Using different colour filters on cameras tutorial

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These first pictures have all been converted using Paint Shop Pro to simulate the effects of colour filters on photos, the reason being that I don't have a complete set of colour filters for my digital camera, in fact the only colour filters I have are red and green, but I have used all the different colours in the past in my film based days and can confirm that the effect is the same as its shown here. Plus it means that any changes in the levels of brightness and shadows is the effect of the colour filters, not movement of clouds etc. Very important for this example as it shows how much difference colour filters make to the brightness of things that are strong colours, such as the bright red top, blue jeans and green grass.

The digital photo on the left is the standard full colour photo of the scene. The digital photo on the right is a standard black and white version of the photo converted using Paint Shop Pro, as it would look if no colour filters were used on it at all.

Different colour filters

	Red filter	Green filter	Blue filter
	Yellow filter	Cyan filter	Magenta filter

These six images show the effects of six different colour filters and help demonstrate why you should consider using colour filters on your camera or at least experiment with different colour effects at home using software like Paint Shop Pro or Photoshop. Virtually all my photos are taken in full colour and without any colour filters attached at the time as it gives me more freedom to experiment with effects when I get home. If you have access to colour filters for you camera I would still recommend giving them a try as they can be great fun to experiment with. Choosing the right colour filter for your pictures can make a really big difference. The model for these photos was my daughter Joanne.

A real colour filter photo!

This photo was taken by me using a really dark red filter on my digital camera, the only software based digital work done on it was a standard conversion to black and white using Paint Shop Pro. I think its a nice shot that looks like it was taken very early in the morning, but was actually taken at lunch time! You can pick up colour filters that can be used on most film and digital cameras quite cheaply at boot sales and on web sites like eBay. Most screw on to your lens either directly, but you can get adapters that let you use things like the great Cokin creative filters on virtually any camera, even modern compact digital cameras!

Important to remember

Some say the difference between amateurs and professional photographers is that amateur photographers have very few filters and use them too often, but professional photographers have many filters and only use them when they are really needed. Filters can make a some bad photos great, but they can also make some great photos bad, that's why I do it mostly with software (Paint Shop Pro) these days, its much easier to click undo than go and have to retake the photo!

The need for speed!

One other important effect of using colour filters is that they block light and the darker the filter, the more light they block and the slower the shutter speed will be on the camera. This increases the chance of blurry pictures, motion blur is a nice effect when done right, but it can ruin photos too, you have been warned! Use a tripod if needed.

If you want any advice on filters, feel free to contact me and I will try to answer your questions if I can.

Copyright

This guide was 100% created by Dean Thorpe of Aspex Design, so please feel free to link to it if you think it is useful, but PLEASE do not copy it and use it on your own site, it took a lot of work to create. If you want to print it out for educational reasons then that is fine, just don't claim you created it or make profit out of it. Sorry to sound negative, but I have had a few bad experiences with people selling my free creations on eBay!

Colour / Color

Please note: I am English, so colour is correct for here, so please do not contact me saying it should be color, color really is spelt colour here! Sorry to mention it, but I have people contact me about the whole colour / color thing before and also favourite / favorite and a few other UK / US differences.