Maybe you have seen photographs in magazines and on the net that look surrealistic or unreal. Most of them have no doubt been edited on computer, but some have been affected during the shooting process. This can be achieved with the use of glass rings called filters. They fit on to the front of your lens. Filters are available in a variety of categories and effects, and let us discuss some of them.

Black and white filters
Black and white filters are in fact made of colored glass! Their importance could be hard to understand by a person who has no clue about black and white photography. It is out of the scope of this article to explain why color filters affect black and white film, but we shall explain the effect. If you shoot a blue sky using a red filter, the sky appears darkish. this is because blue and red are complimentary colors like black and white. The red filter allows all other colors to pass through it, except for blue. And so, the image remains unaffected except for the blue areas which come out blackish. This is in fact the beauty of black and white photography, and it can never be faked or cloned on computers and digital cameras.

Color Filters
Color filters or filters for general use come in a variety of categories. The multi image filter multiplies the center of the image so you see many images repeated, like the disco effect of the seventies. The star filters make a point of light to appear as a star. They are very good for commercial uses. Have you ever seen images in magazines that make the model’s skin glow as if there was a soft light around the face alone? Well that effect is achieved with the diffusing filter. It softens the light as well as removes the blemishes of the skin. Never use this if sharpness is your main objective, such as when shooting interiors. It is good for portraits though. And then there is the warm tone filter which adds a warm effect to the skin. Other filters such as red and orange can add a dramatic effect to a sunset. Have you seen images where the center of the photo is clear but everything else is out of focus? That is done with the center spot filter, which has clear glass in the center of the filter alone, but diffuses all around it. These are just a few of the filters that one can use to get some amazing effects on photographs. Many if not all of the color effects can be done on computer today, so we now see a rise in shooting basic raw, sharp images which are later enhanced on computer using software such as the popular Adobe Photoshop.