There probably isn't an App for this. Yet!

If I'm feeling lazy and want to reproduce a tilt shift effect on an image with my mobile phone, I can use the Snapseed App. If I want a faux HDR effect, there's an App for that as well.

However, there's one effect that I haven't yet found an App for. Can you guess what it is? The answer is . . wait for it . . polarisation.

That's right. the humble (if somewhat expensive) polariser filter. 

I've always had polarisers in my equipment collection. They are a great accessory and if looked after correctly, will last as long as, if not longer than, your camera gear.

So, what does this marvellous piece of glass do?

To put it briefly, it removes reflections from non metallic surfaces and intensifies colours. But, there is a caveat. The effect will be most effective when used at right angles to the sun. This means that if you are using it to remove glare from a shop window, then don't stand full on to the window. 

The polariser has two rings. One has the filter thread and remains fixed on the lens while the other rotates. The effect of this rotation is visible when looking at a live image through the viewfinder. You notice the effect, whether it's reflections disappearing, blue skies getting more intense or colours intensifying as you turn the ring.

Here are a few examples that I took a couple of weeks back. This was a spur of the moment thing so I didn't have a tripod with me to produce exactly the same field of view in each image. I had to first take the picture, then screw the filter on and rotate it for the best effect and then take the next picture.

I saw this interesting shop window in the town of Wangen an der Aare. It was a very sunny day (ideal for polarisers) but there were lots of reflections. Standing at a right angle to the window I rotated the front filter ring whilst observing it through the viewfinder. When I saw that it had removed most of the glare, I took a picture.

 Before and after

One thing to note, when using the polariser is that it cuts down on the light reaching the film / sensor. to counter this, you can either increase the ISO or use a tripod if you think that the exposure will be too slow.

Then it was down to the river where I wanted to demonstrate the water reflection killing capabilities of the polariser.

Again, a before and after shot showing how the slightly washed out sky plus the grass colours in the first shot have been strengthened in the second one along with lots of the water reflections being eliminated.

 As if more proof were needed. Here is my favourite example shot from that day. Just look at how much more intense and clear the water is in the second photo when compared with the un-polarised first picture

Another word of warning. As I mentioned earlier, the filter consists of two rings. If you are using one on a very wide lens, you may experience vignetting where the filter is visible in the corners of the image (i.e.dark corners). To combat this, take off any other filters already on the lens or buy one of the newer generation of slim filters.

Thanks for reading. Please feel free to leave any comments or even ask a question or two!

Snapseed

I was up early this morning in a place that I hadn't previously visited. After I had parked my car, I noticed an old factory building which I knew I had to photograph.

Unfortunately I was only carrying my mobile phone with me ( a Samsung Galaxy S3 ) but I decided anyway to get a visual record of the building. The image I captured was very blue as the sun was only just beginning to rise. 

 Straight out of the phone

When I got home, I didn't even bother to open the image on my PC. Instead I opened it in a mobile phone App called Snapseed. This is a wonderful programme that allows an image to be almost endlessly manipulated. The user can alter the white balance, sharpness and saturation etc. Also available are different effects such as B&W, grunge and sepia (amongst others ) 

For the finished image, I used the settings to darken the sky behind the building, Crop the car out on the left, lighten the building itself, add just a touch of vignetting and grain, convert it to monochrome and add a funky frame. 

 After the Snapseed treatment

I like this particular programme / App so much that I have the paid for version on my PC and the free versions on my iPad and my phone.

At the time of writing, the App was still available from its makers Nik Software for free download on the Google Play store.

Thanks for reading.

Earning and shooting bread...

Interesting problem last week.

The company I work for has developed a range of LED lights which can be adjusted to complement various products from meat to designer textiles.

There's a setting for meat to bring out the succulent bloodiness of fresh produce on a butcher's counter to accents to subtly highlight delicate fabrics on a mannequin in a shop window. The lights can also be dimmed without losing colour.

Anyway, I digress.

We discovered at the last minute that there wasn't a suitable image of bread that we could use. I solved this by going to the bread department of a shop where the lights are already installed and working successfully.

The baker in charge gave me a selection of products to play with and I arranged them on a wooden palette. I set the EOS 5d on my Benbo and shot the buns in a vertical orientation because I knew from studying the layout that this would be ideal. My 28 - 135 zoom allowed me to crop tightly and fill the frame as envisaged by our art department.

The setup recorded with my Samsung Galaxy

That finished, I returned and they are now, as I write this, being incorporated into a brochure.

 Close-up. Again taken with the Galaxy

 That's it for now. My next assignment is to shoot some meat and a range of designer lights.

By the way. If you want to know more about these LED lights, my company has produced a microsite where all your questions will be answered. You'll find it here.

Thanks for reading.