stu352 Loc: MA/RI Border

In answer to your question...

http://www.pbase.com/sb_photos/polarized

I use mine a lot, both on water, for car shows, etc. It fixes reflections, etc, that Lightroom cannot.

Stu

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

If you go pixel by pixel, you can reconstruct detail that is masked by reflections, and, essentially, mimic the same effect.

I tried it. Once. On an image that I shot because I didn't have the correctly sized polarizer. I didn't count how many hours I spent on it, and the result was not exactly impressive.

Someday there may be a digital process to mimic the results, but I'm pretty sure I'll be dead by then!

Polarizers, even good ones, are cheap compared to our bodies and glass. My time is valuable too, as I'm sure yours is, and five or six hours of pixel peeping to produce an inferior result, while a CPL gives me better results in real time, at a bargain price.

Andy

pbradin Loc: Florida

Circular polarizers are very, very useful in many situations. When I shoot collector car shows, I use them to cut down on unwanted reflections. But you can only get them to work at certain angles to the sun and they will not do squat on a cloudy day. You can also use them to intensify the white clouds and the richness of a blue sky and other colors, again only when the sunlight is coming from a certain direction from the direction your camera is aimed. Their effect is intensified on shorter lenses. If you put one on a 400mm lens the effect will be much less than on a 24mm lens. I used to have one for every filter diameter that my lenses took, but now, luckily, all of my lenses take a 77mm filter, so I only need one. They will do a lot for your photography especially if you shoot highly reflective objects outdoors or if you are doing nature photography. They will also hide things underwater if you want or they will allow you to see things underwater better because it will cut down on reflections. Since you can rotate the filter after you put it on your lens, you can rotate it until you get the saturation you want or get the reflective qualities you want. I never leave home without mine and it is on whatever lens I am using. The downside is that you will lose one f-stop of light.

MissSue

Nice tips, thank you Steve. I knew some of it but not as much as you shared and I learned something new today... a good day all around!

wdross Loc: Castle Rock, Colorado

Sorry you found out the hard way. And, like you said, the results are "not exactly impressive".

AndyH Loc: Massachusetts and New Hampshire

It was a worthwhile experiment.

I immediately went out and bought a good quality polarizer for each lens we own. The experience was worth it, and the lesson learned was invaluable.

You "could" try to reconstruct the lost data in PS pixel by pixel. I suppose you "could" try to build the Hoover Dam shovelful by shovelful.


But the result wouldn't be as good, and it would take you the same time you would need to build Grand Coulee and Bonneville with power equipment!


Andy

JD750 Loc: SoCal

Some people prefer to sit behind the computer. Some prefer to be behind the camera. I prefer to spend maximum time behind the camera and minimize time behind the computer. So it’s an easy decision for me. GIRITC means minimizUng time behind the computer.

And yes you can eliminate reflections with software but you have to replace them with something, so it’s not the same as taking the shot with the filter mounted on the camera.

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

Here is why I use a CPL. I ran an experiment to seeif there was really difference. The first is with the CPL second I took it off. Both withE the same settings- 500 ISO at 1/500 at F-ll

with

(Download)

without

(Download)

tomcat

Interesting that the reflections on the table and the chairs were not removed with the polarizer. I thought that was the reason for using--to remove these.

SteveR Loc: Michigan

Steve....I just have to ask....how did you get the polarizer on before the frog hopped away?

boberic Loc: Quiet Corner, Connecticut. Ex long Islander

I did not rotate the filter to lessen reflections but to Increase contrast of a darker blue sky and the clouds

tomcat

OK, understood. But with the sliders in LR, you can increase contrast and darken a blue sky and also make the scene pop, just as you did. So in this instance, a polarizer was not needed to get this same effect.

via the lens Loc: Northern California, near Yosemite NP

#1. I usually forget, but when I do remember it is for wet rocks and reflection on glass.
#2. Not to my knowledge, but you might be able to tone something down a bit. Perhaps someone else has found a way to do this.
#3. No, you can do all those things in post. On the sky, just take down the luminance with the blue slider in HSL.

JD750 Loc: SoCal

So long as you love sitting behind the computer that can work. That is your prefrence. My preference is to get it right in camera and spend less time behind the computer, and have more time for shooting.

tomcat

It takes me less than 5 sec to move those 2 sliders, so it's not that much of a sacrifice. But thanks for your point.