Black-&-white photographs often lack impact because colors that are well differentiated in nature be equivalently luminous in shades of gray. Unlike color photographs, black-&-white photographs only have brightness contrast, no color contrast. That is why things that have different colors but the same brightness will have similar gray values. For instance, when there is a blue toy in the foreground & red dress with the same brightness in the background, they will be reproduced with the same gray values. This is referred to as insufficient tonal separation. Colored filters are helpful in such situations. Black & white photographers often carry several filter sets, yellow, orange & red being the most common for general use. Yellow is the most subtle, red the strongest, & orange falling somewhere between the two. The red 25 filter is ideal for increasing contrast. In landscape photography, it enhances white areas, letting clouds stand out clearly against a darkened sky & drastically reducing distant haze. It is also used for tonal separation in still-life photography. Why B+W? : You wouldnt handicap yourself by running a marathon in combat boots, so why handicap your high quality lens by using an inferior filter? B+W filters are made to the same high technology standards that are used in the production of the worlds finest lenses. They are diamond cut from German Schott optical glass, precision ground, polished & tested to the finest lens quality to ensure flatness & parallel thickness. This assures that every B+W filter is free from color aberrations & internal flaws. Many other brands of filters are cut from greenish window glass sheets or made from pressed blanks, methods that introduce internal strain & stress. Combined with imperfections in the glass, this can cause refraction of light & inconsistent image quality. With so many B+W filters to choose from, you should never make your good lens a loser by degrading it with an inferior filter. |
