene. If you don't want to mess with colors in post-processing, the adjustment can be done while shooting. The shot of the Seattle lock is an example. Finally, macro, or close-up filters are a poor man's way of giving your camera macro capabilities without purchasing an expensive lens. But they aren't true macro lenses – it's more like reading glasses for your camera. The shot of the euro coin is an example. The Photo Club hopes to meet in person soon. Dues are $8/year. Photography